8+8 PHUKET BEACHES Tour – Review The Most Beautiful Beaches
Table of Contents
Phuket Beaches
Table of Contents
Phuket island is one of the most beautiful destinations in Thailand, recognized for its stunning beaches, but what you may not realize is that there are about 16 major beaches along the west and south coasts.
What is the distinction between each beach?
Is it necessary to visit every beach?
I don’t think so, unless you have a lot of time. However, as a travel blogger, I want to see all the beaches so that I can truly review the differences and provide feedback.
For those who may not have enough time to see them all, I will explain the differences so you can decide which ones best suit your travel style, peaceful or crowded beaches.
In this post, I will review the beaches based on my personal experiences that I just visited Phuket in December 2021.
This is Part 1 which I can only explore 8 beaches at first because I can’t take long annual leave (I work full-time in a company, tons of work).
>>> Here is Part 2 for another 8 beaches review in 2022 🙂
Hope you enjoy my honest reviews and the photos.
Note 1: In 2021, Thailand was still in the COVID situation and not completely open to visitors during my visit, thus Phuket was quieter than normal. But I still can realize which beaches are peaceful or crowded from the surrounding environment, such as hotels, restaurants, bars, food vendors, beach activities, and parking lots.
Phuket Beaches Map
Let’s start with the Map of Phuket
As you can see, most of the beaches are located on the west coast of the island, and a few in the south. So, how about the east coast? I’m not sure, I haven’t had a chance to visit yet… lol
Actually, according to my research, the east coast doesn’t have beautiful beaches due to its geometry. Muddy beaches and mangrove forests may be found along the coast.
Just a little note
Before I begin, you should be aware that the island is quite large. From Phuket International Airport to Phuket Old Town, it will take approximately 45 minutes by car or one hour by bus.
I opted to rent a car to make it easier to go around, but it is a bit pricey, 800-1000 THB/day. If you rent a motorbike, 200-300 THB/day, but make sure you’re confident riding it because some of the terrains are steep.
Most foreigners I see ride motorcycles, and I honestly don’t know how you guys got taught and skillful.
Phuket Beaches Review - Part 1
1. Sai Kaew Beach
Sai Kaew Beach, the quietest among all the beaches I’ve visited on this trip, is located in the farthest north of Phuket, making it remote from other attractions.
To reach the beach, you’ll need to take a detour from Phuket Airport, about 20 kilometers away (approx. 30-minute drive), as there’s no direct road along the shore.
The beach features fine-grained sand and decent water, though not crystal clear. It stretches about 2-3 kilometers but remains narrow.
However, I couldn’t tell if the beach’s narrowness was caused by the high tide during my morning visit. I went there early because I want to explore the beach before heading south to Phuket town center.
My suggestion is that you may consider skipping Sai Kaew Beach, as it is located in the opposite direction from most attractions. Traveling there could consume a lot of time with limited activities.
However, if your hotel is in the area or you have a desire to explore every beach in Phuket, then it might still be worth a visit.
2. Mai Khao Beach
Mai Khao Beach, located closest to Phuket International Airport, stands out for its uniqueness and is popular among Thais.
Unlike other beaches that draw people in with crystal clear water, soft sandy shores, exciting water sports, but Mai Khao Beach offers a different kind of attraction.
Visitors come here to capture stunning shots of themselves with airplanes landing in the background.
This distinctive feature sets the beach apart from other destinations, making it a must-visit spot for travelers seeking a unique experience.
To reach the plane spotting area, you need to park your vehicle outside. There is a spacious parking area available. From there, you can take a three-wheeled motorbike taxi (not a Tuk Tuk, but a motorbike with a sidecar) to the spot. The motorbike taxi ride costs 20 baht per person.
Once you arrive at the Mai Khao Beach, you will notice a gathering of people in one specific area. That is the perfect spot for capturing your desired shots.
Besides the plane landing moment, what truly add the enjoyment is the rare experience of riding a three-wheeled motorcycle, a rarity in Thailand today, making it even more memorable.
