Kalim Beach, Phuket
is really a continuation north of Patong's strand, from which it is separated by some rocks. It is yet developed and thus affords some privacy. Back of the beach are accommodations. The water contain extensive coral reefs.
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Nai Harn Beach, Phuket A popular swimming beach and yacht anchorage during the dru season. The beach fine, but big waves strike it during the wet season, making swimming dangerous. Nai Harn is just north of Prom Thep cape.
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Rawai Beach

Rawai Beach is popular with locals who come to enjoy seafood and the lovely view of the islands from the shore.

In the days before Phuket became a popular holiday destination, Rawai Beach was where locals from Phuket Town would come to enjoy the seaside. These days, the beach itself is not that nice with many small boats anchored off the shore, although it is safe to swim all year round due to its position facing Phang Nga Bay.

At the eastern end of the beach is a sea-gypsy village which has a small fish market. Here you can also buy local handicrafts and assorted Thai snacks. The nearby viewpoint at Laem Phrom Thep, the southernmost tip of the island, is particularly popular at sunset.

Laem Ka

Just north of Rawai beach is a small rocky bay, known as Laem Ka, which is popular with locals at the weekend. It's a slightly better beach than Rawai, although guests staying at the nearby Evason Resort & Spa are ferried across to the resort's private beach on Bon Island.

Accommodation

See Rawai accommodation.

Dining

See south Phuket Restaurants.

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Activities

Rawai is a centre for chartering boats for fishing and diving trips as well as for trips to the nearby islands such as Koh Lon, Koh Kaew, Koh Aeo, Coral Island and Koh Racha. There is also good snorkelling and diving round Laem Phrom Thep which is a short boat ride away. At low tide, collectors often come to Rawai looking for seashells.

Kamala Beach

A beautiful and serene beach, Kamala is perfect for those looking for a relaxed and laid back beach.

Kamala is about 10 minutes drive north from Patong and a great place for those wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle. The southern end of this beautiful bay has a coral reef just a few metres offshore. Kamala is not over-developed yet, although there are some guesthouses and a few resorts.

There is a good selection of Thai restaurants, noodle shops and a few western restaurants in the area. The local people are mostly ethnic Malay and there are some good local restaurants serving tasty Muslim food.

Accommodation

See Kamala hotels

Dining

See north Phuket restaurants

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Activities

Kamala is a good area for watersports. A number of dive shops can be found in the village. The reef at the southern end is a nice spot for snorkelling and the water is lovely for swimming during the dry season. However, because the beach drops sharply into the sea, the currents can be quite dangerous during the rainy season. The northern end of the beach can be a decent surf spot when its working.

The main attraction in Kamala is the Phuket Fantasea, where you can enjoy a buffet dinner as well as an evening of lively cultural entertainment.

Nightlife

Quite a few decent bars can be found along the beach road as it snakes inland. The atmosphere here is quite relaxed and chilled out providing a contrast to the hectic pace over in Patong. There is also a sprinkling of beer bars along the main road.

Kata Beach

Towards the southern end of Phuket is Kata Beach, which is divided into Kata Yai and Kata Noi. Both beaches offer stunning scenery and a relaxed atmosphere.

Kata Yai

This is the larger of the two beaches. The bay is very picturesque with Koh Pu (Pu Island) at the northern end. Half of the beach is bordered by a road, while the southern half has a few resorts right on the beach. Club Med occupies a large portion of the land behind the beach road towards the northern end of the beach, keeping that end of the beach fairly quiet.

Due to its fairly small size, Kata has a cozy feel about it and is great for families. There are quite a few shops, restaurants and bars around Kata Centre and between Kata Yai and Kata Noi. Kata is perhaps the best compromise between the hectic pace of Patong and some of the quieter beaches on Phuket.

Kata Noi

Kata Noi only has a few hotels and is dominated by the Kata Thani Hotel. The beach is lovely and there has only been a little development.

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Accommodation

There is a good range of accommodation in Kata, from luxury resorts to budget guesthouses behind the beach. At the southern end of Kata Yai beginning at Kata Beach Resort there are hotels right on the beach, which are a rarity on Phuket's west coast.

For more information see Kata hotels.

Featured Kata Hotels:

Activities

There are plenty of watersports to be enjoyed at Kata. The bay is excellent for sailing and plays host to the annual King's Cup Regatta every December.

Kata Yai and Kata Noi are quite popular with surfers during the rainy season. You can rent all kinds of boards on the beach. It is also one of the best beaches on the island for snorkelling. Confident swimmers can try swimming out towards Koh Pu to view the beautiful coral there, although don't attempt this during the rainy season. The area to the South of Kata Noi beach has some decent coral that is worth exploring.

Dining

There is a good variety of restaurants in Kata, especially around Kata Centre. Restaurants serving Thai, Italian, Scandinavian and of course seafood can all be found here. Restaurants right on the beach can also be found at the southern end of Kata Yai.

For more information see south Phuket Restaurants.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Kata is pretty laid-back although there are quite a few bars to be found, mostly around Kata Centre. There are also a collection of beer-bars heading inland from the junction at Kata Center. However, for a big night out you are better off heading to Patong.

