What to Do in Kata Noi Beach?
Kata Noi Beach is a beautiful sandy bay and a perfect spot in Phuket if you want to be near the famous Kata Beach while staying away from the tourist crowds. This strand of white sand is blessed with incredibly clear blue water during the high season, and its location out of the way keeps it relatively quiet. Unless you know about it, you probably will miss it. I first came here in the mid-1990s when there was almost nothing on this beach. Just sand, clear water and the old Villa Royale up on the rocks. It felt like a secret. See the full guide to things to do in Phuket for more.
- Beautiful and serene: A quiet beach with soft white sand and clear blue water, especially during the high season.
- Less crowded: Offers a peaceful alternative to the nearby busier Kata Beach.
- Good for surfing: The northern end provides decent waves for beginners during the low season.
- Scenic views and Sunset bars: Close to the popular Karon Viewpoint and panoramic hillside restaurants.
- Luxury resorts: Home to premium resorts like Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, The Shore, and Mom Tri’s Villa Royale.
- Limited activities: Few attractions apart from the beach and nearby restaurants.
- Minimal nightlife: Very quiet at night, with limited entertainment options.
- No public beachfront dining: Beachfront restaurants are only available within resort properties.
- Seasonal swimming risks: Swimming is not recommended during the low season due to rough seas.
What to Do in Kata Noi Beach?
Apart from the beach and three resorts, not much is happening around Kata Noi Beach. Small restaurants, convenience stores, massages, bars and the usual tailors all wait for the hotel’s guests. However, the busy Kata Beach is only a couple of kilometres away.
The Beach
Surfing at Kata Noi Beach
The beach’s northern end is a favourite spot among surfers who occasionally get some decent waves for learning and practising. When the low season arrives, the sea becomes rougher, and while the waves are never huge, surfing gets more challenging.
Karon Viewpoint
Where to Stay in Kata Noi Beach?
The bay is not very big, and only three resorts occupy the entire beachfront: Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, The Shore, and Mom Tri’s Villa Royale. All offer access to one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket.The Shore at Katathani
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Katathani Beach Resort
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Mom Tri’s Villa Royale
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Where to Eat in Kata Noi Beach?
You will find a few local restaurants along Kata Noi Road, but none are on the beach. If you want to eat by the sea, there are only three options; all are part of hotels, such as Mom Tri’s Kitchen at Villa Royale, The Shore and KataThani. Another great spot not to miss while in Kata Noi Beach is the line of bars built high on top of the back hill. Each of them offers spectacular views of the bay. With names like ‘The Sundeck‘, ‘Small View Point’ or ‘After Beach‘ or ‘Baan Chom View‘, you get the idea: fantastic sunset, decent food and the best way to enjoy a beer watching the sun go down on Kata Noi Beach.After Beach Bar
Mom Tri’s Kitchen at Villa Royale
Heaven Rooftop Restaurant
Sabai Corner
Hidden Gems
Chopol’s Plantation
Shopping in Kata Noi
Robin Collection Tailors
Kata Noi Beach Photos
Insider Tips
The best time to swim at Kata Noi is between November and April, when the sea is flat and the water turns a shade of blue you rarely see on busier beaches. From May to October, the waves pick up and red flags go out. The northern end gets the best waves for surfing, but the current can be strong. Always check the flags before going in.
If you are not staying at one of the three resorts, there are no sunbeds for rent on the beach itself. Bring your own towel and find a spot under the trees at either end. The shade disappears by mid-morning in the centre of the beach.
Parking is limited. There is a small car park at the southern end of the beach near Katathani, and a few spots along the road. On busy weekends in high season, arrive before 10 am or you will be circling.
For sunset, skip the beach and drive up the hill to After Beach Bar or The Sundeck. You get the full panorama of the bay from above, and the light on the water in the last hour before sunset is something else. After Beach has been on that cliffside since the late 1990s. It is the original.
The walk between Kata Beach and Kata Noi takes about 15 minutes along the road. There is no beach path connecting the two because a rocky headland separates them. If you are staying in Kata and want to visit Kata Noi, a scooter or a short Bolt ride is the easiest way.
Kata Noi Beach Through the Years
I first drove down to Kata Noi in the mid-1990s, not long after arriving in Phuket. Back then, nobody talked about this beach. Kata Beach next door was already known, but even Kata was quiet and uncrowded. Kata Noi was just a bay with white sand, clear water and no reason for anyone to go there unless they were curious. I have always been curious by nature, so I went.
The only building of note was Mom Tri’s house, perched on the rocky headland at the northern end of the bay. Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, known as Mom Tri, was a renowned Thai architect and a descendant of King Rama IV. He had built a private summerhouse on the cliffs overlooking the beach. At some point, he started welcoming friends to stay, and the house gradually became what is now Mom Tri’s Villa Royale. Each room was different because each was part of the original house. One suite still has a wine cellar built into the rock. It was never designed to be a hotel. It just became one.
Katathani came before that. The land was acquired in 1981 by Mr. Sombat Atiset, who ran a plywood factory in Phang Nga. The area was covered with coconut and rice fields, with no roads and no utilities. He built 44 log-cabin bungalows from leftover wood from his timber factory and opened in November 1984 with just 30 staff. Today, Katathani has over 500 rooms and occupies most of the 850-metre beachfront. The resort has been expanding steadily for over 40 years.
High above the bay, on the steep road between Kata and Nai Harn, a small reggae bar appeared on the cliffside in the 1990s. After Beach Bar was built on wooden stilts with a terrace that looked like it might fall off the hill. It was the first sunset bar above Kata Noi, long before The Sundeck, Fira or any of the others arrived. It is still there, still playing reggae, still the same view. The neighbouring spots have changed hands more than once, but After Beach has stayed.
Kata Noi is still one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, and the fact that only three resorts share the entire bay means it has never become crowded. It is the kind of beach that rewards people who bother to look past the more famous names.
Fast Facts about Kata Noi Beach
| ⛱️ Beach condition: | Amazing |
| ⛱️ Other beach nearby: | Kata Beach |
| 📷 Thing to do: | Karon View Point |
| 🍴 Best restaurant nearby: | Mom Tri's Kitchen |
| 🍹 Best Sunset Bar: | The Sundeck |
| 🛌 Best hotel: | Katathani Phuket Beach Resort |
| 🛎️ Best pool villas: | The Shore at Katathani Phuket |
| ✈️ Distance from Phuket International Airport: | 44 km |
How to get to Kata Noi Beach?
You can easily go to Kata Beach by local bus or smart bus, tuk-tuk, taxi or self-driving: From Patong Beach to Kata Noi: 13 km From Phuket Airport to Kata Noi: 48 km From Phuket Town to Kata Noi: 17 km To get the directions to the beach, open this Google map and click on ‘directions’ or click on save to use it once in Phuket ▷ https://goo.gl/maps/8xJHTCJiyxBWQG629.Kata Noi Beach Map
What’s around Kata Noi Beach?
