Nai Harn Beach in Phuket ⛱️ What to Do in Nai Harn? by PHUKET 101

Nai Harn Beach, Phuket

Nai Harn beach is a superb green bay with powdery and smooth white sand tucked between green hills and a couple of tiny islands in the very south of Phuket. More laid back than west coast tourist spots, Nai Harn has enough restaurants, hotels and shops for a great day and has remained relatively untouched. The protected bay offers great anchorage for sailing boats and luxury yachts and has always been very popular among expats and locals.

Nai Harn Beach Video 2021

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The beach is vast, with clear blue water during the high season and not too busy during the high season (December to May). However, it can get a bit crowded during the peak months of December and January. The land in front of the beach itself is protected by law, and thankfully nothing can be built on it, and very tall casuarina trees cover it.

If you get hungry, there is a line of small restaurants just across the small street beyond this land. It’s not further than a hundred metres. At the south end of the beach, a small stream of water coming from the lake across the road crosses the beach, and you will have to get your feet wet to go to the other side.

What to Do in Nai Harn Beach

Despite the remote location, there are a lot of things to do around Nai Harn. In addition to the beach itself, visitors can explore several viewpoints, many local Thai and seafood restaurants and even a beautiful Thai temple.

Beach Massage

Having a massage on the beach for 300 baht for an hour is the best way to treat yourself when you start to get tired of doing nothing. If you prefer a peaceful and quiet massage, there are real shops some near the restaurants. Don’t worry about finding one; they will find you, usually greeting you with the now-iconic “Hello, you want massaaaaage?”

Nai Harn Lake and Wat Nai Harn

Wat Nai Harn was once a small and unknown temple surrounded by walls between the beach and the lake. After adding a brand new building, it expanded to become a landmark. The lake behind the beach, once natural, is now a large concrete pond where you can rent some paddle boats, fun for the kids.

Nearby Beaches

While Nai Harn itself is undoubtedly the nicest beach in the south of Phuket, there are several lovely coves and beaches at a short distance.

Ao Sane Beach

Ao Sane is a tiny sandy cove hiding somewhere in the back of Nai Harn, where visitors with finding a very relaxing Thai restaurant by the beach, a small hotel and even a handful of cheap beach bungalows. To reach this beautiful hidden beach, you will need to drive through the Nai Harn Resort.

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Ya Nui Beach

The small but much loved Ya Nui Beach is on the main road between Nai Harn and Promthep Cape. Visitors can rent kayaks and standup paddleboards, then enjoy a nice lunch at one of the lovely Thai restaurants across the street.

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Rawai Beach

Rawai beach, about 4 kilometres south of Nai Harn, is not a swimming beach but is great for fresh seafood by the ocean. It is also where you can hire a longtail boat or a speedboat to reach the nearby islands of Koh Bon or Coral Island.

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The viewpoints around Nai Harn

There are three amazing viewpoints near Nai Harn. Two offer excellent bird views of Nai Harn Beach, and one is a famous sunset spot for shoot panoramic sunset photos.

Windmill Viewpoint

The windmill viewpoint is 2.8 kilometres south of Nai Harn and would take about 30 minutes to reach by walk, but it is not physically challenging to reach. It offers a superb panoramic view of the beautiful Ya Nui Beach and Promthep Cape in the far. If you look to the right, you can see part of Nai Harn Beach and The Nai Harn Resort on the hillside. If you know where to look, you can even spot Ao Sane Beach.

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Black Rock Viewpoint

If you are ready for a bit of exploration and are not afraid of climbing a steep hill, try the Black Rock Viewpoint. The view on Nai Harn is definitely worth the effort, but ironically, for this one, you must drive back to the Karon viewpoint to find the entrance road. That one requires a bit of dedication, but the view is truly rewarding.

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Promthep Cape

Promthep Cape is 3.5 kilometres south of Nai Harn Beach. You could walk to this iconic landmark, but it would take you about 45 minutes, including some incline. The cape is famous for sunsets, but keep in mind that the place can get quite busy as people come by car and even by buses, sometimes around 5 or 6 pm to take a sunset photo.

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Where to Eat in Nai Harn

Your only problem will be to decide which restaurant you’ll pick for lunch. There are a few local shops to choose from, all nicely set in the shade of the huge trees near the beach. They all look the same and serve more or less the same classic Thai dishes at a reasonable price. Just browse the illustrated menu placed in front of the restaurant and follow your instinct and appetite! It’s fun and very relaxing. There are also a few restaurants along the road between Nai Harn and Ao Sane beach. Among them, Rock Salt from The Nai Harn Resort is the most attractive.

The road leading to Nai Harn beach has plenty of excellent restaurants such as Maggie & Mario’s Pizza, De Renata and Rum Jungle Cafe. You can also drive further south to Bukito by Promthep Cape Restaurant for a seafood dinner with a sunset view.

Rock Salt

For something more sophisticated, walk to the beautiful Rock Salt restaurant at The Nai Harn Resort, just at the end of the beach. It’s a lovely place for lunch with a view. For dinner, don’t miss their rooftop bar!

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Sea Oak Cafe

Sea Oak is a delightful little restaurant serving a surprisingly vast choice of healthy food near the beach in the shade of immense trees.

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The rooftop restaurant at The Nai Harn

The rooftop of the Nai Harn is immense and breezy, superbly designed and offers incredible views on the bay and island nearby. This rooftop is a place for an unforgettable sunset with a cocktail!

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Ao Sane Restaurant

Enjoy local food in this very modest restaurant on Ao Sane, a tiny beach hiding a couple of kilometres behind The Nai Harn. The setting with wooden tables facing the blue water of the Nai Harn bay is simply breathtaking. The menu is vast and very affordable.

Bukito by Promthep Cape Restaurant

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Aek Rawai Seafood

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Rawai Seafood Market

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Rawai View Cafe

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Shopping

Along the road, few tiny shops sell the usual batiks, beach necessities and stuff, but the best are the many fruit vendors along the street selling beautiful tropical fruits. Have you ever tried Dragon fruits or Star fruits or freshly peeled ripe mangoes harvested the same day?

Of course, there is a mini-mart (or two) and the unavoidable tailors.

As you walk under the tree along the beach, you will find a few more shops selling everything you need for the beach, mostly buoys, beach mattresses, swimsuits, lots of kids stuff to build castles, beach games and snorkelling gears.

Where to Stay in Nai Harn

Only a few hotels are near Nai Harn Beach: the All Seasons Nai Harn, the superb The Nai Harn, formerly ‘Le Meridien’ and the newly opened Chinoiserie Collection Resort & Spa.

The Nai Harn

The Nai Harn is a unique hotel in a unique location; all rooms have fantastic sea views with very long (but narrow) balconies. The restaurants used to be famous; people were driving long distances to try them. Travellers have changed, hotel designs have changed, but this hotel has not; it is still a great hotel and an excellent place to have a drink while enjoying a sunset on the southern end of Phuket.

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