What to Do and Where to Eat in Kathu?
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 festival.
The street is lined with tiny little shops and administrative buildings. The location just away from the main road kept it relatively tranquil, but chances are, you will go to Kathu without knowing it.
WHERE TO EAT IN KATHU?
There are a surprising amount of restaurants in Kathu, including Krua Jongjit, a local restaurant with a Michelin mention and Thong Dee Brasserie, which has been #1 on TripAdvisor for quite a while now. Kathu is becoming a local Thai food hub, and the number of small local places to enjoy keeps growing. It is cheap, fun, tastes great and has fully become part of travelling!
Big Chicken Restaurant (Krua Thung Thong)
Big Chicken Restaurant (Tung Tong Restaurant) is one of our three favourites venues in Kathu. It is also your chance to try some authentic Thai dishes: how often can you eat giant ants eggs? If you drove past the Phuket Country Club in the past twenty years, you probably saw that weird big chicken on the side of the road. It’s a simple, affordable, nice and clean restaurant with very friendly service and they even have an air-con room! But the reason it is always busy is without a doubt the food.
Krua Jongjit Restaurant
Krua Jongjit restaurant in Kathu is proof that a restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy nor expensive to be excellent and even receive a Michelin Plate for fresh ingredients, carefully prepared: a good meal. But, for such a modest venue, it is still a big statement.
Ketho Dim Sum
Address: 48 2 Vichitsongkram Rd, Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 6 am – 12 pm
Phone: 081 538 9377
We Camping Phuket
We Camping Phuket is a local restaurant located in Kathu, with fun camping decor and a vast outdoor sitting area. Despite the name, the place is not related to camping at all: it is the decor theme where customers can sit outdoors while taking photos in the makeshift tents. The food and drinks are good and cheap, and the team is friendly.
Address: 2/127 Moo 2 Kathu Subdistrict, Phuket, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Hours: 5 pm – 11 pm
Phone: 098 017 4481
Ka Moo Boran
Kha Mu Boran is a very discreet and modest restaurant at a busy intersection of Kathu; They serve a unique and delicious stewed pork leg with rice and stewed pork leg noodles with tom yam soup.
Address: 17/11 M.6 T. Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 7 am – 5 pm
Phone: 089 972 9438
Price: cheap
Red Clam Restaurant
Red Clam Kathu, locally known as Hoi Pai Daeng, is a fun local restaurant serving good and simple Thai food that goes well when meeting friends at the end of the day.
Address: 105/35 Tambon Kathu, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83120
Hours: 4 pm – 12 am
Phone: 090 879 2499
Tam Saab Khon 101 (ร้านตำแซ่บคน 101)
Address: 2/95 Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Hours: 11 am – 10 pm
Phone: 093 627 2045
Nai Dam Restaurant
Nai Dam restaurant is an excellent place for those who know and love real Thai food. It is cheap, and they have some delicious dishes, including their very special wild boar in curry with yellow noodles. It’s so well-known that even one of the Princesses, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, stopped over many times to eat at Nai Dam when visiting Phuket or Phang Nga.
Address: 17/76 Phra Phuket Kaew Road, Tambon Kathu, Phuket 83120
Open: 5.30 pm – 11 pm
Phone: 076 323 758
Krua Pai Lin Restaurant
Krua Pai Lin restaurant is a very local restaurant hidden on the way to Kathu waterfall. It is so local that most tourists would not even consider stopping for a meal, but it is what travelling is also about! So try the real thing and eat very local food under the trees with chicken scratching the floor around you.
Pizzeria Da Moreno
Pizzeria Da Moreno is a casual Italian restaurant by the roadside of Kathu and has been popular with expats and locals for a long time.
Address: 9/391 Moo 6, Amphoe Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket
Hours: 12 pm – 11 pm
Phone: 085 796 4712
WHAT TO DO IN KATHU?
Kathu is a surprisingly rich part of Phuket island, full of things worth exploring, trying or eating (we are talking about the Kathu neighbourhood here, not Kathu district, which would include Kamala beach). You will find plenty of golf, museums, treetops zip-line, wakeboarding, Bungy jump, wakeboard park, and the list goes on. Please browse the list below; you will probably recognise quite a few of them!
Andamanda Phuket
Andamanda Phuket is an immense new water park spanning an incredible 100,000 sq.m. and boasting 25 attractions. These include an array of impressive water slides, a 10,000 sq.m. artificial wave swimming area, and the longest lazy river in Southeast Asia, which measures 550 meters. The park is divided into five main theme zones, each adorned with Thai mythology themes: the reception and shop area called The Pearl Palace, Coral World which caters mostly to young visitors, Emerald Forest, The Great Andaman Bay featuring a large swimming pool with a replica of the famous James Bond Island, and Naga Jungle, which features the most thrilling drops.
