After spending a day in Kata Beach in Phuket during our Southeast Asia cruise, we just knew we had to return. Toward the end of our first week in Chiang Mai, the air quality started getting bad as burning (crops) season began early. So, where better to go than back to the beach? After searching for the cheapest day and destination to fly, we booked a flight to Phuket as well as another week in Chiang Mai.
Ian was starting to get nervous about how full his passport was getting. On the cruise, we got three stamps in and out of Thailand, two stamps in and out of Vietnam, and a whole page taken up by our Cambodia visa. So, if we were going to visit Phuket, now was the time, since we were already in Thailand and had two more weeks left on our visa.
The airfare to Phuket was reasonable, about $160 each including all fees. Can we find a reasonable Airbnb? Here is where we ran into a problem. January is high season in Phuket, and since it was only a week and a half before arrival, the only Airbnbs available were out of our price range. Looking on Booking.com, we found a hotel at a reasonable price that had rave reviews, so we went that route.
Transportation from Phuket Airport to Kata Beach
This part was a bit of a concern, as transportation from Patong Beach to Kata Beach the day we visited during the cruise was 500 baht ($16). And from the airport was three times the distance. A little research, and we found a public bus that goes from the airport and stops at all the beach towns. The pickup point is to the left as you exit Arrivals. As often is the case, using public transportation in a new location can lead to a bemusing experience. We told the attendant where we were going, and she pointed us to a bus.
As we were studying the route map, it looked like the next bus leaving to Kata Beach was the #3 bus. Naturally, we assumed that we were on it. But no, we were on the #1 bus which didn’t leave for a half hour after the #3 bus. Perhaps they run a different schedule on weekends, perhaps the route maps are wrong, perhaps who knows. We learned from six months in Latin American that when in the developing world just follow instructions, don’t question it and don’t try to figure it out. That last bit can be a sure path to frustration.
So, in the end we waited about 45 min for the bus to leave, and the bus took a little over and hour to reach Kata Beach. The cost was 340 baht ($11.27) for both of us. A much cheaper option than a taxi! However, when we were leaving, we had an early morning flight so we opted for the more expensive taxi back to the airport for 800 baht ($26).
Our Hotel in Phuket
The rave reviews on Booking.com about our hotel, OK Phuket, were not overblown. This hotel, which is also a hostel, blew us away in how friendly the host family was and how nice the room was for the price. Plus, it came with a bunch of extra perks! Our hosts provided beach chairs and umbrellas; coffee, tea, and filtered water in the common area; plus use of the rooftop pool club next door at the bartender school. All for $67 per night! When booking, we opted to have breakfast included for $3 per day per person, and we’re glad we did. Every morning, we walked next door to the restaurant attached to the bartender school and enjoyed eggs, bacon and/or ham, toast, fresh fruit, and coffee (or juice). This meal filled us up until dinner.
On the day we arrived, the owners’ son took us for a drive around the main part of Kata Beach, and we discovered that the town area is much bigger than we had realized on our first visit. The son dropped us off at one of his favorite local family-owned seafood restaurants, which we enjoyed. He offered to pick us up after dinner, but we opted to walk back in order to explore and get some exercise.
A small issue was that the hotel preferred payment in cash; otherwise, there was an extra 3% surcharge which wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking. It took us a few days to be able to withdraw enough Thai baht from the ATMs to be able to pay for the room for six nights. We definitely recommend this hotel!
What We Did Each Day
Not a whole lot! After all, our time here was chill time. After breakfast, we walked about 15-20 minutes from our hotel to Kata Beach. (The shortcut along the canal could be a bit aromatic.) We plopped ourselves down and then alternated between sitting reading under the umbrella and spending 30 minutes at a time in the water. Did we mention that the water at this beach was perfect? Ideal water temperature, very little waves, and the water was so clear we could see our toes when in the water up to our necks!
Once a day (most days), we’d walk to the end of Kata Beach and back. Around 2:00 in the afternoon, we’d wander back to the hotel, stopping along the way for a mango smoothie. This one stand offered the option of adding milk and yogurt, perfect since we weren’t getting our yogurt fix at breakfast. We’d drop our beach chairs off at the hotel, head next door to the rooftop pool club, and have happy hour at their bar. At about 5-6 pm, we’d pack up, get showered and go find a restaurant for dinner.
We tried a couple of restaurants that were okay. One night we tried the main night market, a bit hot without much of a breeze.
But right next door to another night market was restaurant that was a real gem, P’Yai. We ended up dining there three out of our six nights.
We’d get three entrees, two meat or fish and one vegetable, (all of which were delicious!) a big beer, and a cocktail for 520 baht ($17).
Karon Beach
We couldn’t go a whole six days without having at least one excursion. Keeping with the theme, one day we spent an extra 20-30 minutes walking north to Karon Beach. Both Kata Beach and Karon Beach are in the town of Karon. Karon Beach, at 3 km (almost 2 mi) in length, is about three times as long of Kata Beach. We walked (strolled would be more accurate) the entire length, which took about two hours roundtrip.
The water is as clear as Kata, but we found the beach was much less crowded, maybe because of how big it is. The day we visited, the jellyfish also paid a visit, so we had to be careful whenever we went in the water. The water was so clear and calm that we had no problem avoiding them, but it was a bit of concern.
After we got back to the room, we tried but were unable to find out what type of jellyfish they were. We were, however, able to reassure ourselves that they were not box jellyfish, the ones that can be fatal. Box jellyfish can get swept in but usually only in the rainy season, and they are more prevalent in the Gulf of Thailand, on the east side of Thailand (e.g., Koh Samui) than they are in the Andaman Sea, on the west side.
Phuket Wrap-up
After six days of lazing around, it was time for us to leave Thailand. Was it worth coming back to Kata Beach? A resounding yes! If there is any downside, it is that it was quite hot, much hotter than Isla Mujeres in Mexico at the same time of the year. But, if we can find a reasonable Airbnb near either Kata or Karon Beach by booking further ahead, or possibly visit a little out of season, we will be back. Kata Beach and Karon Beach on Phuket are two of our new favorite beaches in the world!
Next Up: More beach time in Langkawi, Malaysia
Ian and Ann