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What it's like to sail Thailand's wild Andaman Coast onboard a catamaran

National Geographic
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75% Informative

Maya Bay is one of the most famous stops on Intrepid Travel's seven-day sailing trip.

Danny Boyle's blockbuster film adaptation of Alex Garland’s cult-classic novel The Beach , starring Leonardo DiCaprio , included key scenes at Maya Bay .

The Thai government took action in 2018 , closing the bay until 2022 to help facilitate marine regeneration.

Maya Bay’s period of regeneration has had a positive impact.

Some sources say that at the time of closing, only 8% of the coral remained.

Since 2018 , restoration projects by university students and volunteers have planted around 20,000 coral fragments.

The coral regrowth has enticed marine life to return to these waters, Rob tells me.

Phuket has a tropical climate and is hot all year round, with temperatures ranging between 25C and 34C.

December to March is the ideal time for watersports and snorkelling, when conditions are more settled and water visibility is good.

Tui is the only airline to fly direct from the UK ( Gatwick , Manchester and Birmingham ) to the island.