Phuket Karon what a sea. "Karon Beach", Phuket, Thailand: photos and reviews from tourists. From Patong to Karon

Conventionally divided into three parts: northern, the calmest; the central one, where there are sun loungers; the southern one, where a tourist town is located right on the coast and the main party spot is located (see). A kilometer north of it there is also tiny Karon Noi, separated from the main massif by a wooded cliff. On the way there you can stop at the main observation deck of the island. From the south it is separated and borders.

The beach is wide, along it there is an asphalt road. They are separated by a strip of greenery. In the central part it is completely treeless, and in the north it is shady, with trees. The sand is yellowish, it is famous for its crunch, the nature of which is explained in different ways: some by the abundance of salt, others by the presence of a large amount of quartz.

Northern part

Holidays on Karon Beach in Phuket It will appeal more to those who are inclined to spend quiet time. Most party places close after sunset. Well, during the day, if you are looking for peace and serenity, just walk to its northern end.

It is visually separated from the central part of the beach by a lake, which the asphalt road goes around, turning sharply to the right. The park around this freshwater body of water is another place of solitude where you can remain almost completely alone even at midday.

The town of Ka Ron, which gives the name to the beach, is also located there. Its infrastructure is well developed and aimed at meeting the needs of tourists. In addition to restaurants, bars and massage parlors, there are several attractions. For example, Wat Karon Temple, next to it there is a fair on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Entertainment

Karon Beach in Phuket is a beach holiday destination, and prices for usual entertainment there are even higher than in Patong. For example, for a half-hour jet ski ride you will be charged 1,500 baht, and water skiing will cost even more, 2,000 baht. They can be quite calm about their morality; there are no crazy Go Go bars and other entertainment for adults there. True, if desired, available girls can also be found in the bars of Ka Ron.

In addition to the beach, you can walk around the town, look at the Wat Karon temple, or go west, to where the traditional one for the populated areas of Thailand is installed. It is quite high - 45 meters. Another place of entertainment is the Karon View Point, located halfway to Karon Noi Beach.

Hotels

The best hotels near Karon Beach in Phuket are located in its central part. However, they do not have direct access to the sea. There are such resorts in the south and north; they are not so modern and do not provide a high level of comfort. However, this is where you can rent inexpensive housing, including guest houses, for a long period of time. You can search for offers of the most popular hotels by level of service and prices on the websites or.

Shopping

Fans of this type of entertainment will be disappointed. Ka Ron will not be able to please them with anything special. Shopping on Karon Beach is centered on the Shopping Sale Karon Plaza, which is more like an indoor market. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, a native fair takes place near Wat Karon. Another shopping destination is a tourist town in the south. But if you want to buy, for example, electronics, then you should go straight to Phuket Town or Patong.

How to get to Karon

Get to Karon Beach is not a big deal. You can feel almost like you are in Sheremetyevo, the Thais will be so persistent in offering you a ride to any place. One has only to say: “Karon”, and you can only look at the views flashing along the sides of the road, without worrying about anything else. Taxi drivers are more honest, the whole trip will cost 700 baht, and if you are traveling with a group, then it makes sense to chip in for . You will have to wait for the minivan to be fully loaded, and along the way you will get a pleasant surprise: at an intermediate stop, in addition to the 180-200 baht fare, you will be asked to pay another 50 if you want to find yourself right at the hotel gate.

We do not advise you to travel from Patong to Karon on foot. The distance on the map is only 5 kilometers, but along a winding mountain road. You may not be able to overcome it. Therefore, it is better to take a traditional transport - a motor scooter with a body (), for a trip they will charge at least 200 baht. If you are alone, you can ride as a passenger on the back seat of a motorcycle or scooter.

At the beginning of 2018, a bus route was launched to Karon directly from Phuket Airport.

Karon is a long 5 km stretch of white sand and an impressive selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. However, it is never overcrowded with tourists, which is actually quite good.

