Local temples - Ket Ho and Kathu

The Kathu area of Phuket, which lies (roughly) between Phuket City and Patong Beach was the old tin mining capital of Phuket - it was tin (along with rubber, fishing, coconuts, palm oil and more) that made Phuket a relatively wealthy province of Thailand long before any tourists arrived. The tin boom started in the 18th century, bringing many Chinese workers to Phuket, which accounts for the large Chinese-Thai population that you see today (very different to surrounding provinces). The whole area is covered in ponds and lakes, all of which are former tin mines.



There are a number of Chinese shrines in the area such as Kathu shrine and Sam Kong Shrine, and also some Wats (Buddhist temples). On Sunday we had a look at Ket-Ho temple (located at Ket Ho junction near the Prince of Songkhla University), and later in the afternoon, visited Kathu temple on the edge of Kathu village. I have driven by the Ket Ho temple a thousand times. It's on the bus route from Phuket Town to Patong, up a slight hill. Like many local temples, it was quiet and uncrowded (only us there), save for a number of noisy dogs. I don't believe the temple has anything spectacular to offer, but I just like local temples.







The afternoon light was just right as we dropped into Kathu temple later the same day. A golden light that brings out the best in just about everything. The main temple building was closed up, so we just walked around the grounds until the sunlight faded. The windows of the temple are decorated with pictures from the story of the Buddha's life, and much of the temple was covered in intricate patterns made from coloured glass and tiles. One monk was busy sweeping the leaves, another was tending to a little garden outside the monks rooms, another was reading the local paper. A very peaceful place. And believe it or not, just 10 minutes drive from Patong.









The village of Kathu and the area around Ket Ho retains a very local feel despite the proximity to Patong. Well worth a drive around on the scooter. Aside from the temples, there is a large daily market in Kathu, just near the "Caltex" junction. You can also visit Kathu Waterfall or the nearby Bungy Jump or Cableski.

Beaches of Phuket

Until now this blog has barely touched on the subject of Phuket's beaches, which is rather odd since most visitors come to Phuket for the beach, and Phuket does have rather a lot of very nice stretches of sand. But I try to keep a personal touch to the blog, and to be honest I’m not much of a beach person. We go (as a family) to the beach now and then to let the kids play, or we might eat by the sea, but if we want a swim we prefer to take the kids to a pool. If we do decide to sit on a beach for a while, we’ll normally avoid the main beaches, preferring to find a quiet spot.

Pretty much every beach in Phuket is on the west coast, stretching some 45km from Mai Khao beach in the north to Rawai in the South. The 3 main tourist beaches of Patong, Karon and Kata are in the southern half of the island. Away from these beaches there are some very secluded spots and many beaches that are largely undeveloped. Some have just a few hotels or resorts, most have long stretches of uncrowded sand...



As time goes by, I’ll post more detailed information about many of the beaches. This is just a very quick introduction, and may not mention every possible Phuket beach. Hey, this is a blog, not a tourist guide!

Phuket Beaches already featured on Jamie’s Phuket:

Karon Beach

Karon is developed, but nothing like Patong. Still has a quiet feel to it. The beach is long, the sand is fine, and there are accommodation options to suit everyone - 5 star to fan rooms in guesthouses... The beach area has been revamped over the last couple of years, and every time I hit Karon after coming from Patong I think "wow, this is nice". Karon is clean and well looked after, though can be accused of being rather "boring" since much of the beachfront is taken up by resorts such as the Hilton Arcadia, Thavorn Palm Beach, South Sea Resort, KaronBuri and many more. There are 2 main "centres" at either end of the beach. The south end is quieter and is only a few minutes from Kata, so is a good location. More about Karon beach will appear on the blog in the future since I work there as manager of Sunrise Divers.

• More about Karon Beach
• Karon Beach Hotels - Rates and Availability at Agoda.com

Nai Yang Beach

Just south of Phuket Airport, Nai Yang beach has a few nice resorts and part of the beach is a National Park. Some beachfront restaurants close to the Nai Yang Beach Resort, but otherwise very quiet.

