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Travelers Guide to Phuket
South
Coast Area
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Introduction
 Everywhere on Phuket Island is beautiful
but the south part of the island is straight out of a
tropical daydream. The southern coastline is blessed with
magnificent mountains covered with lush jungle forest
that stretch out to meet the azure blue sea and are
framed with white powder sandy beaches and fringed with
coral reefs. When you see a photograph of Phuket, it is
likely to have been taken in the south part of the
island. The southern beaches offer superb vistas and some
of the most glorious sunsets in the world. The South
Coast Area covers the part of the island that lies south
of Relax Bay on the west and then across the island to
include the Cape Panwa area. Many of the best hotels and
restaurants in Phuket and some of the most beautiful
beaches in the world are located here.
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Relax Bay
Five minutes south of Patong
Beach, as you climb the hill you will see a large hotel
complex on your right. This is a good place to pull off
to the side of the road for a minute and enjoy the
scenery. Unfortunately, access to this beach is blocked
by the Le Meridien Hotel, and unless you are a guest
there this beach can only be reached by boat from Patong.
There is no official lookout point here -- just a few
chairs and an abandoned roadside restaurant, but it is a
great place to watch the white bellied sea eagles feed
early in the morning. They soar the sky in a circular
pattern making a dramatic dive into the sea and taking
flight with fish on their talons for breakfast. While
watching the birds, its a great place to appreciate the
gentle breeze, the magnificent view, the stunning hues of
blues and greens all framed with a white sandy beach, and
the lazy white clouds as they roll silently past. You can
feel and breathe the beauty of Phuket. That is what draws
people to visit here, and what brings them back time and
again. Unbelievable as it may seem it only gets better as
you continue to the south.
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Karon Beach
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 winds 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.
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Kata Yai Beach
There are two beaches
called Kata: Kata Noi and Kata Yai (Noi means small, Yai
means big). 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. Mask and fins can be rented on the beach
for about 100 baht. If you stroll to either end of the
beach you will find many little places that offer tasty
Thai food.
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Kata Noi Beach
Separated
by a small headland from the larger 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. 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 Yai and
because this beach is affected more by rough weather.
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Viewpoint
Along
the coast road between Kata Beach and Nai Harn Beach is
situated a large public pavilion where you can rest and
enjoy the spectacular view. Visible from this vantage
point you can see three of Phuket’s prettiest bays,
Kata Noi, Kata Yai, and Karon Beach. From this scenic
vista you can watch the emerald green waters of the bay
change to shades of blue and indigo as they pass over the
coral reefs. Just across the street a number of fruit and
soft drink venders set up everyday, and provide a good
place to sample some local fruit or enjoy a cool drink.
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Nui Beach
For a guaranteed remote
beach experience that will rival anything you will find
on the offshore islands, give this beautiful little beach
paradise a try. You might be able to reach Nui beach on a
mountain bike or motorcycle but it is not recommended. It
is certainly not to be tried on a standard rental
motorbike like a Honda "Dream". The trail is
deceptively steep and you will fight the whole way to
maintain traction on the loose soil and gravel on the
path. The safest way to enjoy this truly beautiful and
pristine beach is by walking the 2km trail to the beach.
It is a beautiful but fairly steep climb as you walk
around and down the rocky headland to the beach below. To
get there: Follow the road south from Kata to the main
lookout pavilion and continue down the road about a half
kilometer and you will see a small parking area and sign
for Nui Beach.
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Nai Harn Beach
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.
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Ao Sehn Beach
A small bay lying
northwest of Nai Harn Beach. The rather unusual entrance
to this beach ensures that it will remain a secluded
little hide-away that few tourists will find. To get
there you must pass though the gates of the Phuket Yacht
Club Hotel, drive through the underground parking lot on
the left and continue on through the hotel to a very
narrow and rough road that winds along to the northwest
about 1km to Ao Sehn. The beach is small, clean, and
dotted with rocks large and small -- very romantic. A
great picnic place.
