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Our Guide to Phuket’s Neighbourhoods

Kelisi at the English-language

Old Town Phuket/ Phuket Town

Image by Michelle Pitzel from Pixabay

It may be Phuket's capital, but Phuket Town isn’t anywhere near as popular with visitors as the beach resorts. What it does have to offer is a rich cultural history, which can be seen in the city’s markets, places of worship, and architecture. And of course the food. Phuket Town’s Sino-Portuguese architecture is striking, and colourful, featuring European-style tiles, arched windows and decorative plasterwork, and the city has some very impressive larger homes and mansions, several of which have now become museums. Phuket Town's major sights include the neighbouring Jui Tui and Put Jaw Temples, the incredible commercial streets of Old Phuket, the Phuket Culture Museum, the zoo, the orchid farm, and Khao Rang Hill, which is a fantastic place to go for a view of the whole city. Prepare to eat incredibly well, and enjoy some seriously tempting shopping. Get around on songthaews (taxi/bus hybrids), the locals use them as well as the visitors. The pink ones operate within Phuket Town, while the blue ones connect this city with the beach resorts. Tuk-tuks and bike taxis are another option to help get around.

Patong Beach

Image from Pixabay

Patong is a well-known Phuket hub, crammed with tourist-friendly shops and places to eat and drink. The 3km stretch of Patong Beach is a beautiful piece of coastline, but it’s become so well known that it’s quite busy during the day. If you’re visiting Phuket to have a good time, Patong Beach may be the right choice for you, because this is the hub of Phuket’s nightlife scene; there’s a party atmosphere here every night! During the day, shopping takes centre stage, and it’s the markets, malls and boutiques that get the most attention. Patong is fun, and in parts hedonistic, so it’s good to know what to expect. Patong Beach has plenty of choice when it comes to accommodation too.

Kata Beach

By HutheMeow - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kata Beach is an idyllic stretch of white sand, with just enough swell to make it interesting. It’s close to Patong, the Big Buddha, War Chalong Temple, and Promthep Cave, and popular because of it, so this isn’t the place for someone looking to get away from it all. The Club Med resort owns a good stretch of the waterfront, and is the dominant property here, but there are a good range of alternatives, including family-friendly options, great value picks and luxurious choices. The nightlife is more relaxed than in Patong. Kata also has a mini golf course, watersports providers, surf hire and spas, so it’s a useful pick if you want to fly and flop.

Karon Beach

Flickr user tps58

Karon Beach is the next beach along from Kata, but it’s much further away in terms of atmosphere — it’s comparatively peaceful and uncrowded. The beach stretches to 3km and is wide, with white sand and not a huge amount of swell, so it’s a good choice for families, who will probably prefer the more relaxed atmosphere too, with more cafes and restaurants than bars and clubs. Karon is still bubbly of an evening, but on a smaller scale, with no go-go bars or super late opening hours. Karon Beach even has its own Wat: Wat Karon, which is in the centre of town and where there’s a market held several times a week. Because Karon Beach is known for being family-friendly, there are some good family hotels here, as well as a number of good value guesthouses, and some romantic resort picks too.

Bang Tao

Photo : Anton Zelenov

Despite its idyllic beach-side location, Bang Tao used to be an old mining town, but it’s been turned into one of the largest resort complexes on Phuket: Laguna Phuket. There are loads of amenities and things to do, but there’s not a lot outside of the resort. The beach is 8kms long and inviting, fringed with palm trees and bright blue water; if you want more peace and isolation, just keep walking north until you have the right balance for your mood, and you’ve left the jet ski and banana boat hire guys behind… The southern end of Bang Tao beach is where you’ll find the restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc, and most of the resort facilities, but it’s built across a number of freshwater lagoons and canals, which make the perfect setting for four and five star resorts and hotels.

Kamala Beach

By Roma Neus, CC BY 3.0

Kamala Beach is probably best known for being home to the Phuket Fantasea Park, which is Phuket’s largest performing arts show, complete with dancing and music, animals and circus tricks. But the beach itself can easily compete with the park for beauty and charm, plus Kamala has decent nightlife and plenty of Friday market charm. Kamala Beach is a long stretch of sand, lined with beach restaurants and hotels, and two villages, one close to the sand and one further back. The best beach hotels are, understandably, along the beach-side. Kamala has some bars and clubs, but the nightlife is a lot more chilled than nearby Patong.

Mai Khao

Flickr user Anantara Journeys

Mai Khao has Phuket’s longest stretch of beach: a ribbon of soft sand that runs into a protected national park. This is a serene spot, but also one where you can stay: Mai Khao is lightly sprinkled with luxury beach resorts. The national park stretches from Nai Yang to Sarasin Bridge, and this is the best place for spotting unusual plant and animal life. There’s not a huge amount to do here other than relax and appreciate the view, so this is a wonderful spot if you’re hoping for peace and privacy. 

Rawai/Chalong Bay

Image by celina schou from Pixabay

Rawai is a quieter town on Phuket’s southern tip, with a great seafood market and a more authentically Thai culture, and conversely, a more multicultural population. It is where many people start island hopping tours, and there are plenty of companies offering boat trips around the Phi Phi Islands. This is a less touristy town, so there are fewer hotels and other accommodation options, and there’s not as much going on in the evenings as you’ll find elsewhere on Phuket. There are lots of great places to eat though! There’s a local orchid farm, a Buddhist temple, Divetainer (an event swimming pool), and the Phuket Seashell Museum. Rawai is also known for its sea gypsy population. Chalong Bay is just along the coastline from Rawai, and is an even larger port than Rawai — it’s a picturesque bay, but no good for swimming. This is where many of the charter boats taking out snorkelers and divers leave from, and it’s another good choice for island hopping tours. Chalong is also becoming well known for its numerous Thai boxing schools.