Phuket Island Thailand-Kata Beach nightlife, restaurants, hotels, shopping

Kata Beach nightlife, restaurants, hotels, shopping

Kata Beach has been spared development thanks in large part to Club Med taking up the length of the beach just across the small frontage road that goes along the beach front. If Club Med were not here, there would be either ugly concrete shophouses, or a lot of smaller hotels. As it is now, there is a nice green open feeling.
The waves during low season at Kata Beach now attract upwards of 100 surfers when there are good conditions. This is by far the most popular beach for surfing that Phuket has. Another great feature of this beach is that there are two nice coral reefs where you can snorkel. This is one big reef on the north part of the beach right were all the long tail boats can be seen. Down at the Southern end there is a nice reef in front of the Reggae Bar which is situated a few hundred metres down from the Kata Beach resort. The sand here is whiter than at Karon and also finer. In front of the Club Med resort there is a big massage stand where there can be up to 20 masseuses on stand by to give a massage.

Places to stay in Kata- The majority of accommodation in Kata beach can be found in the area close to Club Med. There are numerous guesthouses behind Club Med. Two of the nicer and more expensive hotels which are directly on the beach include the Kata Beach Resort, and the Boathouse.

Places to eat in Kata. By far the most famous restaurant in Kata is the renowned Boathouse. This past low season the Boathouse was closed for renovations, and is now ready to reopen just in time for high season. The Boathouse is not cheap, but they do have the most extensive wine list on the island. The location and setting couldn’t be any better being right on the sand at the Southern end of the beach. At the other end of the spectrum, there are plenty of food carts in the car park next to the Kata Beach Hotel. Kata Centre features a variety of restaurants, while all the new streets built behind Club Med have a wide variety of foods and prices ranges. Kata beach seems to have a lot of Scandinavian restaurants, many more so than other areas of Phuket.

The Kata Beach area has really been built up in the last 5-10 years. Before there was just one central location, Kata Centre but now with more and more arrivals annually Kata Beach has grown in all directions with no planning that we can see.

Places to shop in Kata- As mentioned before, Kata Centre was and is full of various shops selling both real branded goods, along with plenty of shops selling copy souvenirs. A new shopping centre just opened up where Kata Centre meets at a 3 way intersection. There are also a number of shops just around the area in front of Kata Beach Resort.

Kata nightlife-Kata has a vibrant nightlife with a number of bars close to Kata Center in a new Nightlife Entertainment Centre. This is a multi storied structure. There are also a lot of bars behind Club Med on the main road. Many the guesthouses behind Club Med have some sort of restaurant and bar area, with occasional live music.

Mai Khao- Stunning km long beach

Nai Yang- By the airport

Nai Thon- Lots of private villas

Layan- Upscale in the North of Phuket

Laguna/Bangtao- Huge Phuket resort

Surin- Nice beach, dangerous in low season

Laem Singh- Small stunning beach

Kamala- Relatively quiet,Muslim community

Nakalay- Rocky small beach

Kalim- Next to Patong, good surfing beach during high tide

Patong- Dirty water, great nightlife

Paradise Beach/Tri Trang-Hidden gem of a beach, close to Patong

Relax Bay/Le Meredien-Beautiful bay in front of Le Meredien

Karon- Squeaky clean beach

Kata Noi-Kata Thani dominates this beach

Nui- Do't go here, locals charge you for access

Nai Harn- Great beach, lots of yachts in high season

Ya Nui- Super small, good snorkeling

Rawai- Not a nice beach, but lots of good seafood restaurants

Chalong- On the bay, don't swim here, but great food and vistas!

Cape Panwa- Isolated and quiet

Phuket Town- Terrible beach, but popular with locals at Sapan Hin

Ao Por/Cape Yamu- Best left unless you have a yacht at the marina