Beach Hopping in Phuket

One of the best things about living in Phuket is the amount of beautiful beaches at your door step. With my own car to drive around the island, it is so easy to get around. Just tune in one of the three English radio stations, blast the aircon, avoid the motorbikes and drive!

It is virtually impossible to pick my favourite beach on Phuket. In July 2014, following the military coup, Phuket underwent a huge clean up and all beach chairs, bars and restaurants got taken away from the beaches. Not only a few of the touristy beaches, every single beach on the island is now chair-free. The government's plan is to slowly organise the beach vendors, legalise their businesses and open back government run restaurants and chairs. I am curious how long this will take, so for the time being, all beaches are back to their natural state! It is stunning. Here are a few of the beaches I enjoy visiting in Phuket and a quick overview.

Yanui

This small beach is tucked away between Rawai and Nai Harn. It is amazing for snorkeling because it has a big rock formation right on the shore and lots of corals. The downfall of this is that you have to watch where you step! In high season, the water is flat, turquoise and see-through so it is easy to avoid the rocks, but when it’s windy and the big waves arrive during rainy season, it can be hard to navigate. Yanui has a great restaurant with cheap, tasty local food too! It might be my favourite place to get pad thai on the island!

Yanui Beach

 Nai Harn

This beach is the expat’s favourite. It is nice and wide, perfect to swim with its clean and soft sand. There is a great restaurant tucked in the rocks on the far East of the beach which serves great crab! I enjoy it in a simple sandwich or in a tasty spicy red curry!

Nai Harn is also called Sunset beach - one of the best spots to watch the sun go down on Phuket

Kata Noi

Nestled away from the bigger and more famous Kata beach, Kata Noi is beautiful, although gets very busy with tourists in high season. The water is absolutely amazing and clear!

Kata Noi's white sandy beach

Karon

I love Karon beach. It is huge (around 4 km) and provides great walking opportunity along the shore, or jogging for the brave souls. If you get to the far West of the beach, near the Centara Grand Hotel, it gets very quiet and you will be secluded from the touristy area. If you are feeling a bit cheeky, pop over the Centara Grand for a quick swim in their lazy river. Pool crashing at its best!

Karon beach - It doesn't get much better than this! 

Ao Yong

What a gem is Ao Yon, although very hard to find if you are not familiar with the island. It is near Phuket Aquarium, in the Cape Panwa area. There are 3 small bays on the coast which are all called Ao Yon (how convenient). The first one has a few restaurants and many locals enjoy swimming there. It is the only beach that has a road access. The next bay is my favourite, where Coral Seekers and the Sailing club are located. You have to park up the road and find a small side street which winds down to the beach. The third bay is also nice although a bit murkier bottom in the sea. There are a few long-term condos there. I used to go to Ao Yon a lot when I worked part-time, enjoying being alone on the beach!

Deserted Ao Yon

Sailing Club on Ao Yon Beach

Nai Yang

Beaches up northern Phuket are absolutely fantastic, quieter, bigger and overall dreamy. However, I have lived down South for the past 4 years so I don’t usually drive up there much. Nai Yang is right by Phuket Airport and it is lovely. Lined with trees and protected by a National Park, it is the perfect beach to have a picnic and splash around the beautiful sea.

Natural Nai Yang

You are spoiled for choice on Phuket. Beaches are everywhere and I haven’t seen them all in my four years on the island. Every time I lay in the warm sand, glance over at the blue ocean and feel the warm breeze on my face, I remind myself how lucky I am living in paradise.

Life's a beach!