Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

The monkeys are the absolute highlight and the main reason for the trip. This small bay on the western arm of Phi Phi Don, about a kilometer west of Tonsai Pier, offers everything you could want from a Phi Phi beach vacation: white sand, crystal-clear water where you can see the fish in the shallows, and limestone cliffs in the background. But the resident troop of long-tailed macaques is the real draw for visitors—and also the reason for bites. The monkeys are wild and can become aggressive. Do not touch or feed them, and close your bag before the boat docks.

My tip: Think of the island more as a stopover than a destination. Most island-hopping tours stop for about half an hour, and many offer the option of staying on board and watching from the water. This is a really good option, especially if you're traveling with children or prefer to play it safe. If you do go ashore, the snorkeling is fantastic: parrotfish and sergeant majors frolic over shallow coral reefs in about two meters of water right off the beach.

The beach is small and shrinks even further at high tide; two or three boats are perfectly sufficient. The macaques are accustomed to being fed, which has made them quite tame. Therefore, do not hold food in your hand and never step between an adult and its young. If you are bitten or scratched, you should seek medical attention, as rabies is a risk in Thailand.

Don't confuse it with Monkey Bay, another bay about 2.6 km south, which Google lists separately and where macaques also come to the beach. Koh Larn, off Pattaya, also has a small Monkey Beach. The Monkey Beach that's included in the Phi Phi day trips to Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon is this one.

The beach is only accessible by boat, either as part of an organized tour or by longtail boat or kayak from Tonsai Bay. Leave early. Later in the day, there are more boats, and the beach is small anyway. The sea is calmest and access is most reliable from about November to April.