Distinctive features of the beach are clean water, a well-groomed embankment and high-quality landscaping of the coastal strip. Special services employees monitor cleanliness and order.

During the monsoons, the sea is stormy, and swimming is not allowed; children are even more forbidden to go into the water. If there are red flags along the beach, then it is better to move to neighboring Kata or Patong Beach, where the water is more or less calm throughout the year.

Karon Beach is also famous for the fact that the sand makes a peculiar squeaking sound when you walk. It is formed due to the large amount of quartz in its composition. Locals call Karon "Singing Beach" ("Singing Sand").

The southern part of the beach is popular with divers, snorkelers and lovers of a relaxing holiday. A picturesque cove with a coral reef is a good place to observe underwater life. The North, on the contrary, welcomes young people and fans to have a good rest. For the active and sociable - restaurants, bars, water sports centers.

The beach is 20 km from the city.

Karon is conventionally divided into three zones: the central part, the lake, and Beachfront Road.

Central Karon and Patak Road. Pathak Road is a rather tricky, winding street leading through a roundabout (Karon Circle) to the local Buddhist temple, Wat Suwan Khirikhet. It is narrow, busy, and finding a parking space is quite problematic. There are eateries and cafes of all kinds, shops, bars of all sizes and massage parlors. As all tourists do: they walk back and forth along Patak Road, looking into this or that bar, until they finally settle on one thing.

The temple is temporarily closed for reconstruction (winter 2016).

Lake. Near the ring there is a small lake. Until some time it was the subject of much controversy. There have been attempts to make this area something of an upscale area or to build a convention center here. Currently, a local fair is taking place near the lake - cheerful, crowded, but, of course, not elite, but the most democratic.

Beachfront Road. Beachfront Road, which is strictly speaking an extension of Patak Road, runs from the lake to Kata Beach. It's just a road along the beach. It is completely occupied by resort complexes, between which small hotels and inns have managed to squeeze in.

At the beginning of the street, between the Movenpick and Woraburi hotels, there is a temporary indoor market called Night Bazaar, selling mainly T-shirts and beach items (every day from 10:00 to 23:00). The area around the intersection of Patak Road and Luang Phor Chuan Street is rich in eateries and cafes, shops and massage parlors. It is not as busy as central Karon, but for some this may be an advantage.

The southern boundary of Beachfront Road is a small hill that leads to Kata Beach (the boundaries of the two beach areas have never been clearly defined). Notable places are a restaurant on the beach, a football stadium where cricket competitions are also held, and a couple of establishments with discos that have nothing in common with the parties on Bangla Street.

Best hotels on Karon Beach

There are two first-class hotels right on the beach - Beyond Resort Karon and Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket. A little further, not on the first coastline, but across the street, there are hotels with good reviews and a huge number of rooms with sea views - Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach and Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa.

In a tourist place like Karon Beach, there are no problems with choosing a place to stay depending on your budget. There are hotels for every taste and budget: from expensive luxury to modest budget. Most budget ones (rooms from 300 baht per night) are located across the road from the embankment.

Where to eat on Karon Beach

Perhaps the best view of the entire beach opens from the On The Rocks restaurant, one of the oldest in Phuket. This is an iconic place for residents: proposals are made here, romantic evenings are held, weddings and anniversaries are celebrated. For everyday lunches, choose EAT Bar & Grill Restaurant, and seafood dishes are excellently prepared at the Mama restaurant by the lake, as well as in small eateries along the embankment. For international cuisine, go to Two Chefs or Karon Cafe.

Night life

A fun party can be found in the Irish pub Angus O’Tools. Karon is literally crammed with tiny beer bars, such as Clapton Bar, and there are even entire beer streets like Bangla Road in Patong. You won’t be able to catch anything particularly outstanding on Karon, but the nightlife is still quite lively.

How to get to Karon Beach

From Phuket airport to Karon is about an hour's drive. A metered taxi costs 700 baht, and regular buses carry passengers for about 200 baht.

