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Welcome
to Phuket
Each
of Phuket 's many beaches is blessed
with a character and charm very much
of its own. From
busy fun beaches offering a range of
water sport activities, to secluded
coves of fine white sand backed by verdant
hillsides and visited by little more
than the bubbling surf of the Andaman,
there is bound to be at least one to
suit the mood and mindset of every visitor
to the island.
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| Patong
Beach (15
km from town) |
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Phuket
's most developed beach offers numerous leisure,
sporting, shopping and recreational options along
its 3-km long cresent bay. Windsurfing, snorkelling,
sailing, swimming and sunbathing number among
the many popular daytime activities.
Patong
is equally well known for its vibrant nightlife,
among which seafood restaurants feature prominently.
| Karon
Beach (20 & 17 km from
town) |
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The
second largest of Phuket 's tourist beaches.
Large resort complexes line the road behind of the
shoreline, but the long, broad beach itself has
no development. The sand is very white, and squeaks
audibly when walked upon. The southern point has
a fine coral reef stretching toward Kata and Bu
Island.
Restaurants, bars, tour companies and other
non-hotel businesses are at the north end, near
the traffic circle, and at the south end, on the
little road connecting the back road with the beach
road. The narrow road between Kata and Karon has
a number of small businesses as well as the Dino
Park Mini Golf facillity. Karon is the most up-scale
of Phuket 's beaches. There is a regular daytime
bus service to and from Phuket Town.
A
4 km long straight beach with fewer visitors
than its big sister, Karon. Nightlife is pretty
much confined to dining and a few beer bars.
| Kata
Beach (20 & 17 km from
town) |
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Beautiful
Kata is a scenic gem, its clear water flanked
by hills, and picturesque Bu island sits offshore.
Kata
retains a village feel at its northern and southern
ends and is perhaps more family-oriented, its beach
more peaceful than Patong.
| Kata
Noi Beach (20 & 17 km from
town) |
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South
of Kata is Kata Noi, a smaller beach with only
a few hotels and little other development. The beach
is superb. Many fish inhabit the rocks and corals
along the beachless shoreline stretching south.
How
to get there: Take the narrow beach road up
over the hill from kata.
| Naiharn
Beach (18 km from town) |
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South
of Kata Noi and north of Promthep Cape, Naiharn
is not Phuket 's longest beach, but it borders the
most gorgeous lagoon on the island. The middle of
the beach is dominated by the Samnak Song Nai Han
monastery, which has obstructed excessive development
and is the reason that the beach is generally less
crowded than other spots on the southern part of
the island.
A
wide variety of water sports can be enjoyed,
but swimmers should be alert for the red flag which
warns of dangerous currents during the monsoon season
from May to October. One can walk to nearby Promthep
Cape to observe sunsets, which are often fiery and
spectacular.
The
beach is a favoured spot for witnessing sunsets.
The northern end of Kamala Beach is suitable for
swimming.
| Singh
Beach (About 1 km from Surin
Beach) |
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The
name means Lion's Point. The beach is in a small,
curving bay with rocky headlands at the foot of
forest-fringed cliffs and is among Phuket 's most
beautiful spots.
Look for signs indicating the path down to the
beach.
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