By the way, airplanes keep coming every 10-15 mins, or maybe up to 30 mins if you’re unlucky.
3. Nai Yang Beach
Many tourists will stop at Sirinath National Park but I go a little further to the center of Nai Yang beach for lunch. There is a little town that has shops, restaurants and small hotels.
I take a bit of time trying to figure out how to walk through the beachfront because it seems like all the restaurants block the way, and I’m not sure if it’s a private area or not.
Eventually, I couldn’t find out, so I asked the restaurant staff nearby, can I walk through your shop to the beach? and he said yes of course.
Therefore, I go through to get to the beachfront. I see most of the restaurants around there also have tables on the beach and they all look pretty much the same!
I didn’t do any research for recommended restaurants, so I decided to try it at this restaurant because at least he let me walk through his.
The drinks and foods are good, the price is reasonable, the beach is lovely and peaceful. As you can see from my photos, there are just only two people on that long beach.
I’m surprised that the beach and restaurants are both empty. Perhaps, because it is too hot at noon.
So, I believe the beach will be busier in the evening; else, all those businesses won’t survive.
4. Nai Thon Beach
Nai Thon beach is my most favorite of the eight beaches I visited on my trip. Because I like a quiet beach with fewer interruptions from human activity.
There are no sun-loungers and umbrellas, water activities, or beach bars and restaurants, thus the beach is completely natural.
I saw some families bring their food and belongings to set up their picnic location in the shade of the pine trees in the back. So, if you want to spend hours on the beach, I suppose you should bring your own food and water.
Without or less commercialized, the beach is so clean, water is transparent even the sand is not white as on other beaches, but the light brown grains are fine and soft.
There are some rocks, but they are at the beach’s edge, therefore it’s totally fine for me.
However, Nai Thon beach is long, I didn’t walk all the way down the beach to explore everything but if you’ve been to a commercialized beach, you’ll notice it right away. So, no, this one isn’t. These are why I love Nai Thon beach the most.
Updated 2022: I recently revisit Phuket in April 2022, during Songkran Festival. Phuket is a lot more lively than in 2021, many places are crowded.
I am a bit curious about Nai Thon beach. Am I wrong? Is it a commercialized beach and packed like others?
Therefore, in order to find out, I decided to go to Nai Thon again to check it out.
The answer is NO. It remains peaceful 🙂
Below are the shots, taken in April 2022.
5. Bangtao Beach
Bangtao is the longest beach in Phuket, approximately 5 km in length. But, to be honest, I visit Bangtao beach for the first time and you know what…I really can’t find a way to get to the beach.
The road is parallel to the beach for kilometers, but I got no idea how to get to the beach because there are fences and people’s property along the way. So, I just keep driving until the end of the road (following Google Maps)
Eventually, I find a good zone for parking and able to walk to the beach. This area is near Movenpick Resort. You just go a little further from this hotel and you will see it.
I also like Bangtao beach. It’s similar to Nai Thon but a bit more people. You can see some beach chairs and umbrellas but only a few. So, it’s still a pretty quiet beach.
However, since the beach is very long and I see from Google Maps that there are some beachfront restaurants as well. Therefore, some areas may be crowded and some may not.
But from the area I visit, it’s still very peaceful.
The water is clear, the sand is whiter than Nai Thon beach. It’s a very beautiful one.
6. Surin Beach
The busiest beach among all the eight. A lot of people, but mostly foreigners. A lot of food vendors, sun-loungers and umbrellas.
The good thing is you don’t need to bring anything to the beach because you can rent chairs and umbrellas for sunbathing. You can get good cheap Thai food; they are selling in the parking just behind the line of trees.
I’m not sure about the rate of beach chairs but according to other pages, it’s about 200 baht per chair per day. However, better to ask the vendors before use.
The 800-meter beach is beautiful and clean. So, it’s up to you whether you want peaceful or busy beaches.
Surin beach is surely busy and will gradually busier when Thailand Travel Restriction is more relaxed.