From Kata and Patong beaches you can get to Karon Beach by local exotic transport - tuk-tuk. The cost is about 300 baht, the journey takes 15-20 minutes from Patong, about half an hour from Kata Beach.

By renting a motorbike, you can freely move around the resort, to neighboring areas and to the capital Phuket Town. Daily rental will cost 200 baht plus refilling the tank.

Personal experience: what are the pros and cons of Karon? Why has it become the favorite beach of Russians? Our review, rating and advice on Karon.

You are planning to vacation on the island of Phuket in 2019. The questions arise: which beach to choose? Which one is considered the best? Where is the cleaner sea? This article will answer your questions about the most popular Phuket beach among Russian tourists - Phuket Karon Beach.

Karon Beach Rating

Atmosphere

Privacy (6 out of 10). There are plenty of people here, mostly families with children. Entirely Russian. But the beach is wide and long, there is always a secluded corner.

Quietness on the beach (7 out of 10). Tourists behave quietly and calmly. There is a secondary road next to the beach; there is little traffic on it.

Nature (8 out of 10). The bay is picturesque, you will relax with a view of two small islands.

Beach quality

Water purity (9 out of 10). When the sea is calm, the water is cleaner than in Patong.

Cleanliness of the beach (8 out of 10). There is natural debris, but not much.

Entering the water (8 out of 10) gentle, but the sea is deep. There are no rocks or reefs.

Sand (10 out of 10) amazing: small and creaks like starch. The color is almost white, slightly yellowish.

Shadow (5 out of 10). There is a life-saving strip of trees and palms in some areas of the beach. There is shade on the beach only until noon, then you will have to rent a sunbed with an umbrella or hide under palm trees.

Beach infrastructure

Rating: 5 out of 10. As in the case of Patong, we give Karon a big minus: there is only 1 toilet and shower in the northern part, there are no changing cabins. There are no cafes or restaurants on the beach, only across the road. You can buy food and drinks from merchants. Prices in cafes and restaurants on the first line - from 70 baht for rice with meat. Visit the Yummy restaurant in the north of the beach - they have great noodles with seafood.

Rip currents and large waves are not uncommon during the rainy season on Karon, so warning flags are posted.

There are two playgrounds and exercise equipment - it’s not all about eating and lying around. The exercise machines are not popular, but we noticed some activity. The beach has standard water activities: parasailing, jet skis, banana boat rides, beach volleyball courts.

Resort infrastructure

Rating: 8 out of 10. The resort is developed and there is no shortage of cafes, shops, restaurants and night markets.

Entertainment at the resort. There is no variety like in neighboring Patong. At the resort you will find excursions, massage parlors, karaoke, bars and clubs. Among the attractions are the Karon View Point, Wat Karon Temple and the Big Buddha statue. For children - mini golf in the Dino Park.

Night life. There is one on Karon Beach, but the resort cannot compete with Patong.

Shopping weak. Visit the Shopping Sale Karon Plaza and the night market at Wat Karon Temple (Karon Temple Night Market).

Food on Karon

Tourists write that food prices on Karon Beach are higher than on Patong. It seems to us that they are the same. Of course, it all depends on the level of service and the status of the establishment. We ate at a coastal restaurant: seafood noodles from 90 baht, fried squid - 120 baht, fried rice with garlic (garlic rice) - 60 baht.

Karon Beach Hotels

On Karon Beach you will find hotels of different price categories - and even close to the beach. Here are examples of hotel prices:

Tips for booking hotels:

1. Book in advance. It’s better 3-5 months before the high season - there will be more choice and lower prices. You can book a hotel using the Roomguru search engine.
2. Read reviews tourists when searching for a hotel on Karon - this way you will learn about important details.

Come on holiday to Karon in 2019 if developed infrastructure is important: there is a large selection of hotels, cafes and restaurants. It's not as noisy as Patong, but you can have fun and be entertained.

