Lo Dalam and Ton Sai are the two main beaches on the isthmus of Phi Phi Don island. Unlike the navigable and deep-centred Ton Sai, Lo Dalam is classic shallow water territory. Very beautiful at high tide, with a gorgeous water colour and extremely photogenic in the rays of midday sun. Lo Dalam Beach is the main spot for day and night partying on Phi Phi Don island, great for entertainment and sunbathing.
For accommodation and peaceful sleep at night, I’d recommend choosing places further from this beach. From here you can easily reach Monkey Beach if you rent a kayak. Lo Dalam is also the calling card of Phi Phi Don, as it’s visible from all three viewpoints on the island.
Beach Overview
A swimmable beach, but only at high tide. Lo Dalam Beach follows the curve of the isthmus and stretches from east to west between the curly mountains of Phi Phi Don, which serve as its natural boundaries and protection from waves and winds. You can’t reach Lo Dalam on foot from neighbouring beaches at all.
Lo Dalam is about 0.6 miles (one kilometre) long, with a sandy strip width of 49-66 feet (15 to 20 metres) of light yellow sand with a very fine, almost flour-like consistency. In places you’ll encounter mixtures of shells and stones, but overall it’s an almost perfect beach for barefoot walks.
In the right part of the beach there are a couple of smelly little streams, so don’t venture too far right and certainly don’t swim there.
Swimming
Lo Dalam Beach is very shallow. At low tide the water recedes up to 0.6 miles (one kilometre), leaving behind wet seabed with holes and pools of seawater – excellent space for walks.
The shore at the beach is gentle, not very high and almost everywhere protected by small concrete blocks from wave erosion. The entire isthmus rises only a few metres above sea level, and its length in the central part is no more than 492 feet (150 metres). That’s precisely why there was such severe destruction here in 2004, when the tsunami wave simply rolled over the isthmus.
Waves in normal times and good season are usually small, purely symbolic and don’t cause inconvenience.
Sunbeds and Shade
There are plenty of deck chairs near large resorts, but they usually stand on territory behind concrete blocks, which serve as conditional fences for private land. I didn’t notice deck chair rental anywhere, but this doesn’t bother anyone: people come with their own beach mats and settle all over Lo Dalam wherever they can – there’s enough space for everyone.
Shade from trees that grow along the entire coastline covers the whole beach in the morning hours, whilst from midday it becomes rather hot here – Lo Dalam faces northwest and very little shade remains on the beach.
Beach Photos
Amenities
Due to the miniature size of the isthmus on Phi Phi Don, Lo Dalam beach’s infrastructure differs little from Ton Sai and Phi Phi Town – essentially, all three place names form a single entity. Ton Sai in the south, Phi Phi Town in the centre and Lo Dalam in the north of the same piece of land. So here you’ll find all the conveniences of a small island village’s tourist infrastructure.
Directly on the beach there are loads of kayak rentals, bars and restaurants, as well as hotels. What Lo Dalam doesn’t have is a pier and fleet of boats. In the evenings the entire beach transforms into one continuous party with music and fire shows.
Accommodation
Phi Phi Don’s pier can be considered the centre of the isthmus. On Lo Dalam beach, to the left of centre there are no decent hotels, and they cluster closer to the rocks. However, from the centre and to the left you have a wider choice of accommodation at any level. Though it must be noted that overall, the quality level of hotels throughout Phi Phi Don doesn’t really match their price tags.
General remark for all establishments: wherever you check in, you’ll be pursued by the characteristic sloppiness (of rooms and bungalows on Phi Phi Don island).
More or less decent resorts on Lo Dalam:
- Pp Insula Hotel
- PP Princess Pool Villa
The link below will take you to a general list of hotels on Phi Phi Don, but click on the map icon and there you can decide on accommodation options at Lo Dalam Beach.
How to Find the Beach
You don’t need to look for it. The beach is located on the opposite side of Phi Phi Town, so disembark at Ton Sai beach pier and walk straight from the sea without turning anywhere. In five minutes you’ll reach Lo Dalam near the PP Charlie Beach Resort.