Address: 333 Kathu, Kathu District, Phuket 83120
Open: 10 am – 7 pm
Phone: 076 646 777
Prices: Adults: 1,500 baht – Kids: 1,000 Baht
Kathu Waterfalls
Kathu waterfall was probably the first talked about place in the Kathu area. It’s well indicated and found at the end of a narrow road. It’s not a very impressive waterfall, and it’s only really worth going during the low season, after several days of rain. Not worth going in high season as the flow is reduced to a trickle.
Flying Hanuman Phuket
An incredible jungle activity you will never forget! High sky bridges and zip lines connect 28 platforms; one of them is 400 meters long! It is very Eco-friendly and respectful of nature. They take safety extremely seriously. Most of it is pure adrenaline for all; even four-year-old kids can do it, and they seem to love it.
Phuket Wake Park
Phuket Wake Park is a long-time established cable ski with a 0-shaped counter-clockwise wakeboard park. It’s popular and easy to reach and features a few obstacles to play with and test your skills. Great for beginners and very advanced enthusiasts, even for kids.
Beauty & Co. Nail and Spa
Beauty & Co. Nail and Spa is a haven of indulgence, offering premium beauty services in the vibrant paradise of Phuket. With two strategically located outlets—one nestled within the tranquil surroundings of Kathu Phuket Country Club and the other on the second floor of Robinson Chalong—Beauty & Co. stands out as a top-notch destination for those seeking nail services, luxurious hair treatments, and meticulous lash and brow services, and wax services.
Wat Kathu
Kathu temple is a beautiful park on the edge of the village. It was recently renovated and is an excellent photo opportunity if you are in the area. It’s so photogenic that many Chinese and Korean photographers use it for their pre-wedding shootings (yes, they are everywhere anyway)
Kathu Market
This fresh market is at the Kathu intersection near Caltex gas station before climbing the hill to Patong Beach. Visitors would easily miss the market if not for the massive amount of motorbikes parked in front of it, but it is pretty large and bustling inside. It’s a little dark and messy but a chance to see the ingredients used to prepare the Thai food you like so much. Lots of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs you have never seen before. Contrary to other fresh markets, it is still busy in the afternoon.
Phuket Mining Museum
The Phuket Mining Museum is an immense building hidden behind Kathu’s hills. Why they invested so much in such a remote location has always been a mystery. As a result, the museum is rarely visited and feels a little lonely.
Kathu Museum
This tiny museum is a beautifully renovated Sino-Portuguese style house very close to Kathu village. It used to be a beer company warehouse and office. Its purpose seems to change occasionally.
Kathu Chinese Shrine
Kathu Shrine is one of the oldest Chinese shrines in Phuket, and it’s believed by many to be the birthplace of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival nearly two centuries ago.
White Sitting Buddha
This new sitting Buddha is hidden in the jungle behind the Flying Hanuman Zipline, on the way to Kathu Waterfall. It may not be worth travelling up there, but finding it was a pleasant discovery.
Golf Courses in Kathu
There are three 18-hole golf courses in Kathu: Loch Palm Golf, Red Mountain and Phuket Country Club. As you can see, we are not very knowledgeable in the game of golf, but there is plenty of information about those golf courses.
WHERE TO STAY IN KATHU?
3-star hotel - Score: 8.4 Distance from beach: 5 km | 3-star hotel - Score: 9.0 Distance from beach: 3.4 km | 3-star hotel - Score: 8.4 Distance from beach: 4.2 km |
Map of Kathu
More about Kathu
FAQs about Kathu
✳️ What is there to see and do in Kathu?
a. There is a surprising amount of places to visit in Kathu:
Kathu Waterfalls
Kathu Night Market
Phuket Mining Museum
Wat Kathu
White Sitting Buddha
Kathu Chinese Shrine✳️ What are the activities in Kathu?
a. if you prefer active holidays, here are some places to have a great time:
Flying Hanuman Zipline
Phuket Wake Park
KC Kathu Connection Slip’n’Fly
Go-Kart✳️ Where to Eat in Kathu?
a. Kathu has some great restaurants, both local and international:
Krua Jongjit Restaurant
Thong Dee Brasserie
Big Chicken Restaurant (Tung Thong)
Royale Nam Tok Restaurant
Nai Dam Restaurant
Krua Pailin Restaurant✳️ How far is Kathu From Phuket Airport and Phuket Town?
a. Kathu is 10 km from Phuket City, 33 km from Phuket International Airport and 6 km from Patong Beach