Karon Beach Phuket

Karon beach is a long gently curving beach of small sparkling white sand dunes, crisp clean water and a few evergreen trees and stretch of powdery white sand just south of Patong. The beach is very long so it never feels overcrowded. Where is the second largest of Phuket's principal tourist beaches. Large resort complexes line the road back of the beach, but the strand itself, long and broad, has no development.

The sand is very white, and squeaks audibly when walked on. The southern point has a fine coral reef stretching toward Kata and Poo Island. Restaurants, bars, tour companies and other non-hotel businesses are at the north end, near the traffic circle, and at the south, on the little road connecting the back road with the beach road. The narrow road between Kata and Karon has a number of small businesses as well as the Dino Park Mini Golf facility.

As you circle the roundabout, you can go east through the village and you will be on the main highway running east and west across the island, or you can continue south along the road to Kata beach and the rest of the south coast beaches.

At 4km, Karon is one of Phuket's longest beaches. Although there are a few large resorts and hotels, they are spread out and the area feels very relaxed. As in Patong, the hotels are separated from the beach by a road. However, unlike Patong, the beach is always fairly quiet. The beach itself is quite exposed, with little or no natural shade. The sand is so fine and powdery that it squeaks when you walk on it.

The southern point has a coral reef that stretches towards Kata and Pu Island. There are not as many watersports activities on Karon beach as in Patong or Kata. During the rainy season Karon can be good for surfing but dangerous for swimming due to the large waves and strong rip currents.

The beach road in Karon is lined with some of Phuket's larger hotels. In the area around Karon circle and at the southern end of Karon are a number of guesthouses if you're on a budget.

In the past years, many resorts and large hotels opened almost everywhere, with unique views on the bay. Recently paved, the long beach front offers an excellent walk to choose among the many restaurants serving seafood. Among the most famous are the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort (very Large), the Karona Resort (more cozy), or the famous Marina Phuket, (Luxurious Bungalows with seaviews). Of courses there are dozens more hotels, if you wish to see them all, have a look at Karon Beach Hotels

Like the nightlife, Karon's restaurants are centred around the traffic circle, at the northern end, and also at the southern end of the beach before you get to Kata. There is a fair selection of Thai and international cuisine. For more lavish dining, most of the beach front hotels have lovely restaurants.

Karon's nightlife is laid back and friendly. Most of the bars are found in the area around Karon circle at the northern end and at the southern end around Luang Pho Chuang road. There are a fair amount of beer bars in Karon, but the scene is not as lively as Patong.

As you circle the roundabout, you can go east through the village and you will be on the main highway running east and west across the island, or you can continue south along the road to Kata beach and the rest of the south coast beaches.

Of course, shops, tailors and souvenirs florishe almost anywhere, convinience stores and bars. From the circle, the road going inland is now the "hot spot" of Karon beach with dozens of bars, some with girls, some other more trendy. Many restaurants are also open here, with a large choice of cuisines, including mexican and steak houses.

During the months of June through September, the strong south-west winds brings surf from the open sea. Karon Beach and Relax Bay Beach receive continuous big waves and experienced surfers head out to challenge them. The southern end of Karon Beach has the most surf activity and there are surf stations with boards for hire. One of the amusing thing in Karon is the noise of the sand when you walk on the beach. It's calling you to try.