Islands
Viking Cave
A large sea cave at the northern tip of Phi Phi Leh, famous for two things: the swiftlet nests harvested from its ceiling and the old paintings of boats that gave it its name.
Bird's nests
High inside the cave, small swiftlets build nests from their own saliva. These edible nests are the key ingredient of bird's nest soup, a prized and expensive delicacy in Chinese cuisine. The right to collect them is licensed, and collectors use bamboo poles and ropes to climb to the roof. Because of their value, the cave is guarded and closed to visitors.
The paintings
The cave walls carry paintings of boats and figures. The name comes from a fanciful idea that some of them resemble Viking longships; they are more likely drawings of local and Asian trading vessels left by traders, fishermen or nest collectors over the centuries.
Visiting
Boat tours slow down in front of the cave entrance for photos, usually between Pileh Lagoon and Maya Bay. You will see the wooden structures and the guards' huts at the entrance, but you cannot go in.