• More about Nai Yang Beach
• Hotels near Nai Yang Beach

Kamala Beach

The first beach North of Patong (unless you count Kalim and Nakalay), Kamala is not as developed as the other 3 main beaches and being a largely muslim community has a different feel. When I came to Phuket in 1999 I don’t think there were any bars in Kamala. There are a few now, but even now parts of Kamala beach are more like a local fishing community. There are a few bigger hotels and a smattering of small resorts and guesthouses. The North end of the beach is very quiet. Kamala was the worst hit of Phuket’s beaches on December 26th 2004 and it took a while to get back to normal. Kamala is also home to Phuket Fantasea, one of Phuket’s biggest "tourist attractions".

• Kamala Beach - More Information and Photos
• Kamala Temple
• Kamala Beach Hotel Ideas

Laem Ka Beach

One of Phuket’s quiet secrets and not well signposted… located just before Rawai on the road from Chalong. No hotels, no restaurants except a little food stall, just some sand, rocks and a great view.

• More about Laem Ka Beach



Ao Sane Beach

Barely known, Ao Sane is home to some bungalows and the Baan Krating Jungle Resort. To get there you first come to Naiharn beach, and must drive through the Meridien Yacht Club. A quiet spot with a nice view across Naiharn bay. There is one small restaurant serving Thai food. I find it a nice place for a cold afternoon beer.

Ya Nui Beach

A tiny little place just North of Naiharn, Ya Nui has a few bungalows which have been rebuilt following the tsunami which hit this little beach hard. I have never seen more than a dozen people here!

• More about Ao Sane and Ya Nui beaches

Naithon Beach

In between Nai Yang and Bang Tao you find Naithon. The roads in are winding and hilly, and the beach is not very developed. A few small resorts, a few places to eat, a little dive shop ... it's still a quiet spot, though some new hotels are appearing.

• More about Naithon beach
• Naithonburi Resort
• More Hotels near Naithon Beach

Kata Noi Beach

Kata Noi is the end of the road. Just a few minutes drive from Kata Beach, it's home to the Kata Thani Resort and Mom Tri's Villa Royale, yet retains a quiet feeling, mainly I think because the road goes nowhere!

• More about Kata Noi Beach
• Katathani Resort
• Mom Tri's Villa Royale
• More Hotels near Kata Noi Beach



Rawai Beach

Close to Chalong Bay, Rawai is full of small restaurants and food stalls and is a great place to rent a longtail boat to nearby islands. Not a swimming beach really, but makes a good stop off on a tour of the SW corner of Phuket.

• More about Rawai beach
• Hotels near Rawai Beach

Layan Beach

Layan is very nice - a real beautiful spot at the far north end of Bang Tao. Part of the beach is a national park. There are a couple of resorts here, but they are built off the beach and do not detract from the beauty of the area. Very quiet. We have been a few times recently.



• More about Layan Beach


More Phuket Beaches...

Patong Beach

Not my favourite place in the world, Patong is the most developed tourist real estate in Thailand, and for the most part has not been made to look really pretty. If you are looking for full on tourism, plenty of accommodation and shopping, loads of restaurants, a hat load of bars and a beach full of beach chairs and umbrellas, Patong is the place to be! I tend to visit Patong only if necessary – the bank, the post office, pay the phone bill etc., though there are a few places to eat that I like and even Patong has quiet spots away from the centre of town, such as "Tritrang Beach" and "Paradise Beach"...

• More about Paradise Beach
• More about Tri Trang beach
• Some Recommended Patong Beach Hotels
• LateStays.com - Patong Beach Hotels - Late Booking Deals




Kata Beach

Of the main beaches, Kata is more popular with younger people, and is a very scenic beach, with lots of accommodation nearby, but very little on the beach since most of the beach road is taken up by Club Med. Only at the South end are other places right on the beach, such as Kata Beach Resort and Mom Tri's Boathouse. Kata somehow retains a quiet feel despite being pretty busy. Just over the hill to the south is the even quieter Kata Noi.

