Here is our collection of the best hidden beaches and local places in Phuket. They are not secret to the locals but travellers often don’t have the time to explore such a rich island. We explored Phuket for more than 20 years and surprisingly, we still discover little gems We are happy to share them with you… well, most of them ;)
What to Do (and where to eat) in Kathu? [toc] Kathu is a small village and a small district, halfway between Phuket town and Patong Beach. The name of Kathu is not unknown, but very few people add it to their list of Things to Do in Phuket. The village of Kathu itself is not impressive, except maybe for a couple of temples, a few mural paintings and an annual
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Coconuts Café Phuket [toc] Coconuts Café is a lovely little bakery and restaurant hidden in a small lane of Chalong, in the south of Phuket Island. The coffee shop is a tiny house on stilts, with a garden surrounded by a vast green natural landscape and immense coconut trees. The interior, with apparent brick walls, is cosy and beautifully decorated with small coffee tables and comfortable sofas with garden views.
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Where are the secret beaches of Phuket? [toc] There are still hidden, secret and quiet beaches in Phuket, and they are beautiful. Of course, some are difficult to find, but surprisingly many are in plain sight and easy to access. People are just not trying very hard to find them. Despite the permanent tourist complaints, more than 10 beaches range from 'quiet' to 'totally deserted'. Most don't have beach chairs
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An art gallery in a restaurant near Rawai [toc] Phasom See is a hard-to-find little cafe, art gallery and restaurant, hidden between Chalong and Rawai Beach. The food mostly consists of fusion dishes, beautifully presented and fun to photograph. The place is popular with a young crowd who enjoy taking selfies with the fun decoration. This is a place locals visit with friends, take photos, admire, or buy some painting
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Wat Phra Nang Sang [toc] Wat Phra Nang Sang was built more than 200 years ago and was originally known as Wat Takian; and is one of the oldest Thai temples in Phuket. This unusual temple was built when Thalang was the main city of Phuket Island and even was the scene of a battlefield during the Burma war in 1785. For many years, Wat Phra Nang Sang was a
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What is the secret of Freedom Beach? [toc] The beautiful and secluded Freedom Beach is an anomaly. It is one of the prettiest beaches in Phuket, with incredibly soft white sand and clear blue waters. It is just a few minutes away from Patong Beach, the busiest beach on the island and yet, it is surprisingly peaceful and quiet. So what is the secret of Freedom Beach? Freedom Beach Video
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Peang Prai Restaurant Phuket [toc] Peang Prai (Krua Piang Prai) is an excellent hidden local restaurant hidden in a green nest just next to Bang Pae waterfall. Mostly unknown to tourists because of its remote location, Peang Prai is one of the two great places to have lunch if you happen to be in the area (the other restaurant being Bang Pae Seafood.) Peang Prai is good; it's worth travelling
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How to Get to the almost secret Banana Beach? [toc] Banana Beach in Phuket is a little hidden treasure. Phuket is a world-famous holiday destination, and every corner of this tiny tropical island has been explored, invaded, sold, developed and exploited. Yet, the small Banana Beach is hiding from the crowd. We thought it wouldn't last, but it is still quiet. Banana Beach Video 2021 Considering that Banana Beach
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What to do on Merlin Beach? [toc] Merlin Beach, Tri Trang Beach, Paradise Beach, Freedom Beach, which is which? Every time we post a photo of any of these beaches, it starts endless discussions, so it is still confusing. The names similarities, plus the fact that some of these beaches were hard to reach until recently, didn't help. However, these four beaches are located around a peninsula just south of
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Hidden Gems in Phuket [toc] Surprisingly, there are still amazing places people miss entirely when visiting Phuket. And like most people you want to visit Phuket but you wish to see it from a less known angle and discover places most people haven't heard of. Many would say there are no such places in Phuket anymore, but there are! After 24 years spent on Phuket Island, I found a lot
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How to get to Samet Nangshe? [toc] Samet Nangshe is a superb panoramic viewpoint in Phang Nga Bay. It's a little far outside Phuket island, but if you have a car or a big bike, it is worth the drive. From up there, you can admire the fantastic limestone formations of Phang Nga Bay, but it requires a good deal of effort. You need to drive 25 kilometres past the Sarasin
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Baan Ar Jor Heritage Hotel in Phuket [toc] Baan Ar Jor is a hotel, a restaurant and a museum with a long history that started in 1936. This house has always been one of the most mysterious old mansions of Phuket, standing lonely near Mai Khao Beach in the north of Phuket. Unlike other mansions mostly found in town, Baan Ar Jor is isolated away from any village and very
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An amazing private beach [toc] Karon Noi Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, home to the luxurious 5-star hotel Le Meridien Phuket. It has a perfect soft white sand, shallow clear blue waters and lots of coconut trees to create the picture-perfect holiday background. It is quiet and unspoilt, and of course, there is a good reason for this little paradise to remain so exclusive: Karon
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Kin-Kub-Ei Restaurant Phuket [toc] Kin-Kub-Ei Restaurant is a hidden gem serving delicious southern dishes cooked by Khun Tubtim (the lady on the photos), with her family recipes, and served in a beautiful garden hidden from the main road on the way to Bangtao Beach. The place is somewhat unique, only opened three days a week and only with reservation, which makes it a little challenging to plan. The food served
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What to Do in Ao Sane? [toc] Ao Sane Beach (pronounced Ao Sain) is proof that Phuket still has some little beaches hidden from view where you can pretend nothing has changed in the past twenty years. Of course, there is no such thing as a 'secret beach' anymore, but you have to make a little effort to get there. Ao Sane is very visible from Nai Harn Beach, but
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Bang Pae Seafood Bang Pae Seafood received a 'Bib Gourmand' rating in the Phuket Michelin Guide. 'Bib Gourmand' means 'friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.' [toc] Bang Pae Seafood is a great local restaurant, very hidden on the east coast of Phuket. It's not so easy to find, and yet, it's busy on weekends with a mix of Thai, expats and some tourists brought by local friends.
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What to do in Panwa Beach? [toc] Panwa Beach, also known as Khao Kat Beach, is not a great swimming beach and yet has the charm of these remote bays not many would take the time to explore while visiting Phuket. Located on the east coast cape but facing west, the whole area is peppered with luxury villas and few resorts, a great alternative to relax away from west coast
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How is Phuket Marriott Resort Nai Yang? [toc] Phuket Marriott Resort Nai Yang is a beautifully designed hotel on Nai Yang Beach, a unique location on the northwest coast of Phuket. Nai Yang Beach is a great hideaway escape near the Sirinath National Park, far from the crowded beaches of south Phuket. The hotel has a lot of great features and so many qualities we did have a lot to
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A great local restaurant in Kathu [toc] Nai Dam Restaurant in Kathu looks just like any restaurant by the roadside of Phuket. It's not fancy, there are no exterior sign of luxury and even the restaurant signboard is hardly visible. We are not easily impressed after trying so many restaurants all around Thailand, but on that day, we were! Nai Dam Restaurant is a great place for those who know
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Phuket Secret Beaches [toc] Private beaches don't exist in Phuket or Thailand in general, and that's by law. However, people often call some of Phuket most amazing beaches 'private beaches' because they can't enter. So if none of those beaches is private, how is that possible? Simple: if you own the land that surrounds that beach, you can indeed deny its access. It's a little twisted, and some might find
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