Time for recovery – Discover the beautiful beaches on the island of Phuket
Even a hardcore diver needs a break.. Is there a better place to relax and dream of the next dive adventure than the beach? Few islands can boast of such an abundance of sandy beaches and clear waters as Phuket, but which one is the best beach in Phuket? Well, that is not a simple question to answer as it depends on who you ask..
Phuket is not only the biggest island in Thailand, Phuket is also the most popular. And it’s not hard to see why. Phuket is famous all over the world for it’s beaches, the coastline with a length of 22km and a width of around 50km is full of beaches. Most of the picturesque beaches in Phuket are on the west coast of the island.
Mai Khao Beach – discover the turtles
Mai Khao Beach is situated on the northwest coast of Phuket. This 11km-long straight beach is still blessedly undeveloped as it is part of the Sirinat National Park. The sand of Mai Khao Beach – the name translates as “white wood” – is possibly the coarsest of any on Phuket, but is also practically deserted a lot of the time, making it possible to walk for kilometers without seeing a single other person. Interesting to us divers is that on this beach leatherback turtles can sometimes be found as they come here to lay their eggs. Mai Khao is a protected sea turtle nesting area.
Nai Yang Beach – natural beauty
Nai Yang, where we have one of our dive centers is just a five-minute drive south of Phuket airport and is very popular with the Thai locals. Here you’ll find what beach life is all about. Fringed with Casuarinas trees providing picnic areas for the locals, it’s also a shady spot for souvenir and food vendors. Laid back to the extreme, most people who stay here find absolute relaxation. Parts of the of the beach are inside the Sirinat National Park which also includes the reef at the north end of the beach is popular for divers and snorkelers..
Surin Beach – trendy
Fine white sand and turquoise water has ensured that the picturesque beach is very popular with tourists and Thais alike. Enjoy the sunset after a diving day at Surin Beach and if you still have enough of energy, you can dance barefooted in the sand to chill- and house music until midnight.
Kata and Katanoi Beach – charming
The elongated and quiet Kata Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island of Phuket. The beach is separated into 2 sections, Kata Yai and the smaller Kata Noi Beach. It’s the perfect place for divers to relax in a quiet atmosphere, take a walk along the soft sand, snorkel or swim. It’s long been a popular spot for surfers in the monsoon season.
Nai Harn Beach – popular
Nai Harn located in the south of the west coast and is one of the island’s most popular places with in-the-know locals. The white, sandy beach is a good place to relax after a diving day, as only a couple of hotels are situated on the beach.
Patong Beach – touristic
Patong Beach is an astonishing combination of breathtakingly beautiful white sand beach edged by the glittering Andaman Sea, and the most concentrated area of tourist accommodations, shops, nightclubs, restaurants and attractions. Divers who search for action, this is the right place – you will find a lot of it.
Kamala Beach – Family fun
Kamala Beach lies just north of the hustle and bustle of Patong and is a quieter stretch of sand with a more relaxed feel and is excellent to build sandcastles on. This well-enclosed bay and fishing village surrounded by forested hills is one of the most beautiful places in Phuket.
Leam Singh – a perfect dream
Laem Singh Beach is one of Phuket’s most beautiful beaches and hides on the west coast between Kamala and Surin beaches. ‘Laem’ is Thai for ‘cape’ and this 150-metre beach is indeed situated under a steep promontory. Nestled in a hidden bay, surrounded by palm trees and dotted with giant boulders, it has a feeling of a secret beach.
Karon Beach – quiet
Karon features the third longest beach on Phuket Island. Located on the west coast, between Patong to the north and Kata (with which it shares a common municipality) to the south, the fine sandy beach itself has excellent snorkeling (and even diving) spots at its southern end. And this beach is long enough for beachgoers to never feel crowded.
Attention- be careful!
As beautiful as the beaches are in high season, as dangerous can they be during the low season (April – November). As the wind is coming from the sea during this time, it creates high waves, which creates strong currents and even rip currents, especially in the Kata/Karon area.
Non-swimmers and inexperienced swimmer do best by staying out of the ocean during this time and if entering the water, only do so in designated, patrolled areas. Do not enter the water if there are red flags! Follow the instructions from the Phuket lifeguards, every year they have to save hundreds of lives but everyone are so lucky. There are multiple drowning victims every year.
Also the Portuguese man o’war jellyfish can be a risk during the monsoon season. Same as the Phuket beaches, it is as beautiful as it is dangerous.
Team Sea Bees 🙂
