The fame of the islands gained global recognition when Ko Phi Phi Le was featured in the British-American 2000 movie, The Beach. This drew criticism as allegations surfaced that the film crew had harmed the island’s eco-system. The filmmakers were accused of leveling beach areas and planting palm trees to match the depictions in the novel,[1] a claim refuted by the makers of the film. The movie’s release led to a surge in tourism, further exacerbating environmental decay. The ‘Viking Cave’ located in Phi Phi Le hosts a bustling activity of edible bird’s nest collection.