Karon Beach
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Karon Beach (หาดกะรน Hat Karon) is on the west coast of Phuket, south of Patong and north of Kata.
[edit] Understand
Karon is the second largest of Phuket's tourist beaches, some 20 kilometres from town. Large resort complexes line the road behind of the shoreline, but the long, broad beach itself has no development. The sand is very white, and squeaks audibly when walked upon. The southern point has a fine coral reef stretching toward Kata and Bu Island.
Restaurants, bars, tour companies and other non-hotel businesses are at the north end, near the traffic circle, and at the south end, on the little road connecting the back road with the beach road. The narrow road between Kata and Karon has a number of small businesses as well as the Dino Park Mini Golf facility. Karon is arguably the most up-scale of Phuket's beaches. There is a regular daytime bus service to and from Phuket Town.
Karon Beach is approximately 3 km long. All areas are fully recovered from the tsunami which did very little damage in Karon Beach, with just a few vacant lots still awaiting redevelopment. Not many hotels have direct beach frontage - most are across the road (which is not a busy one). The southern part of Karon is known as Karon Noi (หาดกะรนน้อย Hat Karon Noi), a 4 kilometre long straight beach with fewer visitors than its big sister. Nightlife is pretty much confined to dining and a few beer bars.
[edit] Get in
If coming from Phuket Airport you can pick up a voucher from the airport transportation booth for a flat rate of 650 baht. The drive is just under an hour. Many hotels offers transport from airport to the hotel for 900 baht.
For those who are price conscious, the transportation booth inside the airport also sells seats on a minibus for 150 baht. The minibus makes several stops along the way to drop off other passengers.
[edit] Get around
Probably the cheapest and most convenient way to get around is to rent a motorbike for yourself which is suitable for one or two people. These can be rented at various shops around the island, with one located a few hundred meters to the east of the traffic circle on Patak Road (East). Typical rates run 150(non-automatic) to 200 Baht for automatic shift models. This would allow you to get around anywhere on the island for one flat rate for 24 hours. Be careful with this though as driving up and down the winding mountain roads is not necessarily for the first time driver.
Another option to get around is by tuk-tuk or taxi, which are mostly needed to go to other parts of the beach or nearby towns. To get to Phuket Town taxis are available and cost around 400 baht. There are also public buses(Songthaews) which leave from Karon to different places every hour for around 20 baht.
Karon Beach - Patong Beach will cost you around 200-250 baht per tuk-tuk ride. From Patong - Karon Beach should be cheaper as there are a lot more tuk-tuk trying to pick up passengers.
[edit][add listing] See
Unlike the bigger, busier, and noisier Patong Beach further north, Karon offers visitors a nice long quiet stretch of sand, with plenty of beach umbrellas available for rent. Facing west, it gives a beautiful view of the sunset.
[edit][add listing] Do
- Dinos Park Mini Golf (ไดโนปาร์คมินิกอล์ฟ) Dinos Park Mini Golf is located beside the Marina Phuket Resort, Hat Karon. This 18-hole mini-golf course in a primitive atmosphere uses the light and sound techniques to feature dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. It is open daily from 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. Admission is 120 Baht. Green fees are 240 Baht for adults and 180 Baht for children. Tel. 0 7633 0625, Fax: 0 7633 0516.
- There are some nice snorkeling and diving sites located off Karon beach. Always seek local information before diving and snorkeling in Phuket. There can be dangerous currents present at certain times of the year.
[edit][add listing] Buy
Bars, tailors and clothing markets are plentiful at Karon, either in the main part of town or along the beach front. There are also a number of supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies; there's not much you need to travel elsewhere for.
[edit][add listing] Eat
Karon has a variety of restaurants to choose from including a surprising number catering to Scandinavian tastes. Most restaurants are lined along the beach front road.
- Las Margaritas, At Karon at Karon Beach, [1]. edit
- Angus O'Tool's International Menu Open 9AM-Midnight, Karon Beach (Tel: 076 398 262) www.otools-phuket.com
- Karon Cafe Steak N Ribs, 526/17 Patak Road, Established in 1989, the oldest foreign owned restaurant in Karon Beach [2]
- Las Margaritas Mexican Tropical Cuisine, 528/7 Patak Road [3]
- "Jim's Dining Room" located at Pacific Club Resort 16 Patak Road Soi 24 [4]
- Harry's Restaurant & Pub, 15/5 Luangpohchuan Road (opposite Phuket Orchid Resort) +66 7639-8258 [5]
- Sawasdee Thai cuisine 38 Katekwan Rd, Karon Beach (Tel: 0 76330979) www.phuketsawasdee.com
[edit][add listing] Drink
- Angus O'Tool's Irish Pub, (opposite Centara Karon Resort), ☎ +66 (0)76 39 82 62, [6]. 09:00-Drunk. Restaurant open 09:00-Midnight, all day breakfasts. Pub has Live Music & Sports on two big screens, and families are welcome. Draught Guinness, Kilkenny, Magners & Heineken. Free Internet & Wifi. Also has air-con rooms from 600 baht. edit
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Budget
- Angus O'Tool's, [7] Clean , Cool, Comfortable & Secure, two minutes walk to Karon Beach, Free Tea, Coffee & Water. Hot & Cold Power Showers, DVD/CD/MP3 Player. Free Wi-Fi & Internet From 600 Baht/Room/Night.
