Nui Beach on Phi Phi is a picturesque and clean spot, perfect for swimming even during low tide, though getting there can be a bit tricky. You either have to hike through the rocks or arrive by boat.
Some adventurous visitors paddle all the way from Phi Phi Town in rental kayaks, but I wasn’t up for that challenge. When I visited Nui Beach, several boats arrived with snorkelers. Given the number of rocks and coral in the water, it’s definitely more of a snorkeling destination than a place for lounging on the beach.
Walking there isn’t the easiest option—taking a taxi boat a couple of times during your trip is much more convenient.
Nui Beach is a perfect spot for relaxing and enjoying nature. Like many small, hidden gems, Nui Beach on Phi Phi Don offers a unique sense of escape. It’s a 60-meter-long and 30-meter-wide patch of light-yellow sand, nestled in a half-moon bay surrounded by towering cliffs and dense jungle—an almost cinematic setting that feels too good to be true.
However, there is a downside—tourists. Nui Beach is a well-known spot on Phi Phi Don, so boats bring groups of visitors throughout the day. For those seeking peace and solitude, the best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon.
Swimming
Nui Beach is shallow and gently sloping, despite being surrounded by towering cliffs. The first 100 meters (328 feet) of water are relatively clear and free of rocks, but beyond that, coral reefs start to appear.
During high tide, the water reaches waist-deep just 10 meters (33 feet) from the shore, while during low tide, it recedes up to 130–150 meters (426–492 feet). This significantly alters the beach’s appearance, making it far less scenic at low tide.
Waves are rare due to the bay’s sheltered location, though swimming here is less enjoyable during the off-season.
Sunbeds and Shade
This is a wild beach with nothing but sand, rocks, and trees. Nui Beach faces west, so there’s some natural shade along the tree line and at the edges of the beach until midday. After that, the sun dominates, and there’s little escape from its heat.
Visitors typically bring their own mats and towels or simply lie on the sand. There are no sunbeds for rent here.
Beach Photos
Nui beach Phi Phi Don
Amenities
What kind of infrastructure can a 60×30 meter (197×98 feet) beach offer? There’s boat access and an improvised toilet hidden in the jungle behind the beach—that’s about it. The main attractions are a large grotto at the right end of Nui Beach and a coral reef (by local standards).
Snorkeling gear is essential, as there’s plenty to explore underwater, making this one of the top snorkeling spots in the area. In fact, many consider the Phi Phi Islands to be among the top 10 snorkeling destinations in Thailand.
Accommodation
There are no accommodations directly on the beach. The nearest places where you might reach Nui Beach on foot are at Lo Lana Beach (about 250 meters away) and Lo Ba Kao Beach (almost 1 kilometer away). To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if these beaches are accessible by foot from Nui Beach.
I didn’t attempt the hike myself, and from what I’ve found online, any path through the jungle is more of a theoretical possibility than a well-trodden trail. I haven’t seen any photos or reports of trekking to Nui Beach, so if you’ve had that experience, feel free to share your feedback in the comments.
Below is a link to a full list of hotels on Phi Phi Don, but you can use the map feature to find options closest to Nui Beach. The island is small, so hotel listings are not divided by beach.
Given the wild nature of the island and the lack of a confirmed walking route, the only real way to reach Nui Beach is by sea. Whether it’s a tour boat, a taxi boat rental, or a kayak doesn’t matter—boats will bring you to the bay and give you a couple of hours to explore the beach. Ideally, bring some essentials with you for the trip.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCEIf you walk you need 2h, we went there by kayak and the waves were too big to get out of the bay again. Everyone had injuries, luckily some longboat driver rescued us.By the way the beach was very dirty with a lot of trash. At least the mangos we brought from phiphi harbour were delicious.
The beach can be reached in 45 minutes by kayak. The journey there is not to be underestimated. You should have enough water with you and a hat as the beach does not offer any shade. The beach is beautiful and most people only stay here for a short time. We had the beach to ourselves several times. There is some flotsam in a corner.