• Some Recommended Kata Beach Hotels
• Kata Beach Hotels - LateStays.com Special Offers



Bang Tao Beach

Home to the Laguna resorts and a couple of other hotels, but Bang Tao village is not close to the beach, so if you stay there you need to drive or take a taxi to find any local life or more dining options. The Laguna hotels are some of the best in Phuket. There are also some other great hotel options in the area - most are quite expensive resorts, though with late booking you can get a very good deal - see LateStays Bang Tao Beach Hotels.

Surin Beach

Was very quiet a few years ago, but has rapidly developed. A lot of new hotels over the last few years such as Twin Palms and the new Marriott Courtyard, and a lot of condos/villas/apartments on the hillsides near the beach. Still, the beachfront is not that busy, and there are loads of small beachside restaurants. We like a small one right at the far North end. Surin is just North of Kamala. In between you find Laem Sing beach which has been touted as a quiet beach for many years and thus is not any more! In 1999 when I came hear, Laem Sing was very quiet and made a nice getaway from Patong. Now, if you want quiet, I think there are better options.



OK, that’ll do for now. I have not even mentioned Mai Khao beach, Naiharn beach, Freedom beach… but like I say, I’m not a beach bum!

Need a Hotel? Here's some of my Phuket Hotel Recommendations

Kata Viewpoint

We took a little drive today from Patong to Karon and Kata, and along the winding road that leads to "The" Phuket Viewpoint (aka Kata Viewpoint). The view is one of the most famous images of Phuket, can be found on just about any website relating to Phuket, and is certainly the most visited viewpoint in Phuket. It's a short ride on a motorbike or in a tuk tuk from Kata beach. We passed half a dozen foreign couples on mopeds between Kata and the viewpoint. If you're staying in Kata or Karon, the viewpoint is a great stop off on the way to places like Naiharn beach, Phromthep Cape and Rawai beach. You can make a very nice afternoon's sightseeing in this corner of the island.

There's really only one view from the Kata / Phuket Viewpoint. Just look North and you can see Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches, along with Koh Pu (the little island just off Kata). The little road that passes the viewpoint is not very busy, so you'll notice the peace and quiet. Then find your spot and look at the view to your heart's content.

• Viewpoint location on Google Earth

Hotel Recommendations: Novotel Beach Resort Cape Panwa

Novotel is a well known hotel chain, and there are 2 in Phuket. One is located at the far North end of Patong beach (away from the main drag), the other is found at Ao Yon, along a quiet road down Cape Panwa, with a private beach (OK, anyone can walk on it, but there are no other hotels around). I am sure the hotel is lovely, but it's the location that makes the Novotel my kind of place. (See location on Google Earth) When you see this, you have to wonder why people want to stay in the middle of Patong! Great views from the rooms, no noise, no cars, no jet skis... We like Cape Panwa. It's a quiet area, with some great views and little back roads. Within 10 minutes of the Novotel you can find the Aquarium, Khao Khad Viewpoint, and a current favourite place of ours called The Beach Bar, which is a couple of minutes walk along the beach from the Novotel (click on the Beach Bar link to see some photos of the beach at Ao Yon).

Novotel Beach Resort Panwa - Booking Links and Reviews

• Beach Resort Panwa Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Beach Resort Panwa - Hotel Reviews


Novotel Panwa Beach Resort - Photos










• More Hotels in Phuket - Phuket Hotels at Agoda.com
• Last minute Phuket hotels - LateStays.com
• More Phuket Hotel Recommendations

Restaurant Tips: Friendship Beach

Along the shoreline between Chalong and Rawai you can find Friendship Beach Waterfront Resort. I guess this place could go in the hotels and the restaurant section, but it's the food I am interested in! It's a quiet spot, but can be busy at the weekends, as it's a popular place with expats and their families as well as guests at the bungalows. You'll find plenty of seating around the pool and right by the beach with a view across Chalong Bay. The resort is a couple of hundred meters down from the main Chalong-Rawai road, so you get no traffic noise, no cars. In fact the only traffic I saw was horses from the nearby Phuket Riding Club!



Now, it's not the cheapest place to eat - but I think 70 Baht for Thai food is OK when you're by the beach! The menu is quite extensive with a mix of local and "western" food with daily specials. I notice that their web site claims "No MSG". There is also a western chef. We only went for snacks today - I had some delicious Apple Pie...a friend ordered Nachos - a huge plate with cheese and cream. I had a couple of glasses of cold draught Heineken. They also have a bit of a wine list. Meanwhile the kids could play in the pool.

