On the largest island of Thailand - Phuket - there are many beautiful beaches. But three are considered the most popular: Patong, Karon, and Kata. All of them stretched along the west coast. The first beach, Patong, is popular with party people. The number of entertainment venues on the 6-kilometer strip of sand is just off scale. As a result, Patong's longest beach cannot be called clean. "Kata" is preferred by those who seek solitude and quiet relaxation.
In this article we will talk about the second largest beach in Phuket - Karon. Photos, reviews and tourist tips will be given below. Let's see what “Karon” is called “Singing Sand”? Can I stay there in a front-line hotel?
Where is the beach located and what is it
A huge strip of light yellow, almost white sand (at low tide, its width reaches 70 m) stretched for as much as five kilometers. In reviews of Karon Beach (Thailand, Phuket), tourists often mention that it is located south of Patong, but north of Kata. It is 45 kilometers from the international airport. And from the main city of the island, Phuket Town, the beach is 20 km away.
The coast itself is conditionally divided into two parts. In the north is Karon Noi Beach, that is, Small Karon. But its entire territory is occupied by the hotel of the first strip of Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort. Going to the beach is unlikely to succeed, despite the fact that Thailand has a law declaring access to all coasts free. But if you swim to it and settle on a towel, no one will tell you anything.
Big and Small "Karon" is separated only by a small cape. This last part of the beach stretches for three and a half kilometers and smoothly passes into Kathu. The conditional border in the south is the richest coral reef in the sea and a low hill on the coast, at the foot of which there is a night bazaar.
Who is Karon Beach for?
Karon Noi Beach is fully reserved for guests at Le Meridien Hotel. It remains to find out the target audience of Karon Beach. In the reviews, tourists report that this coast is a middle ground between too noisy and amused Patong and the quietest Kata. Moreover, the number of entertainment establishments and vacationers decreases from north to south.
The border area with Kata was chosen by divers and snorkelers because of the rich coral reef. Families with children stay in the central part of Karon, and party-goers who like to combine sunbathing with water activities and coastal cafes in the north. The huge advantage of Karon is not only its length, but also its width. At 50-70 meters everyone will find a place for themselves in the sun. But the most significant feature, if not unique to the beach, is the “singing sand”. Due to the high content of quartz, it creaks underfoot, like snow in frost.
Water features
Karon Beach, unlike Kata, does not protect coastal islands. Also, its line is not at all cut by capes and bays. Even in the hot high season, a small westerly wind blows from the sea, but there are no crowds of vacationers - tourists say in reviews of Karon Beach (Phuket). Photos confirm their words. An almost flat coastline can cause swimming problems. From time to time, ebb flows occur. Rescuers mark dangerous places for swimming with a red flag. But the ebbs on the "Karon" are minimal.
Sunset at sea is quite smooth. This fact makes the beach suitable for bathing young children, although there is more shallow water on Kata Beach. But swimmers do not have to climb a hundred meters until the water level reaches the belt. Depth occurs within 10-15 meters from the coast. And, of course, one cannot fail to note the most beautiful coral reef in the southern part of Karon. The beach cover there is also sandy. But you should go into the water carefully, and preferably in special shoes, since the bottom is replete with fragments of coral and, in the evening, also sea urchins.
Recreation infrastructure on the beach "Karon"
In the reviews, tourists say that a road separates the coastline from cafes and hotels of the so-called first line. Traffic on it is busy, so a special employee works in the hotels, regulating the passage of vehicles and passing pedestrians. But the road does not interfere with rest. It runs 50 meters from the beach, and is separated from it by green spaces of palm trees and casuarines. But the natural shade, tourists warn, is less on Karon than on Katya. But there is an opportunity to sit on green lawns.
The purity of the singing sand is monitored by numerous attendants. From dawn to dusk, rescuers are on duty and there is a first-aid post (in the central part). There are on the "Karon" and sunbeds with umbrellas. It is such a pleasure 200 butts (400 rubles) per day. But this is the price for the whole set (2 sunbeds and 1 umbrella). But with the toilets and showers on Karon Beach (the reviews in this paragraph are unanimous), not everything is as rosy as we would like. In the central part you have to go across the road to a bar or cafe. There are free toilets and showers in the southern part of Karon, near the stadium and police station, and in the north by the lake.
