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 in Kathu? [toc] Kathu is a small village as well as 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 really impressive, except maybe for a couple of temples, a few mural paintings and an annual festival. The
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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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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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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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Splash Beach Club [toc] Splash Beach Club is a new spot hidden in a tiny creek not far from Patong Beach, between the beautiful Tri Trang and Paradise beach. The club doesn’t sit on a vast sandy beach like most other beach clubs of Phuket and doesn’t play loud music (yet), but it certainly has a unique charm. The view of this small cove with trees added to a gentle
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What to Do in Ao Yon Beach? [toc] Ao Yon Beach, as surprising as it may seem, is a quiet and remote beach where you can have a quiet walk and only meet locals and few longtime residents. Of course, these little beaches are far and often hidden and you need to make a bit of effort to find them, and that is the main reason why such beaches remain
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Where to watch planes landing in Phuket? [toc] Plane spotting in Phuket just moved to our list of 26 things to do in Phuket. Watching planes landing in Phuket has become a top-rated attraction in recent years. It’s easy, fun, super impressive and with such a beautiful beach as a background, it is an excellent photo playground. So where is it? How do we go there? Is it allowed? Let's see
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Phuket Hidden Places [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 more
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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 bridge that connects Phuket
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The magic of local Thai restaurants [toc] Boon is one of the most underrated local Thai restaurants in Phuket. It's not fancy, the menu is not long, and lunch at Boon only costs a few baht, but the taste is unique. The restaurant is tiny, hard to spot, and so modest; we probably wouldn't bother explaining to anyone how to go there. But after so many years, we realised that
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Where is Koh Bon Island? [toc] Bon Island (or Koh Bon) is located just south of Rawai Beach in Phuket and is just a short longtail boat ride away. A few sandy beaches pepper the coast of this tiny island, and despite being so close to Phuket, it hasn't been invaded yet. There are only two real beaches on Koh Bon (In Thai, islands are 'Koh'). One was the landing
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What is Baba Nest? [toc] Baba Nest at Sri Panwa Hotel is the ultimate rooftop bar in Phuket. It is built high above Phuket Aquarium on the remote Cape Panwa, on the south-east of Phuket Island. It’s far, hard to find, hard to book as you can expect a two weeks waiting list to get a reservation, but it’s worth it. Once you managed to get a table, you will finally
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What is Nui Beach? [toc] Nui Beach is an unusual beach in Phuket. It’s not the most magnificent beach as sand is quite coarse, but people seem to love secret and hidden beaches. The hardest they are to find, the more travellers want to go them, and Nui Beach is one of the last. Nui Beach was closed for about a year and was almost forgotten. It recently reopened in
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What is Three Monkeys Restaurant? [toc] Three Monkeys restaurant is set in the Jungle somewhere between Phuket Town and Chalong, part of the popular Hanuman World Zipline attraction. With a beautiful and somehow unusual design, Three Monkeys restaurant has been a success from day 1, attracting a crowd of teenagers and young families. The restaurant is surprisingly large, built on several levels on the side of a hill overlooking Chalong
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Patong Sunset View Restaurant [toc] Patong Sunset View Restaurant is a great spot to end the day with a nice dinner or even just a drink while enjoying one of Phuket famous sunsets. The restaurant is relatively small but the terrace can welcome quite a few guests and everything is very affordable. To make the best of your dinner, you should really sit at the front of the balcony to
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About Sai Kaew Beach [toc] Sai Kaew Beach (Haad Sai Kaew in Thai) is a beautiful endless beach located at the very north of Phuket Island, just passed Mai Khao Beach and before Sarasin bridge. People easily complain about crowded beaches, but nothing is easier to find than a deserted beach in Phuket. During the high season, the sea has a nice blue tone and walking alone for miles, you
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Where are the secret beaches of Phuket? [toc] There are still secret, quiet and hidden beaches in Phuket and they are beautiful. Of course, some of them 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
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How to Get to Ao Sane Beach? [toc] Ao Sane Beach (which is pronounced Ao Sain) is the 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. These might be small tiny sandy
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How to Get to 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 seems to still confusing. Names similarities added to the fact that some of these beaches were hard to reach until recently didn't help. These four beaches are located around a peninsula just south of
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Mor Mu Dong Restaurant Mor Mu Dong received a 'Bib Gourmand' rating in the Phuket Michelin Guide. 'Bib Gourmand' means 'friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices [toc] Mor Mu Dong is quite an unusual restaurant in Phuket. If you enjoy eating off the beaten tracks where mostly locals go for a great lunch or dinner, Mor Mu Dong is your place. Every Phuket resident knows it, and
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