What to Do in Nai Harn?
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Nai Harn is a superb beach with smooth white sand, tucked between green hills and tiny islands in the 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 popular among expats and locals.
The beach is vast with clear blue water during the high season and is not too busy during high season (December to May). It can get a bit crowded during the peak months of December and January. The southern part of the Nai Harn beach is crossed by a small stream coming from the lake nearby, so and you will have to get your feet wet to go to the other side.
Where to Eat
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 actually 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.
For something more sophisticated, walk to the beautiful Rock Salt restaurant at The Nai Harn Resort, just at the end on the beach. It’s a lovely place for a lunch with a view. For dinner, don’t miss their rooftop bar!
Shopping
Along the road, few tiny shops sell the usual batiks, beach toys 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. Did I mention the few 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 usual “Hello, you want massaaaaage?”
Between the beach and the lake, Wat Nai Harn was once a small and unknown temple surrounded by walls. 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.
Where to Stay in Nai Harn
Only a few hotels are really near Nai Harn Beach: the ‘All Seasons’ and the superb ‘The Nai Harn‘, formerly ‘Le Meridien’. It 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.
What to Do in Nai Harn Beach
Despite the remote location, there are a lot of interesting things to do around Nai Harn. There are two ways to get excellent bird views of Nai Harn Beach. The easy way is to go to the Windmill viewpoint next to Ya Nui Beach.
If you are ready for a bit of exploration and climbing, try the Black Rock Viewpoint, but for this one, you would have to drive back to the Karon viewpoint to find the entrance road. That one requires a bit of dedication.
Near Nai Harn, there are two other small but enjoyable beaches. The east one is Ya Nui Beach as it’s on the main road. But to reach the beautiful hidden beach of Ao Sane, you will need to drive through the Nai Harn Resort.
- The mini fruit market
- Nai Harn Lake and the temple
- Promthep Cape
- Windmill Viewpoint
- Ao Sane Beach
- Ya Nui Beach
- Black Rock viewpoint
- Rawai Beach
Where to Eat around Nai Harn
The road leading to Nai Harn beach has plenty of excellent restaurants such as Maggie & Mario’s Pizza, De Renata and Rum Jungle Cafe, or continue south to Promthep Cape Restaurant and have a seafood dinner with a sunset view. The rooftop bar and restaurant at the Nai Harn resort is a must!
- The Nai Harn restaurants
- Ao Sane Restaurant
- Promthep Cape Restaurant
- Aek Rawai Seafood
- Rawai Seafood Market
- Rawai View Cafe
Photos of Nai Harn Beach
Nai Harn Beach Map
FAQs about Nai Harn Beach
a. The Nai Harn Phuket, with a vast rooftop and all sea-facing rooms, followed by Chinoiserie Collection Resort & Spa and The Gallery Hotel Nai Harn are among the best hotels in Nai Harn.
a. The hidden Ao Sane Beach, the Windmill Viewpoint and Promthep Cape Viewpoint are next to Nai Harn.
a. The best time to visit Nai Harn is between November and April which is the high season in Phuket.
a. Nai Harn is 49.2 km or 1-hour drive from Phuket International Airport and 17 km from Phuket Town.
a. Nai Harn is 680 metres long (2,200 ft).
What’s Nearby?
Ao Sane Beach near Nai Harn Beach
Windmill Viewpoint in Ya Nui Beach
Promthep Cape Sunset Viewpoint in south Phuket