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Yanoi Beach
A sleepy little hide
away with interesting rock formations and good snorkeling
from the beach. Located at the bottom of the hill between
the Promthep viewpoint and the wind powered generators on
the next hill to the west, this beach is easy to drive
past. Only a small restaurant and parking lot are visible
from the road but walk past them a few feet and you are
rewarded with a beautiful sheltered bay framed with large
rock formations and a coral reef. Being located at the
southern tip of the island only a few minutes drive from
most of the hotels, this little beach is one of the best
kept secrets on the island.
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Cape Promthep
‘Prom’
is the Thai word for the Hindu God ‘Brahma’
signifying purity and ‘Thep’ is Thai for God.
Promthep is a headland stretching into the sea and
forming the extreme south-end of Phuket Island. It has
traditionally been the prominent feature for mariners
approaching the island. No trip to Phuket would be
complete without taking a few photos of the breathtaking
panoramic vista overlooking the southern tip of the
island. The best time to visit is as the sun sets over
the Andaman Sea. But don’t miss the sunrise if you
can make it there at that hour, as many people feel it is
even more spectacular and the crowds are a lot smaller.
The view is practically irresistible for photography
since the bay reflects images of coral reefs as the waves
in changing hues break upon rock boulders.
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Rawai Beach
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.
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Chalong Bay
This calm and serene bay offers
shelter to a fleet of boats from sailing yachts to tour
boats seeking shelter against strong winds. It is also a
famous take-off to well-known islands like Phi Phi, Coral
Island, Mar Thon Island, Racha Island and the dive sites
of Dok Mai and Shark Point. It bustles with activity from
the crack of dawn till 9.00 am as the boats leave for
their destination of the day . From 4.30 to 5.30 PM this
bay is again quite busy with the passengers returning
from their offshore island tours. Seaside restaurants by
the pier attract bus loads of tourists in the evening
after they have been to see the famous sunset from
Promthep Cape.
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Siray Island
Is a small and hilly
island located four km east of the capital and separated
from the main island by a canal. The main attractions are
a village of Sea Gypsies which occupy the Tokay Beach,
and a giant hill-top reclining Buddha. Fishing villages
and prawn farms are found along the coast where mangrove
forests provide shelter and homes for fish, crustaceans,
and shells.
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Wat Chalong
Is Phuket’s most important
Buddhist temple and is the biggest and most ornate of
Phuket’s 29 Buddhist monasteries. The architecture
is typical of wats found throughout Thailand. Wat
Chalong is associated with the revered monks, Luang Pho
Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, both of whom were famous for
there work in herbal medicine and tending to the injured.
During the tin miners’ rebellion of 1876 they
mobilized aid for the injured on both sides. They also
mediated in the rebellion, bringing the warring parties
together to resolve their dispute. Statues honoring them
stand in the sermon hall (viharn). Many Thais come here
to be blessed by the monks and receive a good luck charm
in the form of a string tied around the wrist, which they
believe protects them from injury and illness.
Many local Thais and
Asian tourists will set off fire crackers and ask for the
lucky lottery numbers, and have their fortune told. Just
inside the main hall on the floor before the image are
two cans of what looks like shaved bamboo chopsticks.
Pick one up and shake the can back and forth rhythmically
until one of the sticks works its way to the top and
falls to the floor. Read the number, then walk around the
corner to the right where there is a wooden cabinet on
the wall. Open the drawer with the corresponding number
and take one of the slips of paper inside. Get someone to
translate it for you or hold onto it until you get back
to your hotel where the desk clerk can translate it. Also
on the floor are several pairs of red wooden blocks made
from bamboo roots and shaped like twin halves of a mango.
These help you make decisions. Pose a question that
requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Toss
the a pair blocks in the air and watch how they land on
the floor. If both land with the same side up the answer
is ‘no’; if they land, one up and one down, the
answer is ‘yes’. Whichever form of divination
you choose, be sure to leave a donation at the alter. It
will go towards the upkeep of the shrine.
From the Chalong traffic
circle take bypass road Why 4021 3km (2 miles) and Wat
Chalong is on the right.
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