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NAI HARN
Nai Harn Beach, home to the Phuket Yacht Club,
is a secluded area near the tip of the Island and is home to many
of the local ex-pat residents. There are few places to rent for
short term.
A Buddhist monastery is centred here: Samnak Song
Nai Harn. During monsoon season swimming can be dangerous as there
is a steep drop-off close to shore and strong undertow. Other times
it is a great place for swimming.
RAWAI
Rawai Beach lies around Cape Prom Thep from Nai
Harn and is a working beach. Here you will find traditional long-tail
boats and modern speedboats for hire. Also along here are many Thai
beach restaurants where you sit on mats along the water's edge eating
grilled chicken, fish, clams and mussels, whatever's the fresh catch
of the day.
On the weekends many of the local Thais come here
to picnic and vendors roam up and down selling everything from sausages
and dried squid to ice cream, fresh fruit, sodas and shaved ice
treats. At the east end of this beach there are a number of shops
selling sea shells and other tourist items.
A sea gypsy village is located here also but it
is not recommended to visit these people who are in the process
of being supplanted by tourism. A couple of hotels and bungalow
resorts are found along Rawai with their accompanying restaurants.
CHALONG
Chalong is the main gateway to the southern end
of the island. From Chalong Circle five roads lead out: north to
Phuket (ChaoFa Rd East and ChaoFa Rd West which goes past Siam Safari
and Wat Chalong), east just a bit to Chalong Bay, south to Rawai
and Nai Harn and west past the BaanChang Safari and PaintBall/Shooting
Range/Cobra Show and across the mountains to Kata/Karon.
There is a main pier here although it is currently
under major construction until 2000-01 as well as an Immigration
Check-point for incoming yachts. Many of the dive operators depart
from here.
Chalong is a centre for many of the resident ex-pats
on the island and has the flavour of a combination Thai-European
village. There's a great local early morning market and in the evening
near the circle is a vendor market featuring all sorts of curries
and Thai foods. Local buses heading to all points of the southern
end of Phuket pass around the circle and there's a motorcycle taxi
stand there as well.
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