Facing southwest with stunning views out over Phi Phi Leh lies
ever popular Long Beach. This beach has possibly the softest and
finest white sand, on an island of fine soft sand. There's also
excellent snorkeling.
Long Beach is both far enough from and close enough to the business
of Tonsai Village to be a great place to stay, it's no more than
a five-minute longtail boat ride from the centre of the action.
You can walk to Tonsai Village in the daylight but the journey involves
walking over rocks between beaches or up short jungle trails. Don't
attempt it at night!
November to April the water is flat and calm, May to October the
water can be a little rough with waves on the beach. Swimming can
be difficult at low tide due to rocks and coral.
Accommodation is almost uniquely bungalows, some of which belong
to high-end resorts and there are also many basic bungalows; all
in all it's a very cosmopolitan place.
Generally the only people who come to Long Beach come to stay here
so there are not many day trippers (apart from speedboats running
daytrips from Phuket that stop for lunch at Phi Phi The Beach Resort),
in the day there's plenty of life but at night it's pretty quiet
- those who want nightlife go into Tonsai Village.
Facilities on Long Beach
On the beach itself there are no sun loungers for rent, only deck
chairs which cost 50 baht per day.
Toilets can be found in the resort restaurants but since there
aren't really any daytrippers finding a toilet isn't an issue.
Just a few steps from the sand at Phi Phi Longbeach (resort) you
can find Internet access, which is priced at two baht per minute
(2007). A couple of minimarts also sell basic needs.
Beach Eats
Long Beach has about six different resorts which makes six different
restaurants to choose from.
Towards the southern end of the beach, Phi Phi The Beach Resort
has the most upmarket dining which is poolside, and you may see
a few daytrippers from Phuket here. Dishes are standard Thai and
international.
Judging by the volume of diners, and the prices, Phi Phi Long Beach
in the middle of the beach is doing something right. This large
restaurant offers mainly Thai & seafood choices.
Long Beach Snorkeling
The snorkeling from Long Beach is possibly the best direct from
the beach in Phi Phi. You don't have to go very far to see the colourful
fish and underwater habitat. Additionally around 200m from the beach
there's a rock that just breaks the surface called Shark Point,
no prizes for guessing why.
Here you'll find black tip reef sharks from 40cm to to 1.2m swimming
around the reef, during the day when there are lots of boats around
they're hard to find but before 9am and after 5pm they're easily
spotted.
The swells from May to October can make Shark Point dangerous so
you should only go there on very calm days. All year round you should
be vigilant as currents can be strong, especially at midtide. Novice
snorkelers would be better to go with organised tours.
Snorkeling equipment can be rented easily from the beach, a mask
and snorkel costs 50 baht and fins cost 50 baht, prices are per
day (2007).
Long Beach Activities
Kayaking is a popular pastime, there are several small beaches
to explore towards Tonsai Village. A little further away is Ao Poh,
a small beach with excellent snorkeling behind long beach facing
east.
Behind Long Island Divers there's a small track that takes you
to Loh Moodee Beach and Ao Poh in around 12 minutes, these beaches
are very quiet and tranquil. When the sea is too rough to snorkel
at Long Beach you can be sure that flat seas await over the hill.
Thai massage, and many other types too, are available in small
salas (open sided rooms) all along Long Beach, prices are around
300-400 baht and hour.
A couple of volleyball nets are set up, and often a game gets going
as the sun starts to fall.
After Dark
As the sun drops, the beach bar by the pool at Phi Phi The Beach
Resort gets busy for sunset cocktails.
The restaurants get busy 7-9pm and then peter out. Cards and backgammon
are the main pastimes in the evenings.
Long Beach Bar is the focal point for those who want to socialise
but don't want to go to the village. The bar is made from the front
of a longtail boat that's been intricately decorated. Every night
at 9pm there's a fireshow. |
