Nai yang beach, Phuket
Tucked away on the northwest shore of Phuket is one of the quietest beaches on the island - Nai Yang beach. It’s conveniently the closest beach to the airport and has only a handful of mid-market resorts, making Nai Yang beach a peaceful escape from the busy tourist centres further south. The beach area is still lovely and it’s one of the cheaper areas on the island.
Nai Yang beach has lovely white sand like the rest of Phuket and fairly good swimming, though it doesn’t boast crystal clear waters. Nai Yang Beach’s main feature is that it remains largely undeveloped with a single cul-de-sac road entering from the north and only four discreet resorts which are within spitting distance of the sea. Between them is a quiet road, a row of trees and ramshackle collections of restaurant shacks, tour operators and bars.
On Nai Yang beach you can enjoy a quiet breakfast on the beach without the hustle and bustle that the larger resorts bring to the more popular beaches. However, it’s certainly a low-key place and after dark is completely without atmosphere. For any partying, you’ll have to catch a taxi south which could take 40 minutes or more.
None-the-less, Nai Yang Beach has a long strip of sand extending north and south which is unspoilt, undeveloped and perfect for a stroll or private time on your own or with your partner. Seldom will you find the beach loungers full, there are no noisy jetskis and longtail boats and you needn’t crack out your credit card for a decent seafood lunch, which is all part of the appeal of Nai Yang.
Although Nai Yang beach is close to the airport (you can periodically see the low flying planes coming into land, north of the beach), the noise is seldom noticed. For visitors to Phuket who are concerned with the inflated prices in the popular areas, Nai Yang beach is a perfect solution. Don’t expect girlie bars and loads of shopping, and you’ll need to rent a motorbike and drive quite a bit to get to the main attractions and beaches of the island, but Nai Yang is still a pleasant beach to return to.
On Nai Yang beach you’ll find a tour operator and travel agent, dive shop, car hire, restaurants that are open fairly late, a supermarket and small vendors, an internet café and several comfortable bungalows that are very close to the beach but cost less than 1000 baht each in season. A more upmarket, private resort has just been constructed at the southern end of the bay.