- Karon Cafe' Inn, [8] Serving budget travelers since 1989, located only two minutes walk from Karon Beach in the center of Karon Village. Good clean fully equipped rooms at rock bottom prices. Fine budget accommodation only 2 minutes walk from Karon Beach
- Divers Inn, [9], is a friendly, cosy little hotel located centrally at Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand. The hotel is on a quiet street only a few minutes walking distance to the beach, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. You have the choice of sea view or mountain view. A find for Budget travellers.
- Jor Guest House (จอ เกสต์เฮาส์) 102/11 Mu 3 Patak Road (Tel: 0 7639 6546, 0 7628 6256), 9 rooms: 300-500 baht
- Legends Guest House 516/6 Patak Road Karon Beach. it is a hostel but you have your own room with AC, TV, free tea,coffee water, and private bathroom. Only a few minutes from the beach, with plenty of bars close by. It is almost staying at a hotel. [10]
[edit] Mid-range
- Ban Karon Hill Phuket (บ้านกะรน น้อย) 8/3 Mu 1, Patak Road (Tel: 0 7628 6233 Fax: 0 7628 6209) 19 rooms: 1,800 baht
- Paradise Inn Phuket Modern economical accommodation, 2 minutes walk from Karon Beach. Full Service and Amenities, low rates, book instantly with the owner just click here --> [11]
- Baan Karon Resort (บ้านกะรน รีสอร์ท) 213 Patak Road (Tel: 0 7628 6215-8 www.phuketbaankaron.com) 45 rooms: 800-1,900 baht
- Baan Karonburi Resort (บ้านกะรนบุรี รีสอร์ท) 194/1 Karon Road (Tel: 0 7628 6481-2, 0 7639 6778-9 www.karonburi.com), 48 rooms: 1,800-4,500 baht
- Centara Villa Phuket (เซ็นทารา วิลล่า ภูเก็ต) 701 Patak Road (Tel: 0 7639 8195 Fax: 0 7628 6276 www.centarahotelsresorts.com), 72 Villas: 2,200-7,180 baht
- Karon Living Room [12]. Very clean and friendly hotel with new room furnishing and a\c rooms, friendly service, about 10 minutes walk from the beach. From 1400 (when booked locally).
[edit] Splurge
- Access Resort & Spa (แอกเซส รีสอร์ท แอนด์ สปา) 459/2 Patak Road (Tel: 0 7639 8489 [13]. 129 Deluxe Pool rooms,3 Deluxe Family rooms, 8 Pool Villas Suites rooms: 4,500-15,000 baht
- Pacific Club Resort, Voted #1 Resort in Karon Beach on TripAdvisor for two years running, Peaceful quiet location with spectacular views, only ten minutes walk from Karon Beach, +66-(0)76-398-350, more info and book instantly on the owner's website just click here --> [14]. May-Oct 1,500 baht up and Nov-Apr 2,500 baht up.
- Andaman Seaview Hotel (อันดามัน ซีวิว) 127/35 Patak Road, Tel: 0 7639 8111, 0 7639 8156-69 Bangkok Tel: 0 2719 9911-2 [15]. 161 rooms: 5,900-8,800 baht
- Centara Karon Resort, [16] - formerly the Central Resort. Modern mid-rise 316 room resort with panoramic views. From 3000 baht.
- Hilton Phuket Arcadia, [17], large hotel complex located on the main Patak Road and popular with Asian tourists. The hotel has a Caffe Cino, similar to the one in Hilton's Petaling Jaya hotel (Malaysia). From 3400 baht.
- Le Meridian Phuket (เลอเมอริเดียน ภูเก็ต บีช รีสอร์ท) 8/5 Tambon Karon Noi (Tel: 0 7634 0480-5 Fax: 0 7634 0479, Bangkok Tel: 0 2256 0767-8 Fax: 0 2256 0766 [18]. 470 rooms: US$ 290-1,250
- Mövenpick Resort and Spa, [19], is a Swiss-run resort located in the center of Karon town and is just across the road from the beach. From 3600 baht.
- Ramada Resort Karon Beach [20] - formerly the Felix Karon. A short drive from the main town, especially designed for kids and young families featuring the first and only magic castle of Phuket, the longest waterslide and the most diversified Kidsclub under the umbrella of the Siam Adventure Club. From US$48.
- Thavorn Palm Beach, [21], is next-door to the Hilton Arcadia and is distinctly more traditional as compared with its more modernistic-design neighbor. Features 209 contemporary Thai-style furnished rooms in 3 interconnecting low-rise buildings, and five swimming pools in exotic landscaped gardens.
- Woraburi Phuket Resort & Spa [22].
- Horizon Karon Beach Hotel [23], Soi 2, Karon District, Phuket. Tel :+66(0)76 284 555, Features 90 rooms in 3 & 4 storey buildings. The resort is surrounded by nature and is spread over 16,000 square meters. Also, its elevated position ensures great views and privacy.
[edit] Stay safe
Beware of rip tides at the beach, especially during the summer rainy season — they killed 10 people in 2009 alone.
[edit] Get out
Transport back to Phuket Town is relatively easy, local buses (rather large contraptions with wooden benches in back) run between Phuket and Karon/Kata Beaches. The fare is 30 baht per person. From Phuket Town, connections to buses to Bangkok or other destinations on the Thai Mainland are available, as are shuttles, taxis and/or minibuses to transport you from the city centre to Phuket Airport.
Alternately, you can go straight to the airport by Taxi, which would be more expensive (unless travelling in a sizable group) running about 600 baht.
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