The Phi Phi Archipelago, in the Andaman Sea 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the coast of Thailand, is made up of the islands chains Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le, which were once refuges for pirates. Phi Phi Le is uninhabited and therefore well-conserved. However, it is exploited by fishermen seeking a rare delicacy: swallows’ nests. The nests are found in the high caves hollowed out of the limestone cliffs rising as high as 374 meters (1,225 feet); the fisherman make their approach using fragile and precarious bamboo scaffolding. The swallows’ nests – “white gold” – are made of hardened saliva, and because they are so highly valued for their reinvigorating properties, they can sell for as much as 12,000 French francs per kilogram (about $750 per pound). The Thai government is currently trying to clamp down on this illegal trade. The island’s beauty has also caused it some problems. Phuket recently hosted the production of a major motion picture, spa

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