Phuket by Sea
Last time I talked about all the things dotting Phuket, but if you’re like me you came for the beach. If so you’re in luck since this post will be all about the ocean and the things you can do if you're looking to catch some sun. As I mentioned before, Phuket itself is an island very close to the Thai mainland, accessible by bridge from the next province over. Off the coast of the main island there are a number of smaller islands that you can also visit, including Phi Phi Island where you can see the famous Maya Bay. In addition there are the obvious beaches and one of the greatest ocean views I’ve ever seen.
Boat Tours
Boat tours seem prevalent on the island, with tourism stalls offering many to pick from. They all take you around the ocean and islands off the coast of the main island but the things they do and specific islands they visit aren’t always the same. I also think that it’s possible to charter a boat to go wherever you want, but that’s probably significantly more expensive. The tour we took left from the Royal Phuket Marina. After arriving at the Marina and signing in I was ushered into a room where they explained the tour and made the necessary sales pitches. They talked about the islands we’d visit, how much time we’d have, and then let everyone loose on the store to get sunscreen, water shoes, and waterproof phone cases. Although I’m not sure the shoes I bought did me any good the waterproof phone case was a great investment. The initial leg of the trip lasted about an hour and ended up at the now famous Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island. While it may have once been a little island to escape to, the fame it gained after Leonardo DiCaprio starred in The Beach changed that. Now it’s an enormously popular stop on what seemed like every boat trip in Phuket. While the bay and surrounding island were indeed beautiful, they were marred by the long line of boats moored at the beach and throngs of people wandering around. The rest of the stops were much better. The boat swung around to an island to look at monkeys (we weren’t allowed to leave the boat though) before stopping near another island so we could snorkel. The first moment when you jump off the boat, go underwater, open your eyes, and see yourself surround by colorful little tropical fish is indescribable. Do not miss this. Find a way to go snorkeling while in Phuket. Later the boat stopped at a larger island for lunch then went to Khai Island so everyone could relax on the beach a little. The beach wasn’t bad, but the food and drinks were much more expensive than on the main island and Khai suffered the same plague as Maya Bay; it was surrounded by boats. In addition to lessening the impact of being surrounded by the ocean it also cuts into where you can swim. While a little expensive the chance to see Maya Bay and snorkel might be worth it, especially if it’s not high season for tourists. If you’re not particularly interested in Maya Bay or you can find another way to go snorkeling it might be okay to miss. If you have the money though a private boat may not be a bad idea.
The Beaches
Karon Beach
What isn’t okay to miss is the beaches, but let’s be honest, if you’re on Phuket it’s because of the beaches. There is no shortage of beaches on the island so of course I didn’t have time to go to all of them. The closest beach to my hotel was Karon beach. The walk wasn’t too bad and we were helped along by some fried bananas. The beach itself wasn’t too crowded and on the other side of the street that ran parallel to the beach were plenty of restaurants and stores for food and drinks. I was surprised to see ‘swim here’ flags on the beach marking where visitors should swim and found the area designated for swimming a little small but understood almost immediately after getting into the water. The current at Karon Beach was pretty strong. I haven’t been to tons of beaches, but I’ve been to enough, and Karon had by far the strongest currents. There was a life guard who spent a lot of time blowing his whistle and running into the water to tell people not to go so far out and I didn’t go much farther than waist deep because the currents worried me a bit. The beach itself was quiet and very pretty though. It was a nice place to sit and relax and cool off every now and then. A little south from Karon Beach is Kata Beach. Kata Beach was a little larger than Karon Beach so either it has a lot more people visiting it, or you have much more space. Unfortunately by the time I arrived it was late and dark and most people were gone. It was too late to swim but I jumped in just to see. The current was much better than at Karon Beach, at least when I was there. The best beach I went to was Nai Harn Beach in the southwest of the island. I stopped by after visiting Promthep Cape (more on that below) and was thrilled. The area around the beach is a little less built up than around Karon and Kata beaches lending it a slightly more rustic feel than the others. The exception being the big hotel on one side, which ruins the mood a little. The beach itself is clean with the ocean spreading out in front and trees spread out behind forming a small wall between the beach and shops behind. The current is also much better than Karon. Although not as convenient to get to it is well worth the trip.
Behind Nai Harn Beach
Whichever beach you go to make sure to spring for the umbrella and lounge chair. I spent my whole life slumming it on a towel in the middle of the beach and no matter how much sunscreen I used I always got burnt. However I spent the Phuket trip using the big beach umbrellas and it was great. Less sand on my things, no sunburn, not so stiflingly hot. This may be common knowledge I somehow missed though so if you’ve been doing this for years send me more beach tips. For everyone like me get the umbrella. It’s not expensive and it makes your time at the beach much more enjoyable.
Promthep Cape
I cannot recommend Promthep Cape enough.
Located in the southwest of Phuket, just north of Nai Harn Beach, is Promthep Cape. The cape is a big hill sweeping up out of the ocean with some monuments near the top, including one to an important admiral. But it’s the view that draws the people there. Standing at the top of the hill the entire ocean seems spread out in front of you. The view seems to be spectacular from whatever spot you pick on the cape. It’s almost as if a bad view couldn’t exist here. In addition there’s a bit that juts out into the ocean that you can walk out to. The walk is pretty short and not difficult and when you reach the end you’re surrounded by ocean on three sides. If you look back the way you came you see the ocean lapping up against the hills of the cape. The view is equally stunning both ways. If you’ve got a free half day or day you won’t regret going out to Promthep cape for the view and afterwards its a quick trip to Nai Harn Beach.
That wraps up my Phuket Trip. The island holds a wealth of things to do, from partying in Patong to sampling delicious seafood to relaxing on the beach. There's enough for everybody and to keep any visitor from getting bored of one thing. Check out the previous Phuket post if you missed it and don't forget the videos (beaches, the island, and Promthep Cape).
Thanks for reading and I'll see you on my next trip. Don't forget to click the links below and follow to stay up to date on what I'm doing and where I am and to see all the pictures and videos from the trips.