When to go to Phuket
Thailand has a high season from December to April, and there are a lot of tourists on the beaches. At that time, on Karon, it was also crowded, although not in the same way as on Patong. But it was in the heat that this beach earned many praises. As tourists say in reviews, Karon Beach is surrounded by a light westerly breeze, due to which the equatorial heat is easily tolerated. But in other periods, a flat and open coast becomes not just uncomfortable, but even dangerous.
During the transitional seasons (November, May), people bathe on other beaches of Phuket, including neighboring Kat and Patong, and red flags hang on Karon. Do not ignore these warning signs, tourists say. High waves are not as scary as the insidious ebb currents. In the low season, it is better to find a beach on the eastern tip of the island. But even then there are days when there are no waves, and the water becomes transparent. Then rescuers hang out green, but more often yellow flags. At this time, flocks of flying fish can be seen in the sea.
Karon Beach Hotels (Phuket): Travel Reviews
“Le Meridien Beach Resort” is not the only luxury “five” in these places. But the problem of living on Karon is that there are few hotels that are really on the first line. So “own beach”, declared on the hotel’s website, means a piece of the coast reserved for the guests across the road. To more fully reveal the theme of hotels on the Karon, let's review them from north to south.
Quite close to Patong is the “Centara Grand Beach Resort”, positioning itself as a place of family relaxation. Next to this "five" there is a budget guesthouse for backers "In On The Beach". In general, as you can understand from the reviews, on the Karon beach the hotels are located differently. And the first line is by no means occupied by five-star hotels, as on other coasts.
In the central part of the beach, all hotels are located across the road. Therefore, tourists in reviews advise when choosing a hotel to focus not on location, but on services. The promenade is quite noisy, as bars, retail shops and massage parlors are concentrated there. Choose hotels located in the quiet streets between Patak and Karon Road.
Hotels of the central and southern parts of Karon
Not far from the lake there is a huge complex "Movenpic Resort and Spa". Also, a large territory in the center is occupied by the "Hilton Phuket Arcadia". These fives are surrounded by cheaper, but no less worthy hotels, such as The Old Phuket, Karon Princesses, Baumankaza Beach, Grand Sunset and Woraburi Resort. Do you really want to live really on the front page of Karon Beach? In the reviews, tourists recommend paying attention to its southern part. Here are located immersed in greenery "Marina Phuket."
It has direct access to the sea and the adult-only Biyand Karon hotel. Tourists also praise hotels in this part of the beach: Karona Resort & Spa, Arizona Beach Resort, Andaman Sea View, Phuket Island View, Tavorn Palm Beach, Orchid and Baan. The advantage of living in the south of Karon is that in 10 minutes you can walk along the edge of the sea to Kata, where the sand does not creak, but there are fewer people.
Hotels away from the sea
“Le Meridien”, “Hilton”, “Movenpique” and other “fives” set the tone for “Karon”. Prices here are much higher than in Patong. Guesthouses should be booked six months in advance and during the low season they are also full. The fact is that the open beach, on which serious waves walk in the summer, is popular with surfers. Therefore, many vacationers rent motorbikes and look for housing a little distance from the Karon Beach (Phuket). Guest reviews contain useful information for other travelers that on a high cliff serving as a conditional border with Kata, there is a beautiful hotel with a gorgeous view of Secret Cliff Villa Phuket.
Inexpensive housing can be found on the lake in the northern part of the Karon. Here, tourists praise such hotels as the network "Best Western", "Novotel" and "Canalai Hillside." Near the local temple are Ramada Phuket, Karon Sands Resort, Waterfront Suites, Ruxxa Design Hotel, Sugar Marina Art, Karon Whale Resort, Bambu House and Rattana Hotel.
How to get to Karon
Many vacationers live in a budget and noisy Patong, and every morning they go to the clean Karon Beach. In the reviews of tourists it is often mentioned that from the main entertainment center on the island of Phuket it is only ten minutes drive. But taxi drivers and tuk-tuk drivers, knowing the popularity of the beach, break considerable prices - 300 baht (600 rubles) at least. An alternative to expensive transport are pickups, which are called “songteo” and minibus vans.
