A great snorkel spot to see a pristine coral reef and even spot a Giant Moray Eel. This is a small snorkel area, but very picturesque, and a good stop on the way to Loh Lana Bay, and Bamboo Island.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Video
Snorkel Snaps
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral
2-3 Meters Average Depth
Good Visibility
Easy to Medium Difficulty
Cafe’s on main island
Tours or boat hire approx $30
Sea Urchins present
Jellyfish unlikely
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
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On the first snorkel of our second snorkel trip around the Phi Phi Islands, we stopped off at the less-known Nui Beach, a 5-10 minute boat ride to the North of Phi Phi Don. We hired a local longtail boat from the North side of the beach spit to take us out to 3x snorkel spots for 3-4 hours. There had just been a 2 hour rainfall so we couldn’t get to Bamboo Island, the local recommended going to the more protected cove of Nui Beach, which was a great shout! My friend and I paid ฿1,400 Thai Baht which is about $40.00 US Dollars between us.
The snorkeling area is quite a way from the beach, maybe 30 metres, so it isn’t possible to swim to the beach or swim out from the beach, the coral is mainly accessible by longtail boat.
Snorkel Spot
We docked up on the edge of the bay, there is a rope line that boats dock to keep out of the way of the passageway between the cove and the island as shown in the image below. There were two other boats docked with tourists mainly snorkeling around the boat. It is a relatively small snorkeling area and you do need to be aware of boats passing in the channel to go to Bamboo Island and also docking at Nui Beach. You can also hear the sound of the boats underwater.
Coral Reef
As I swam around the corner of the cliff face the coral was 4-5 metres down and there wasn’t much more to see, the best section was actually around where the boats dock. My favourite part of the snorkeling was seeing Folded coral (Alcyoniidae) which isn’t overly common in Thailand. I was told by two locals that the coral reefs in Nui Beach Bay are newly regrown corals. The cove has very diverse coral, which covers the sea bed.
Top Tip:
There are two ginormous Massive Boulder coral mounds in the middle of the bay, near where the boats dock.
I returned to Nui Beach on a second snorkel trip and had a similar experience with very good visibility. On this snorkel I spotted some ginormous Massive Boulder Coral which was cool and also Anemone with Nosestripe Anemonefish living in between the branches. Although they didn’t like me getting too close!
We started our snorkel with the locals, as you get into the water you’ll be greeted by coral everywhere. We made our way to snorkel about 5m off the cliff face, swimming in parallel. We spotted a small Giant Moray Eel which was chilling in between two rocks covering its body. We witnessed a larger fish close in on the Moray and trap it in its hole by closing the side of its body on the Moray. This is still unknown as to why it was doing this, I’d guess because it is a predator and it’s trying to remove it from its territory.
Safety Tip:
Be very careful near the cliff as there is a current, and the rock is sharp. Be aware of the boats passing in the channel and also docking.
Other popular snorkel spots close to Nui Beach are Loh Lana Bay, and Bamboo Island.
Tour Guide Option
Some tours that run from Phi Phi Don main island which are pretty cost-effective, you can hire private long boats on the main beach to take you out to the islands and you can decide where you go and negotiate the price, we paid approx $45.00 for 2 people, 3-4hrs. If you are staying in Krabi or Phuket there are Fast boat day trips to the Phi Phi islands to Pileh Lagoon/Bay, as well as Maya Bay just around the corner and Shark Point on Phi Phi Don.
Best Snorkel Spot
In my opinion, the best part to snorkel is just off the longtail boats inside the roped snorkel area, in the center of Nui Beach Bay. This is where there were two Massive Boulder coral formations, and a breadth of colourful, healthy corals.
Best Time Of Year
Thailand‘s dry Season which runs from October-April will give you the best snorkeling conditions.
Popular Marine Life
Parrotfish
Moorish Idol
Giant Clam
Butterflyfish
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Golden Gregory
Rare Marine Life
Anemonefish
Giant Moray Eel
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Table Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Folded Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Brain Coral
Blue Ridged Coral
What I Saw
(Seen on March, 2023)
| Giant Moray Eel | Nosestripe Anemonefish |
| Peacock Grouper | Stellate Rabbitfish |
| Java Rabbitfish | Giant Clam |
| Black-Spot Snapper | Blue Line Grouper |
| Cheveron Butterflyfish | Black-And-White Spinecheek |
| Two-Spot Snapper | Blackspotted Pufferfish |
| Black-And-White Spinecheek | Schwenk’s Sweeper |
| Eight-Banded Butterflyfish | Eastern Triangle Butterflyfish |
| Black Sea Urchin | Quoy’s Parrot Fish |
| Crescent Wrasse | Checkerboard Wrasse |
| Neon Damsel | Sergeant Major Damselfish |
| Golden Gregory | Chinese Demoiselle |
| Hardyhead Fish | Featherstar Clingfish |
| Black Striped Goatfish | Goldtail Demoiselle |
| Yellowtail Damselfish | Moorish Idol |
| Folded Leather Coral | Massive Boulder Coral |
| Lettuce Coral | Delicate Whip Coral |
| Stoney Acroporidae Coral | Table Coral |
| Boulder Star Coral | Honeycomb Coral |
| Soft Coral | Staghorn Branch Coral |
| Cauliflower Coral | Maze Brain Coral |
Where is the Phi Phi Islands?
The Phi Phi Islands are located in the Adaman sea, in the South of Thailand. The Phi Phi Islands are made up of six islands, Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest and most developed island.
Nui Beach Map
Frequently Asked Questions
Nui Beach is accessible only by longtail boat, speedboat, and kayak. The snorkel spot is approximately 100m out from the beach.
I paid a local longtail captain approximately $40-$45 to hire a longtail boat for three hours, for two snorkel spots. I don’t believe there are organised tours to this Bay, and you would have to negotiate with a local longtail captain to take you. The captain I spoke with was located on Loh Dalum Beach, on Koh Phi Phi Don island.
The best time to snorkel at Nui Beach is Thailand’s dry season, which is between October and May.
No it does not cost to snorkel Nui Beach, however there will be the cost of the snorkel trip or longtail boat hire.
Luke
FOUNDER
Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse and live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.
Phi Phi Islands Snorkel Reviews
