Phuket Beaches

Patong is crazy, full on, eclectic, brash and, according to your personal tastes, either heaven or hell. By day, the beach is a mish-mash of hawkers, sun beds, jet-skis, paragliders, water toys and tanning bodies. By night the streets are alive with shoppers and fun seekers and the bars noisy and riotous.

There is a great range of restaurants to choose from and there's a bar for every taste, from innocent but fun Irish pubs to far-from-innocent Go-Go's and 'bar beers'. Patong also features several discos/clubs and some pretty good live music venues and the action goes on till late. (Read more...)

Karon is a long, banana-shaped beach with squeaky white sand, little shade and a lot of space in which to spread yourself out in. The area is much more spacious than sometimes overcrowded Patong which lies some three kilometres away over Karon Hill and the general atmosphere a lot less frantic.

Nightlife, too, is like a more gentile version of Patong's with a main street and side 'sois' lined with restaurants, bars and guesthouses. There is a shopping bazaar along the beach road and lots of shopping opportunities in Karon centre. Karon is a good, centrally located beach to stay. (Read more...)

Kata Beach could win a beauty contest. Palm lined with a small island offshore, it is ideal for watersports – especially surfing from May to October.

There are numerous shopping alleys and the main street is lined with outlets selling just about everything from Thai textiles to snorkels. As regards nightlife; Kata features an 'entertainment plaza' with a veritable maze of bars, some girlie some not. Towards the southern end there is a concentration of restaurants and massage parlours. The beach itself is busy in high season and idyllic in low season and features an attractive and shaded beach road. (Read more...)

Bang Tao is a long (six kilometre) beach and is home to the large Laguna Complex. Deserted and spacious in its northern part, this is where to go if you seek seaside solitude. Further south, the beach's hotels tend to stamp their mark on it, in that their sun loungers are for the exclusive use of hotel guests but on the other hand hotel satellite businesses such as masseuses and restaurants are there for all.

Nightlife is centred on Tinlay Place, located near the entrance to the Laguna in nearby Cherng Talay. Here, you'll find a pleasant mixture of fine dining and pubs. (Read more...)

Kamala Beach lies north of Patong over a spectacular hill and life there is much mellower than in Party Town. Restaurants and shops line the atmospheric village's beachside roads, and the main north-south thoroughfare also features bars. Like many West Coast beaches, swimming can be dangerous at times from May to November at Kamala so care should be taken, although surfing is good at the northern end of the beach.

Kamala's a great place to dine out with its many seafood outlets and although the action may not be as hot as in Patong, a certain charm pervades the place.  Kamala is also home to Phuket's biggest attraction, the cultural extravaganza FantaSea. (Read more...)

Surin Beach

(Read more...)

Nai Harn Beach

Nai Harn Beach in the south of the island is gradually growing in popularity and both Paradise and Freedom beaches on the headland just south of Patong are both little revelations of sandy beauty. (Read more...)

Other Beaches

There is only one swimmable East Coast Beach and that is Laem Ka in the south of Phuket – it is notable for the deep hue of its waters on a sunny afternoon. It is definitely worthwhile to hire a vehicle or/and a driver and explore Phuket's West Coast Beaches and you will see exactly why the island has earned its moniker 'The Pearl of the Andaman'. (Read more...)