Rawai Beach
The palm-fringed beach is best known for its village of “Sea Gypsies”, formerly a nomadic fishing minority believed to be of Melanesian descent.
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.
Where is Rawai Beach
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| Kata Noi Beach |
Kata Noi Beach This is a much smaller bay, only ten minutes walk away from kata yai. Lush green jungle covered mountains surround the beach.
This tranquil piece of paradise is dominated by the Katathani Hotel with its lush tropical gardens. Also there are a few restaurants, bars, and tailors.
Where is Kata Noi Beach
Kata Yai Beach
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| Kata Yai Beach |
The beach is wide, two kilometres long and made of fine white sand which gently slopes away into the blue waters of the Andaman Sea.
It is fringed by casuarinas trees, under which you will find vendors selling drinks, food, massage services, souvenirs and the like. These vendors will be happy to serve you at your sun lounger which you can hire for a nominal charge.
For those who prefer to be a little more adventurous than lying around in the sun all day, the beach offers jet skiing, parascending, banana rides, water skiing and long tail boat excursions, also diving packages are available to local coral reefs. Most hotels and guest houses are situated in this area.
Where is Kata Yai Beach
Karon Beach
Both beaches are impressive, peaceful and eminently suitable for swimming, snorkelling, windsurfing and sunbathing.
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.Where is Karon Beach
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Surin Beach
Surin Beach, just north of Kamala, is an undeveloped stretch of sand lined with casuarina trees. Although there are now a few hotels springing up Surin is still quiet and peaceful.
Surin is quite popular with locals who frequent the seafood stalls and restaurants that line the beach under the shade of the casuarina trees, and can get a little busy during the weekends during the high season.
Inland from the beach is Surin Village, a predominantly muslim area of Phuket. There is a small market here and some restaurants where you can sample delicious Masaman curry.
Where is Surin Beach
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Pansea Beach
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| Pansea Beach |
Pansea beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket. Unfortunately, the beach can only be reached through the grounds of two exclusive resorts that occupy the beachfront land.
The luxurious Chedi and Amanpuri resorts share this magnificent cove at the northern end of Surin beach. Unfortunately, this heavenly enclave is only accessible through the grounds of either hotel, effectively making it a private beach. This makes it particularly appealing to the international jet-set who frequent these resorts.
Where is Pansea Beach
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Nai Thon Beach
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| Nai Thon Beach |
Nai Thon Beach lies about 15km south of the airport. This pristine beach is a great place to get away from the crowds.
Nai Thon is fairly undeveloped and is a nice quiet place to sit in the sun or take in a swim. Although its quiet, the beach is not completely deserted and there are a few sunbeds available for hire. There are also a few small restaurants that serve fresh seafood and local dishes.
Nai Thon is part of the Sirinath Marine National Park, which also includes Mai Kao and Nai Yang, the next beaches along to the north. The area was declared a national park in 1981 to protect the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles that lay their eggs here from November to February.
Part of the reason Nai Thon has managed to remain so peaceful is that it is quite isolated. The road leading to the beach winds through jungle and rubber plantations as well as over a few hills. There are a few places to stay, including some bungalows and guesthouses.
Where is Nai Thon Beach
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Mai Khao Beach
This pine-fringed stretch of sand is Phuket’s longest beach. Each year, from November through to February, giant sea turtles struggle ashore to lay their eggs here.Where is Mai Khao Beach
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Patong Beach
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| Patong Beach |
Phuket’s most developed beach offers numerous leisure, sporting, shopping and recreational options along its 3 km. crescent bay. In addition to its daytime attractions, Patong is also known for its vibrant nightlife among which seafood restaurants prominently feature.
Where is Patong Beach
Phuket
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| Phuket Island |
Blessed by nature and the smiling hospitality of its people, and supported by superb tourism facilities, Phuket is today one of the world’s premier tropical resorts.
Located 867 kilometres south of Bangkok, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, shaped like an irregular pearl and measuring approximately 21 kilometres long. Connected to the mainland by a causeway, it has a coastline fringed with white sandy beaches and quiet coves, bathed by the clear blue waters of the Andaman Sea and set against a backdrop of green hills, coconut groves and rubber plantations.
Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and has a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ships’ logs. The Portuguese, Dutch, English and French came to trade during that time.
Phuket’s most famous monument is the memorial statue of the heroines Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Sisunthon, who rallied the islanders in 1785 to repel Burmese invaders.
Blessed by nature and the smiling hospitality of its people, and supported by superb tourism facilities, Phuket is today one of the world’s premier tropical resorts. Palm-fringed beaches, an island-studded sea, superb accommodation, delicious seafood, numerous sporting and leisure opportunities and, of course, year-round sunshine, to conclude the perfect recipe for a truly memorable holiday.
The palm-fringed beach is best known for its village of “Sea Gypsies”, formerly a nomadic fishing minority believed to be of Melanesian descent.
