Bang Tao Beach (Phuket), the reviews of which we will consider in this article, is one of the longest on the island. It opens onto a large open bay. The beach and the resort of the same name are located in the northwest of the island. Among tourists, it is customary to call it “Lagoon”. Its main bonus is that mainly eminent and wealthy people come here. No wonder this beach has earned the glory of luxury. And the prices here are higher than the average for the island. Nevertheless, tours to Phuket from Moscow more and more often in their program offer holidays in Bang Tao Beach. Why are tourists coming here? Let's figure it out.
Where is the infrastructure
How much does it take to get from Bang Tao Beach (Phuket) from the airport? Reviews say that the transfer takes no more than forty minutes. If you travel on your own, a taxi will take you here for six hundred to seven hundred butts in half an hour. You can also get to Bang Tao and by minibus. It will cost two hundred but, but it will take more time to travel - about an hour. The closest town to the resort village in Phuket is Surin. Quite often, both of these resorts are simply called by the locals “northern beaches”. Both of them are considered part of the same expensive and respectable recreation area. Sometimes people travel specifically to Thailand (Phuket) for the sake of this beach. The weather here is almost always stable, and even the rainy season is not felt too much. It’s about fifteen kilometers from Patong. The beach is not very built up, it is rather sparsely populated. Here you will not see a huge number of shops, as in other places in Phuket. True, all this is in the village, which is located opposite the southern part of the beach. And in the center of the island is an interesting lagoon. This is actually a chain of lakes that are connected to the bay by a narrow channel. The most expensive resorts are located here.
When is the best time to go?
Despite the fact that Phuket is not such a big island, depending on the location of the coast, the climate in each area may be different. Everything can change, you settle in the south or in the north, as well as from the rugged terrain. The same applies to Bang Tao Beach (Thailand, Phuket). The weather at this resort is pretty even. There are practically no waves and storms. Even in low season, when it rains, in the morning the bay is usually very calm. But it is best to come here from late autumn to mid spring (approximately until the month of May). At this time, the resort is experiencing a high season and prices, accordingly, take off. But here tourists come with children - because the sea is shallow, the entrance is gentle, sandy, and the water is very clear. And in the low season, surfers begin to arrive here. Big waves begin, for which they visit these places. Bang Tao Beach in November is a transitional stage between high and low season. During this period, the waves subside, a calm sunny period is established, but prices have not yet taken off, as happens in winter and early spring.
Where to swim
Bang Tao Beach (Phuket) beach itself is called one of the best on the island and is quite suitable for taking sea baths and sunbathing. In the north of the coast there is even your own coral reef, where you can snorkel. Each hotel in this resort “staked out” its own plot, where guests are provided with all amenities, including umbrellas, sunbeds and deck chairs. And many hotels offer tourists their boats and yachts as a bonus so that they can ride along the bay. The beach has "wild" sites, without equipment. But anyone can stay there. The most comfortable and luxurious beach at the Laguna complex. It is so good that vacationers spend most of their time on this shore and do not want to go anywhere. And tourists, as a rule, come to see the southern part of the beach. There are many cafes and restaurants, and at the same time it’s quiet, calm, and the surrounding atmosphere offers complete relaxation. There are water activities here, although they need to be specifically sought. For example, water skiing. You can go windsurfing at an hourly rate. And near the "Lagoon" there is an equestrian club. But this beach on the island of Phuket is also known for its amazing sand. There are several species here. It is very beautiful here, and for lovers of swimming this is probably the best place in all of Thailand. And since it is a bay, there are practically no waves, which is very convenient for children.
Where to live: Laguna complex
Now consider where tourists are accommodated in a resort such as Phuket (Bang Tao Beach). The hotels here are mostly chic, five-star. They are equipped with excellent restaurants where you can taste the freshest seafood and cuisine from anywhere in the world. Most hotel complexes have spa salons with different types of massage and beauty treatments. The service is top notch and the staff is only well trained. Many tourists prefer the most famous hotel complex in these places. It is called the Lagoon. It was from him that the name of the resort, colloquial among the "farangs" (white-skinned tourists), came. This is a real city for recreation with a very large territory, developed infrastructure and its own golf courses. It consists of seven top class hotels. And located in the center. In the south of this complex, almost the entire coast is built up with various hotels and bungalows near the water's edge.
Other hotels
In total there are about seventy different places where tourists are accommodated. The most popular hotels in these places are “Casuarina Schores Apartment”, “Phuket Marbella”, “Villa Dolce Vita”, “Beachfront” and “Ocean Breeze”. Rental cottages are also in demand. The lowest housing price in this area is from one and a half thousand butts per day. And the average range of room rates is from one hundred to three hundred dollars per night. But a little further from the sea, almost in the town of the same name, there are budget guesthouses for backpackers.