But nobody could find out the schedule of the latter, tourists complain. This type of transport can be caught by waving a hand. If you don’t know how to drive a bike (renting it will cost you 400 rubles per day, not including gasoline), hire a motor rickshaw. This type of transport is cheaper than tuk-tuk. In addition, motorbikes have a higher maneuverability, and you will leave Patong's traffic jams faster than a taxi. It is easy to get to Karon by your own or rented transport. You just need to move south. You can reach the beach in a quarter of an hour. There will be no problems with parking, - tourists assure.
Entertainment at Karon
As mentioned above, this coast is the "middle ground" between the too noisy Patong and the cozy, quiet Kata. All youth parties are concentrated in the northern part of Karon Beach. In reviews of Phuket, tourists mention that there is even their own Bangla Road, with bars, go-go shows and transvestite performances. Further south, the number of entertainment venues is declining sharply. They remain only on the waterfront.
The main entertainment in the south of Karon is a sunset and leisurely walks along the edge of the sea. You can spend family leisure time in Dino Park. It is decorated in the style of the cartoon about the Flintstones. Sculptures of dinosaurs are everywhere, and animators dressed in costumes of the main characters of the animated film “live” in stone caves. In Dino Park there is entertainment for adults - an 18-hole golf course.
Temple and Night Bazaar
Tourists in reviews of Karon Beach often contrast it with the village of the same name. It exists with its leisurely, so different life from the resort area. There are not so many attractions in Karon Village, but, nevertheless, they are. This lake, temple and Night Bazaar. You can join Thai spirituality at Wat Suwan Kiriket. This temple is quite old, it was built in 1895. To get inside, you need to be appropriately dressed - with your shoulders and knees covered. Before the eyes of visitors appear the administrative building of the Kuti Temple, the cells of the monks, the bell tower, two - black and gold - Buddha statues, a stupa and a wihan decorated with green snakes Nagami.
Wat Suwan Kiriket rises at the top of the hill. And at its foot, as soon as darkness descends, the “Night Baazar” opens. On this evening market you can not only buy cheap clothes and souvenirs, but also eat deliciously. In the northern part of Karon Beach there is a picturesque lake. Nobody bathes in it. In the mornings, Europeans and Thais are health-conscious, jogging there, and in the evenings, restaurants set candles on the lake.
Where to eat
If breakfast is not provided at your hotel, you can pay for the morning meal at the Subway diner. Toward lunchtime, the shovels go to the beach. These are women with a portable roasting pan who, when they cook, prepare the ordered dishes - kebabs of meat or seafood, baked corn, fruit and vegetable salads. According to tourists in the reviews, in Thailand (Karon Beach is no exception), the products at the tower are always fresh. This is the most affordable power option. Cafe across the road from the beach is many times more expensive.
In general, the prices of Karon, frankly, “bite”. What you buy here for 100 baht (200 rubles) costs 70 (140) in neighboring Patong. In the evening, you can dine in the evening market without any fear. Although the tables are set right on the side of the road and covered with oilcloth, the dishes serve fresh, tasty and inexpensive. There is also a cafe serving customers according to the principle of "Pay for entry and eat as much as you like." Look for such establishments in the area of ​​Orchid and Old Phuket hotels. For those to whom, in Thailand, serve cabbage soup and dumplings, the Veranda restaurant operates at Karon. A romantic evening with panoramic sea views and impeccable cuisine can be arranged at the On The Rock restaurant of the Marina Hotel.
Evening entertainment
If you believe the reviews, on the beach "Karon" (Phuket) there is an analogue of Bangla Road in Patong. This place is called "One Man Soy" ("One Man Alley"). But Thai young ladies who are not burdened with moral principles are found in any Karon drinking establishment. Although among them there are decent places for evening leisure. You can watch matches on the big screen in the Sports Bar, and listen to live music in Angus O'Tool's Pub. Well, if this doesn’t seem enough to you, a tuk-tuk or songteo will take you to Patong in 10-15 minutes, where there are much more nightly entertainments.