Phuket Thailand travel guide - The beaches

Patong (banana plantation) Phuket's most famous beach and center of the island's night life. Patong has the largest concentration of visitors on Phuket Island.

Set in a deep, well protected bay that has long been used to shelter ships from the northeast monsoons. Patong offers a beautiful tropical beach ringed with lush green mountains. The bay is a 4 km gently curving crescent of beautiful white sand, suitable for every kind of water sport.

Patong, is the most developed of all Phuket's beaches, almost solidly lined with hotels, bungalow complexes and a concentration of restaurants, shops and night-spots appealing to all tastes. It is not recommended for those in search of tranquility, but definitely suitable for those looking for a lively holiday.

Freedom Beach

A ten minute ride on a longtail boat out and around the headland on the extreme southern tip of Patong Beach brings you to one of the most beautiful and isolated beaches on Phuket.

Accessible only from the sea this isolated beach with its dazzling white sand will make you forget about the hustle and bustle of Patong. There is a small restaurant and a few beach chairs, this is a private beach that is open the public, but the owner drives off visitors arriving by jet ski.

While you laze about on the beach you can ponder up new names for the artistic rock formations that guard the entrance to the bay. Don't forget your mask and fins because the marine life that abounds on the coral reefs is among the best on the island.

Is a long gently curving beach of small sparkling white sand dunes, crisp clean water and a few evergreen trees.

As you circle the roundabout, you can go east through the village and you will be on the main highway running east and west across the island, or you can continue south along the road to Kata beach and the rest of the south coast beaches.

During the months of June through September, the strong south-west wind brings surf from the open sea. Karon Beach and Relax Bay Beach receive continuous big waves and experienced surfers head out to challenge them. The southern end of Karen Beach has the most surf activity and there are surf stations with boards for hire.

The Club Med Complex dominates this scenic beach, but it is open to the public. This is the beach of choice if you are swimming with small children because it remains shallow for about thirty meters from the shoreline.

Koh Poo, the small island off the north end, has a lively coral reef that is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. If you stroll to either end of the beach you will find many little places that offer tasty Thai food.

Separated by a small headland from the larger Kata beach, this charming little bay is nestled up against lush emerald green jungle covered mountains.

Quiet and convenient, this tranquil little piece of paradise is one of the nicest places to stay on the island and home to the Kata Thani Hotel Complex.

There is a small coral reef at the south end but caution must be taken, because of the steeper drop off from the shore than at Kata and because this beach is affected more by rough weather.

The white sandy beach is clean and rather quiet, nestled in a small bay with striking views. Except for the exclusive Phuket Yacht Club complex, Nai Harn is not as developed as other south coast beaches. This is due in part to the Samnak Song Nai Han, a monastic center in the middle of the beach that claims most of the beachfront land.

This beach has a reputation of being dangerous during the monsoon season but it really varies according to daily weather changes. Watch for the warning flags and use some common sense. A number of food venders here offer inexpensive but quite tasty food.

Is a favored picnic spot for Thais who flock to the seafood stalls sitting under the trees that shade this narrow but picturesque bay.

The beach is not so great but the water is shallow and safe for children and it is protected from the wind.

There are many longtail boats and speed boats anchored here that you can hire to make trips to the nearby islands.

Try to find one with life jackets because when the wind picks up the seas can become quite rough.

Fifteen minutes north of Patong as you reach the top of the Khao Phanthurat pass 303 m (990 ft) above sea level you will look out over the breathtaking panoramic view of Kamala Bay. The 2.5 km crescent shaped bay is dotted with casuarina trees on the first half of the coastline and coconut palms and sugar palms decorate the other.

In spite of the large Safari Park entertainment center on the north end of the valley Kamala has maintained its small fishing village atmosphere. If you take the first left turn at the bottom of the grade you will come to a small bridge continue to the left and you will find two isolated small beaches.

The little lanes and meandering small roads that branch off lead to beautiful beach houses and cottages and several low rise condominiums. This end of the beach offers a peaceful tranquil environment with crystal clear water and coral reefs just a few meters offshore.

The beach is not visible from the road but the small parking area is located about half way up the grade at the north end of Kamala Beach look for the small handmade signs.

This is one of the undeveloped beaches frequently missed by visitors who are unaware of its location. Its a five minute walk down a fairly steep path to reach this remote little beach. The natural beauty of this beach is enhanced by the fact it sits well below the highway which lends a serene and quiet feeling that is not always present on other beaches in Phuket.

The interesting rock formations along Laem Sing Beach offer some the best snorkeling opportunities on the island.

A kilometer north of Laem Sing Beach lies the popular Surin Beach. As of now this beach has not been developed and it is a quiet and peaceful bay lined with a row of stately Casuarina trees. A tropical beach with pine trees rather than palm trees may seem out of place to many but the local Thais flock to this beach on weekends and holidays and bask in the shade provided by these unusual trees.

The middle of the beach front is occupied by a dozen Thai beach-style mini restaurants serving up sizzling seafood to hungry visitors.

Is a 8 km long sweeping crescent shaped bay with a gentle slope and absolutely pure white sand and is fringed with rows of casuarina trees. The constant but gentle breeze on this bay has made Bangtao Beach very popular with windsurfers and it plays host to several international competitions each year.

The main entrance to Bangtao beach is 2 km north of Surin Village and marked with large signs from the sprawling Laguna Phuket complex that takes up most of the middle of the bay.

Located on the North end of the island, Nai Yang is noted for its impressive forest of tall casuarina trees, and as a picnic spot for Thais. As throughout southern Thailand if you find a beach that is popular with local Thais it will also have a wonderful selection of grilled seafood stalls and other Thai munchies and Nai Yang Beach is no exception.

During low tide swimming can be good and a large coral reef a short distance offshore harbors a considerable variety us sea life and seashells are known to wash ashore here, especially after a monsoon storm. Nai Yang Beach has a very different feeling than beaches to the south.