Krabi: Southern Thailand's alluring natural beauty

This small string of islands is partly a national marine park. Phi Phi Don is the largest and the only one with permanent inhabitants and hotels. The island was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami but tourism has revived since the tragedy. A tsunami warning system and safety signage – not just here but all along the Thai coast – has since been put in place.

A trip to Phi Phi is not complete without a boat tour of the smaller sister islands. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh (above) is the most popular beach with white sands surrounded by high cliff walls.

Though the inspiration for the Alex Garland novel The Beach came from islands off the east coast of Thailand, filmmakers decided to shoot the movie version with Leonardo DiCaprio here as it captured the sense of a hidden island paradise. The shallow bay puts postcards to shame in the midday sun.