Where to eat
If you come to rest in Phuket (Bang Tao Beach), you need to have restaurants at hand. In hotels, as a rule, eating is expensive, so you should heed the recommendations of experienced travelers. One of the best restaurants in the resort - “Layan” - is located in the north of the beach. But all cafes and other eating establishments on this beach have an interesting feature. They are built of bamboo, and instead of the roof they have palm leaves. Good seafood at affordable prices is usually ordered at the Lotus restaurant, not far from Laguna.
How to get around
Of course, this is an expensive pleasure - a vacation in Bang Tao Beach (Phuket). The reviews, however, assure that there is some compensation for the fact that you will pay a round sum for accommodation, meals and purchases in local stores. This is completely free transport within the resort. Shuttles go between all the beach hotels, and ferries that carry tourists and do not charge for it go along the bay. But if you want to leave the resort, you will have to travel exclusively by taxi. Transport in Phuket is generally expensive, but in Bang Tao this is especially noticeable. You will have to pay at least eight hundred butts for a one-way trip to Patong or to the island's capital. But in the village of Surin and the beach of the same name, you can walk along the coast. The road will take no more than a quarter of an hour. To leave for the airport, you need to order transport at least one day in advance. This can be done either at a taxi stop, or at various travel agencies, of which there are a great many.
What is where
The most "civilized" part of the beach is the south. Most tourists from other places come here just for an excursion. Moreover, getting here by car is not difficult. Therefore, the local coastal area is not much different from the same Patong or Karon. Sun loungers, restaurants, bamboo cafes under palm leaves - all this you will find in the south of Bangtao. Relatively cheap bungalows are located here. But the center of the resort is visited mainly by respectable rich beach people, vacationing in expensive hotels. This does not mean that strangers are not allowed here, but you have to walk to look at these places. The canal connecting the lagoon to the bay can simply be ford. The northern region is practically deserted. You can get here on foot along the beach or on very complicated roads, bypassing by car. But if you want to try a real nightlife, then Bang Tao Beach (Phuket) is too decent a place. But it does not matter. Taxi drivers are on duty around the clock. Agree with any of them - and in twenty minutes you are already in Patong.
What to see in the surroundings
Vacationers on the beach of Bang Tao Beach (Phuket) reviews are advised, of course, to visit the unprecedented beauty of the lagoon. And in the very north of the resort is the resort of Surin, which is only one and a half kilometers away. This beach is small but extremely stylish. There are boutique resorts there. Some of them are built in the concept of "ethno", but there are also completely modernist hotels. Here you will see the most expensive hotel in Phuket. It is called Amanpuri. It is preferred by the wealthy, diplomats and politicians, as well as persons of royal blood. Therefore, Surin is somewhat reminiscent of expensive exclusive clubs. Live music sounds here, orchestras play, DJs “rock”. And if you are a lover of secluded beaches and rent a scooter or car, you can get to the completely secluded Banana Beach. This small two hundred meter beach is suitable for lovers of a romantic getaway. Next to it is another “wild” coast - Nai Ton. This beach is three kilometers in size, there is beautiful golden sand and there is absolutely no civilization.
Growing popularity
Many companies that organize trips to Thailand recently started selling package tours to Phuket from Moscow, which includes holidays in three to four-star Bang Tao Beach hotels. A week of such a trip costs an average of one hundred thousand rubles without food and two hundred with “all inclusive” (yes, yes, although this is strange for Thailand, such a system is also practiced in this resort). And the cheapest trips start in the month of April. At this time, from the capital, you can fly to this Phuket resort for eighty thousand for nine days. True, in this case you will have to eat on your own. It takes about nine hours to fly from Moscow to Phuket.
Reviews about Phuket (Bang Tao Beach, Laguna)
Tourists who have been here write that this area is simply not like any other in Phuket. This is practically the only beach on the island where there is no highway between the hotels and the sea. There are absolutely wild places where you will not meet a single person for hundreds of meters. And hotels of any price category are literally on the first line. True, it is removed from all other tourist places, and you will have to travel by taxi to other attractions in Phuket . There is not a single large shopping center, but at the same time you can buy everything you need in the town of the same name, where there is even a Tesco Lotus hypermarket. The beach is very popular with tourists from Russia. They willingly visit him. Therefore, many inscriptions are duplicated in Russian.