Karon Beach

Karon beach is a long stretch of powdery white sand just south of Patong. The beach is very long so it never feels overcrowded.

At 4km, Karon is one of Phuket's longest beaches. Although there are a few large resorts and hotels, they are spread out and the area feels very relaxed. As in Patong, the hotels are separated from the beach by a road. However, unlike Patong, the beach is always fairly quiet. The beach itself is quite exposed, with little or no natural shade. The sand is so fine and powdery that it squeaks when you walk on it.

The southern point has a coral reef that stretches towards Kata and Pu Island. There are not as many watersports activities on Karon beach as in Patong or Kata. During the rainy season Karon can be good for surfing but dangerous for swimming due to the large waves and strong rip currents.

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Accommodation

The beach road in Karon is lined with some of Phuket's larger hotels. In the area around Karon circle and at the southern end of Karon are a number of guesthouses if you're on a budget.

For more information see Karon hotels.

Dining

Like the nightlife, Karon's restaurants are centred around the traffic circle, at the northern end, and also at the southern end of the beach before you get to Kata. There is a fair selection of Thai and international cuisine. For more lavish dining, most of the beach front hotels have lovely restaurants.

For more information see south Phuket Restaurants.

Nightlife

Karon's nightlife is laid back and friendly. Most of the bars are found in the area around Karon circle at the northern end and at the southern end around Luang Pho Chuang road. There are a fair amount of beer bars in Karon, but the scene is not as lively as Patong.

For more information see Karon nightlife.

Phuket's busiest resort area, Patong has the greatest concentration of bars, restaurant and shops on the island.

Patong has suffered from a lot of negative publicity in recent years for being over-developed and its hedonistic party scene. However, the majority of visitors to Phuket still choose to spend their time in Patong and for good reason. Patong has much to offer and despite its reputation for naughty nightlife, Patong is also very popular with families.

The 3km long beach still possesses beautiful white sand and clear water, which is now visibly clearer after the tsunami. The deck chairs and umbrellas are now back in force, providing an ideal place to relax and soak up the sun with all the conveniences you could want nearby.

You'll find everything here you could need on your holiday. There are numerous shops and stalls, as well as other leisure and recreational activities. However, if you are looking for a quiet beach retreat, you probably won't find it in Patong.

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Accommodation

Patong is where you will find the most varied selection of hotels in Phuket. There is somewhere to suit every budget. From cheap and simple guesthouses to resort-style four and five-star hotels, and everything in between. There are even a few hotels right on the beach. You can choose to stay near the nightlife or stay further away. The beauty of staying in Patong is that everything is only a short walk or tuk-tuk ride away.

For more information see Patong hotels.

Activities

Patong is the busiest beach on the island and you will never be short of something to do here. If you like watersports, then this is the place. There's jet-skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, or parasailing. You can snorkel on the reef at the southern end of the bay or take a longtail boat round to Freedom beach for better coral viewing.

Further inland you can try bungee jumping, go bowling or cross over the hill into Kathu for a spot of go-karting.

If you are feeling more sedate, rent a sun lounger for the day, slap on plenty of sun screen and watch the show while you soak up the rays. The sea is generally calm all year round and the seabed shelves gently making it quite safe to swim in. For even more relaxation, there are usually plenty of masseuses nearby who give massages right on the beach.

Dining

There is a huge variety of restaurants in Patong. Cuisines you can choose from include Thai, seafood, Italian, Scandinavian, Japanese, French and British pub food to name but a few. Some restaurants offer menus with a combination of different cuisines, usually a selection of European and Thai. There are also plenty of hawker stalls, where if you are brave, you can sample authentic Thai cuisine and eat like the locals do. If you aren't staying in Patong, it is definitely worth the effort to spend a few evenings eating out here.

For more information see Patong restaurants.

Nightlife

Patong's lively nightlife scene is what draws many people to the island. All the action is centred around Bangla road. There are also many places where you can enjoy a quiet drink, listen to live bands or go dancing with friends. Banana Disco on the beach road is a Phuket institution and is usually packed late into the night.

For more information see Patong nightlife.

Shopping

There are stalls all the way along the beach road (Thaweewong road). Stalls operate during the day but it is in the evening that it really gets going. You can buy all kinds of clothes, souvenirs, sunglasses, CDs and much more. Always haggle at the roadside stalls. As a very rough guide, try and get the price down to about 50% of the quoted price.

Situated on Rat-U-Thit road nearly opposite Bangla road is the newly opened Jungceylon. Officially opened on 20th Dec 2006, this large complex houses a hotel, Robinsons department store, Carrefour, a SFX cinema, bowling alley and a wide variety of shops and restaurants. At the time of opening, not all shops and facilities were open but quite a few such as Carrefour and a number of dining outlets had opened for business.

Patong also has two Ocean department stores, one towards the Rat-U-Thit road end of Bangla road, Ocean Bangla and the other along the beach road, just past the Holiday Inn. Although quite small, they have a good selection of clothes.