We visited Nui Beach in late July and were unfortunately completely disappointed. First of all, you should know that if you plan to go there on foot, it’s a 2h hike from Ton Sai which leads through thick and overgrown jungle which makes the trail not really pleasant. Also, beware that the final leg of the trail from Loh Lana Bay is only accessible during low tide, otherwise some creative wading and climbing is required to reach the path to Nui Bay.The real disappointment however was the polluted stated we found the beach in. It was completely filled with all sorts of plastic trash which was a real shock for us, given that we had seen nothing like this in the pictures. We don’t know if the beach is not getting cleaned in the off-season, but either way it’s really sad to see it in such condition - no matter if you paid a lot of money for a long tail boat or endured the treacherous hike to get there. Although it has to be said that we were the only ones there and the scenery itself is very beautiful.
A beautiful beach off Phi Phi. Was largely deserted when we got there midday. Sand and sea were perfect as were the views. There are no facilities so bring your own water. We spent 1500 baht for a taxi boat for 90 minutes. Had a memorable time.
One of the most beautiful white sand pristine turquoise water beaches very close to phiphi tonsai pier & Loh dalum beach!! Just 10 mins by longtail boat.Let me tell you the way we planned it:GO EARLY MORNING around 7 to 7:30 AM if possiblem, nobody will be there, itll be your own private beach island until 10AM1. We chose a private longtail boat only to NUI beach (just 10 min from Loh dalum beach) did not avail for speedboat packages2. Booked after enquiring for best deal in the stall close to the beach itself, costed us 1500 bhat for 2 ppl, 4 hour trip, initially paid only 200 bhat advance the night before3. Next day morning 7:15 we were in Loh dalum beach, our longtain boat captain was there, he took us first to a snorkeling point near Loh lana bay, we were not interested, then to Loh lana bay beach (which was not impressive also)4. We were in Loh lana bay only for 20 mins, after that we asked him to take us to Nui beach5. At 8AM we reached NUI beach, nobody was there. A beautiful pristine beach only for us. Like a private island.6. We docked in the beach, took a lot of pics, enjoy some dips in those magical turquoise waters for 2 hours till 10 AM until we were fully happy and ready to leave.7. Then as a final point at 10:20 he took us to Money beach, not far from there, it was also a nice beach but some monkeys so can't peacefully take a dip with belongings.8. Finally at 11AM we are back to Loh dalum beach.My suggestion: Skip Loh lana bay, snorkeling and monkey beach,just spend like 2-3 hours relaxing in NUI Beach. You'll not regret it. If you're going as a group,can negotiate a more better price, 500 bhat per person for a 4 hour package.
HOW TO GET THERE BY WALKING* Bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent, sneakers, and water.* It takes us about 2 hours to get there from the downtown.* This is the way we went, we don't know any other way.* Google Maps guides you pretty well but at some point, it stops working.* It's exhausting and has difficult parts. You need to be in good athletic shape.* There's no food there, either bring your own or eat beforehand.1. Walk to Viewpoint 1. You have to pay an entry fee of 50 baht per person.Then continue to Viewpoint 2. Here, you can either go up to see the view or exit through the gate (on the west or right side) to reach Viewpoint 3.2. Continue past the sign that says Bob Bar until you reach a dirt path going downhill.You'll pass some chickens and find a sign next to a descent into the jungle that says Nui Bay. If you don't see it, you can ask at Viewpoint 3.3. Walk through the jungle for about 40 minutes. There are no signs for Nui Bay, but there are some pointing to Tonsai. Going against these signs is the right direction.Try to follow Google Maps, especially at the forks. Don't go towards the resort, avoid it from the back as indicated by the maps. The path is well marked.4. Once you finish, you'll come across a road and a sign indicating to go left to reach Nui.5. You'll then find another sign, continue left towards Lo Lana Bay (not the houses' path, the other dirt path).6. Once you reach Lo Lana Bay, on the left side, you'll find a sign pointing to Nui Bay. (It was lying on the rocks so it wasn't visible, I'm attaching a photo). There, you need to walk over the rocks until you reach some fishing houses and another sign for Nui Beach. This part is tricky because you have to climb the mountain, there are ropes to help you. This is where you need to be most athletic.7. And that's it! Once you cross there, the beautiful Nui Bay is down below ❤️Advice: We wanted to watch the sunset, and it got very dark. We returned the same way through the jungle but it's dangerous. If you return, definitely bring a flashlight. You can't see anything! Try to return while there's still light or check if you can get on a boat.The way back is uphill.I hope this helps. Maybe kayaking is another option.
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