 

In the late afternoon, the live music starts. I've been there a few times over the years. Today we had a Thai band playing Jazz. Another time the music was more kind of Bossa Nova (not the kind of thing you expect to hear in Thailand). Another time (a few years ago), a Thai girl was singing Celine Dion songs and she was so good I thought they'd put a CD on!

It's a relaxing spot for food or drinks and snacks, oh and they do have accommodation too! There are not that many places in Phuket which are small scale and right on the beach. OK, the beach is not the best. Chalong Bay tends to be a bit murky as it's very shallow, but it's certainly uncrowded and you have the pool a stones throw from the waterline anyway. Friendship Beach also makes a good stopping off point if you're making a tour around this area of Phuket (Chalong, Rawai, Phromthep etc).

• Friendship Beach Website
• Friendship Beach Accommodation and Rates
• Friendship Beach location on Google Earth
• Phuket Riding Club

Patong Temple (Wat Patong)

The Patong you see now is nothing like the Patong of 30 years ago. Can you imagine a place with limited road access, just a small village with fishermen, farmers, rubber plantations...a place where Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet founder) says there was "an open shelter where you could camp for 3 Baht a night"...My how things have changed. Patong is the biggest tourist centre in Thailand and the most overdeveloped beach in Thailand. However, if you know where to go, Patong has quiet spots. There are a couple of Patong hotels in my recommended hotel list, there is plenty of good food and there is still a local community, just you won't find it on the beach.





Patong temple (Wat Suwan Khiri Wong) marks the entrance to Patong at the bottom of the hilly road that winds over from Kathu and Phuket Town. Where you have a temple you have a community and in the area around the temple and further along Phisit Karani road you'll see older houses and local people who are not involved a great deal in the goings on closer to the beach. The temple is a little haven of peace even with the main road outside. It's a fairly extensive place with a main temple, a bell tower, monks quarters, dining hall and so on. Yes there are monks at Patong temple. If you are awake early you can catch them as they walk along the road from the temple through the older part of Patong. Near the temple is a little daily street market selling veg, fresh fish and meat, which starts at dawn and is all over by 8:30am. Along the same street are many little local shops, though they now compete with a 7-11.





• Patong Temple location on Google Earth

Patong temple takes you back to a time when Patong was a village, when tourists had not discovered Phuket. But, look just outside and you have the new Patong:





These 2 photos are on the main road. If you enter via the main gate you can walk or ride your bike around the grounds and will come out onto Phisit Karani road, which is the south end of the road that wiggles along the back of Patong, becoming Nanai road and is a way to avoid central Patong completely! Y'know Patong is not all bad, but I basically never hit the center unless I have a very good reason. I see Patong temple almost every day, climbing over the hill from Kathu, beeping my horn at the top when reaching the shrine on the hill before descending into "big bad" Patong ...

Hotel Recommendations: Naithonburi Beach Resort

The Northwest of Phuket has some fine beaches where you can get away from the crowds. I have written about Nai Yang beach already and will start to expand on the Beaches section of this blog (after all, this is Phuket we're talking about). Last weekend after spending some time at Nai Yang, we drove along the quiet jungle road to Naithon Beach. Hopefully (weather permitting) we'll go back next weekend. I have always liked Naithon. Getting there means heading off the main roads and onto some winding back roads, and the beach still remains quiet. There is a road along the beachfront but with very little traffic. It's not a long beach, maybe 800m and there is not too much in the way of accommodation, just a couple of small resorts.

The Naithonburi is small and neat, not very expensive, but has facilities - a nice pool, a gym and ... Naithon beach just outside! There's a pool bar and a restaurant, one of only a few along the beach. For more dining options you'll need to take a drive!



Naithonburi - Online Reservation and Reviews

• Naithonburi Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Naithonburi Hotel Reviews


Naithonburi Resort - Photos








• More Hotels in Phuket - Phuket Hotels at Agoda.com
• Last minute Phuket hotels - LateStays.com
• More Phuket Hotel Recommendations