If you are not fluent in English, then you will still be comfortable on Karon Beach - almost every second vacationer at the resort speaks Russian.

There are also conditions for families with children: children's menus in restaurants, playgrounds, entertainment. But entering the sea is not convenient for children - the depth quickly begins.

Why has Karon Beach become so popular among Russians? We think it's about the peace, tranquility and some intimacy of the resort. There is less nightlife here, there is no busy road near the beach, but the infrastructure is developed almost like in Patong.

Karon Beach in Phuket is a famous beach throughout Thailand, located in the west of the island, it is located between the equally famous beaches and Kata, which is popular among tourists from all over the world.

Karon Beach has all the necessary beach and tourist infrastructure. There are markets here where you can buy fruit, food, things, souvenirs, there are small shops, many cafes and restaurants with good cuisine.

Neighboring beaches are within walking distance. Religious and cultural attractions are located nearby. You can get from the beach to Phuket Town by bus or minibus. Karon Beach offers very affordable and affordable prices.

Brief description of the beach

Karon Beach is divided into two parts. Little Karon or Karon Noi is located in a bay, so it is hardly noticeable to others, and Big Karon, which will be discussed in the article. They are separated from each other by a cape and located at a distance of 3 km.

Both parts of Karon Beach have white sand and clean, clear sea water. But the tourist infrastructure on Karon Noi is not very developed. If you want to be away from the public and are not too fancy, it will suit you.

Here we will talk mainly about Big Karon Beach. This is the longest beach in Phuket, as well as the most popular and beloved among tourists and local holidaymakers. Its length is more than three km.

The beach is covered with fine white sand, sometimes with a golden hue. Despite the popularity of Karon Beach, due to its length, you can always find a free and fairly secluded place to relax and sunbathe.

The beach is quite clean and the cleaning services are efficient. There are many merchants walking around here throughout the day, offering their goods to vacationers, sometimes quite intrusively. There are also many photographers here offering photos with animals.

North, center and south of Karon Beach

Most of the hotels, shops, bars and restaurants are located in the northern part of Karon Beach. There is most entertainment here, so at night the public flocks to the north of the beach.

In the center there is a beautiful green area and a small pond where you can see the Golden Dragon, a local cult attraction. And in the south of Karon you can find the famous “singing sands”.

When walking on the sand, they make a specific sound, similar to human singing. This is due to the fact that these sands contain a lot of quartz. The same singing effect was found in the sand on Bang Tao Beach, but there it is less pronounced.

Near Karon Beach there is a large green strip where many vacationers hide from the direct rays of the hot Thai sun. This is not very convenient, because... There are many rather biting insects living in the grass, causing inconvenience.

Palm trees and other trees provide shade, but to take a place under them, you need to come to the beach early in the morning. The main way to escape the scorching sun is to rent a sun lounger or umbrella. Renting 2 sun loungers and 1 umbrella for the day costs about 200 Thai baht or $6.24.

Sea water

Karon Beach is located not in a bay, but on the open seashore, so from time to time serious waves appear here, as well as underwater sea currents that are dangerous for swimmers. But this happens in Phuket during the monsoon period, i.e. in summer.

In the High season, the sea water on Karon Beach is calm, soft, transparent and clean; it warms up to +27C - +29C. The shore on the beach is flat, there are no stones under the water, which is good for children. But it gets deep close to the shore, which is good for adult swimmers.

Parents should remember that periodically during the high season, small waves appear on the surface of the sea and sometimes underwater sea currents occur. Therefore, you need to be as careful as possible when swimming with children.

While at sea, you will periodically feel that someone is pinching your skin. It's not dangerous, but a little unpleasant. Experts believe that this is the effect of coastal marine plankton on human skin.

About once every two weeks, the water near the shore of Karon Beach is renewed. First, small waves appear in the afternoon, and overnight the water is completely cleared, becoming clear and slightly cooler.