7. Kamala Beach
Kamala beach is similar to Surin beach in terms of sea, sand, food vendors and also a lot of sun-loungers, but a bit fewer people on the day I visited.
The main difference is there are beachfront restaurants and bars on Kamala beach, which Surin does not, I presume.
If you don’t plan to stay in Phuket for that long, I think you can choose between Surin and Kamala beach since they are pretty much the same. So, you can have more time to visit other kinds of beaches and attractions.
However, if you love eating, drinking and watching the sunset on the beachfront with a lot of people, there is a place named Lillo Island Restaurant & Bar on Kamala beach. I didn’t visit it myself but seem to have the best Google Review among others, and you might need to book it in advance.
8. Freedom beach
Finally, come to the last and the highlighted one, the Freedom beach or the hidden beach. I heard about it for a while but got no chance to visit it. It’s been 20 years since my last visit to the island.
Before reviewing the beach, first of all, you can follow Google Maps to Freedom beach, but you may hesitate when you see the road (I do). When you turn from the main road to a small road, it doesn’t look like this road will lead you to the beach.
The road is okay at the beginning, but as you go, it becomes very rough and secluded. I almost turned back because I was thinking the Google Maps was incorrect. I zoomed in the map and didn’t see an alternative way, so I kept going.
Eventually, I arrived.
However, if you visit during the rainy season, I don’t recommend it at all. The road is too bad, could easily cause an accident.
I wish I took some pictures of the road to show you, but I didn’t. Need to focus on driving. Anyway, travel at own risk, the road not maintained.
When you reach the parking area, there are two entrances, one is free (totally free). You will see a lot of cars and motorbikes parking at the gate. There is a small bar in front.
Another entrance is private, they make concrete stairs so the path is easier to walk but it cost 300 baht per person.
However, I prefer the natural path through the jungle so I choose the free one. Surprisingly, I met a pig family during the walk, friendly but seem to be pretty hungry haha.
The hiking takes about 20-30 mins to reach Freedom beach. The path is not difficult but quite steep in some parts. So, when you return (using the same path) you need to walk uphill which can be exhausting.
Yes, I was really exhausted. Because I don’t exercise for years and also need to carry my girlfriend’s stuff. My legs were shaking when reach the gate haha. I told her that, it’s beautiful, worth a visit but no more hahaha, or at least keep stuff at the minimum!
Back to the beach, it is very beautiful indeed, water is crystal clear and clean, the white sand is soft, and surrounded by tropical jungle and coconut trees.
But there is a lot of people, much more than I expected because someone named it a hidden beach so it’s supposed to be calm and quiet right? lol
Anyway, even there are a lot of people (most of them are foreigners), playing beach ball, sunbathing and swimming but the atmosphere is still entirely natural. No beach chairs and umbrellas, no restaurants, no bars. So, bring your own beach towel or mat to lay on and also some foods.
There is a woman carrying some beverages for sale. She assisted me in finding a mat, I think it’s her mat that she kept behind the tree line, and free of charge, which was very kind of her.
Therefore, I bought the drinks, which she sold at a fair price – 20 baht for a bottle of water and 40 baht for a soda can.
Some people reach the beach by longtail boat from Patong and Karon beach, I don’t know how much, but keep in mind that “ALWAYS negotiate the price” for a taxi and a boat taxi in Phuket.
Conclusion
All those eight beaches in Phuket are beautiful but I write a bit long about Freedom Beach because it doesn’t easy to access. Also, I want to ensure that you don’t get lost and not to come on a rainy day
Freedom beach is not my favorite one since there are too many people and uphill hiking is quite tough for me…
However, I still highly recommended Freedom beach, especially if you don’t mind the amount of people, because the beach has “perfect compositions”, but don’t forget to prepare for hiking.
For those who love meeting people and beach activities, Surin beach could be one of your best choices.
To me, Nai Thon beach is my most favorite of the eight. It’s magnificent and also peaceful.
End of Phuket Beaches Review Part 1, there will be part 2 with another 8 beaches, so in total is 16 beautiful beaches.