Rawai beach Phuket
Rawai Beach is at the southern tip of Phuket island and is favoured by tourists and locals looking for a quiet unhurried pace of life. More traditionally local than other hotspots to the north, Rawai Beach is known for great seafood dining on the seafront and as a departure point for speed boat daytrips to surrounding islands of Bon, Coral, Phi Phi and Racha islands. With a sweeping bay and lovely island views, Rawai beach is a scenic Phuket spot for picnicking but is not noted as a swimming beach.
Laem (or cape) Promthep, near Rawai Beach , is a great viewpoint at sunset on some days for spectacular evening scenery. It does, however, become crowded with tour buses in the busy season and is also full of locals selling souvenirs and refreshments to tourists.
A few minutes drive to the north from Rawai is Nai Harn bay with its beautiful white sand beach and rocky headlands - great for snorkelling in the summer months when seas are calm. During monsoon season (May to November) swimming is not safe if the red danger flags are on display but surfing is a popular sport with bigger wave conditions.
Nai Harn Beach – popular with European visitors - is less developed than other beaches on the west coast of Phuket due to the presence of a local Buddhist temple which claims most land behind the beachfront. A large lake behind the main beach also adds to the open, spacious feel of the area. Nai harn Beach is very popular with local expats and a good selection of international restaurants, pubs, bakeries, cafes and herbal saunas have opened to cater for western tastes. Restaurants range from Thai noodle shops to Mexican cantinas and steakhouses.
Accommodation in the Rawai - Nai Harn area ranges from simple beachfront wooden shacks at Ao Sane to middle-market family villas, waterfront seaview bungalows such as Wichit Resort or Friendship Beach Resort, three to four star resorts, the Phuket Yacht Club on Nai Harn Beach and even a six-star fantasy concept villa resort.
Transport in the Rawai - Nai Harn area is very sporadic. Local songtaew buses do pass throughout the day but in general it is advisable to hire a motorcycle or car if staying in the area. Vehicle hire is readily available at many tour or internet shops and ranges from Honda scooters to Harley Davidsons, jeeps to luxury sedans.
Rawai and Nai Harn can be reached from Chalong (south of Phuket City ) or from Kata on the west coast. A scenic winding road along this stretch of coastline - from Kata to Rawai - offers fantastic sea views and several viewpoints. Home to many artists and artisans, a number of quality art and craft galleries dot the landscape around Rawai and Nai harn area.