There is a medical center on Karon Beach where you can get emergency medical care if required. There are rescue towers installed here, and rescuers work on them throughout the day. In the event of an emergency, you will certainly be rescued.

The beach is equipped with toilets and showers. Showers cost 20 Thai baht or 62 cents, and toilet visits cost 10 Thai baht or 31 cents. There are often quite long queues near toilets and showers.

In the center of Karon Beach, in the emerald-colored park, there are several playgrounds for children where kids can play while adults swim. There is also a small sports ground where adults can exercise.

Entertainment on Karon Beach

There are many beach and water recreational activities that you can indulge in while relaxing. There are special grounds for basketball and volleyball on and near the beach.

Vacationers can fly over the sea with a parachute, ride a jet ski, “banana” or “tablet”. The entire standard set of beach activities is available. There are also water skis and boots, a zorb, a water catapult, etc.

Evening and night entertainment here is not as vibrant as in Patong, but this beach cannot be called boring like Kamala. Karon is the golden mean. All the most interesting things in the dark happen not on the beach, but on the streets of the city of Karon.

When evening comes, vacationers stroll along the embankment and go to cafes, pubs, and restaurants. After refreshment, everyone goes to Karon Beach to enjoy the sun together. Here, every evening sunset has an unearthly beauty.

Most of the entertainment venues in the town of Karon are located on its two main streets. One of them runs along the beach and is essentially its embankment; the entire resort community takes a promenade here, and the second goes around the beach.

The embankment is a road where cars drive, and narrow sidewalks where groups of tourists walk. On the other side, along the street there are cafes, restaurants, bars, where vacationers periodically go to have a snack and a little drink.

Here you can visit the outdoor bar, which serves alcoholic drinks by the bucketful. You can order a bucket of the simplest and cheapest beer or wine, or the same volumes of alcohol from world brands.

“Now I would like to go on vacation to Thailand: lie on the beach, drink a smoothie, and not all this,” you think. Why not? We analyze one of the best natural solariums in Phuket - Karon Beach. How to get there, which hotels are better to choose and why did we choose Karon beach for our second trip to the island?

Karon is one of the top 3 beaches in Phuket, both according to our and popular ratings. The prices for tours here cannot be said to be the most budget-friendly. A trip for two for 10 nights will cost from 90,000 rubles. Cheaper - only Patong. But the second location is a bit dirty, noisy and crowded.

In three trips we traveled the length and breadth of the island. Karon is included in the list of favorite beaches, and here’s why:

• Sand - it really differs from Patong and Kata, so loose and creaky - and clear sea
• The local fruit market is the cheapest on the west coast of Phuket
• The two best (in our humble opinion) cafes on the island – which we’ll talk about below

Karon is somewhere between an expensive/cheap quiet/noisy holiday :)

Phuket beaches – which one to choose?

There is a slight descent before approaching Karon Beach

Phuket Island is geographically the largest part of Thailand. A variety of people flock here: party-goers, families with children, and even savage tourists. Who should choose which one among the beaches of Phuket?

Cafe on Karon – food prices

There is an opinion among tourists that eating in Karon cafes is a luxury. This would be true if you choose gourmet restaurants like Raya Thai Cuisine. You can also have lunch on a budget in Phuket. The main thing is to know where to go.

We divided the cafes on the beach + near it into three categories:

➢ Pad Thai Shop
➢ Golden Paradise Restaurant
➢Sabaijai

➢ Starbucks (just drink coffee here)
➢ Chehoff
➢ Kata Villa
➢On The Rock
➢ restaurant at the 4* Diamond Cottage Resort & SPA hotel (between Kata and Karon)

➢Mom Tri’s Kitchen at Villa Royale
➢ The Oceanfront Restaurant and Bar at Kata Rocks
➢ La Scala

Menu from the Sabai Jai cafe / Our order: tom kha and coconut shake for 270 baht

We recommend: order mango shake (฿70) from a woman in the center of the beach(on the left when looking at Karon Plaza). Mmm... We drank it constantly on the first two trips. By the way, there are inexpensive fruits there: we took mango and papaya. Many people at this mini-market take them with them to Russia.

We also recommend: cafe from the list Pad Thai Shop. It doesn’t look like ice from the outside, because it’s for locals, but it’s tasty and inexpensive - pad thai with shrimp or rice with crab costs only ฿50. AND Sabaijai, where our favorite tom-kha for ฿100 and cool coconut necks for ฿80. After them, they just stopped looking at the woman in the center of the beach :)

🍝 Gastronomy of Karon Beach and prices (average):

• rice with chicken – ฿100-150
• tom yam – from ฿120
• steak – ฿250-400
• European dishes – ฿150-250
• drinks – from ฿40
• beer – ฿80-120
• ice cream – from ฿100

On average, for two people the check will be from ฿300 to ฿700.

Rent a bike - where did we get it?

This is the bike we rented for 130 baht/day for 10 days

🏍 Snatching a bike in 2019 in Phuket for a price tag below 200 baht/day is just the thing. If you want a newer car, you’ll have to pay half or a whole hundred extra. We usually take a bike with average wear - we definitely check the brakes and wheels. A few extra scratches won't be so noticeable.

Where to look for rental? The whole island is dotted with it. For the first time we took a horse on Patong Beach (250 baht/day - just in the first place we came across). In the second they were smarter. On Karon beach, 200 meters from the Pad Thai Shop cafe (Best Beam Bike & Cars Rental on Googlemaps) we agreed for 130 per day, wholesale for 10 days. Saving!

Car rental in Phuket

🚘 Have you decided to have a family vacation on Karon? Then the option of renting a car is suitable. More expensive than a bike, but more comfortable. The price varies from 700 baht/day (if you are very lucky), you can definitely find it for ฿1200. It’s better to rent a car online in advance - so that everything is official, accurate and without unnecessary problems - on RentalCars.

But don’t forget, you must have with you - international driver's license; steering wheel on the right ☺. Cars are rarely stopped, just like bikes, but they won’t be able to pay off. However, we somehow got a ride with the huge old-style Russian licenses.

Beach infrastructure and resort

Hooray! Since 2017, sun loungers (200 baht) have been allowed on Phuket beaches, but they should occupy no more than 10% of the coastline. So there are few of them; most tourists sunbathe on a towel. There are no toilets or changing rooms in sight - the beaches are public.

Entertainment and excursions

How is the traffic on Karon Beach? Very, very boring... Free volleyball at sunset and parasailing will save you - ฿1500 per person.

There are no entertainment options for families with children on Karon. Perhaps a splash pool (you need to check for each hotel separately) or a small playground. Good news! Nearby there is a Dino Park for kids and older children. It consists of a pleasant jungle restaurant and golf courses. Tourists say it’s not a shame to stop by in your free time.

Top 5 excursions:

• Sightseeing – ฿700-1200
• Sea trip to Phi Phi (one-day trip) – ฿1400-2000
• Similan Islands – ฿5000 per person
  ZY closed for overnight stays this season
• Racha + Coral + Maiton – adult – ฿1300, children – ฿1100
• James Bond Island – from ฿1300

There are no or almost no clubs and discos on Karon. In the evening, you can take a bus or taxi to Patong, which sleeps around the clock (4 kilometers away). This is where the nightlife is vibrant!

Karon Beach is “crowded”; there are many cafes, shops, souvenir shops, and massage parlors. Shopping can be done at the Wat Suwankiriket market (open: Tuesday, Saturday - from 16:00).

Now let’s share our reviews about Karon Beach: is the water clean, when is the best time to pack your bags here, the pros and cons of the shore.

Is the sea clean on Karon?

Yes, in the absence of waves from November to March the water is clear, but with them it is slightly cloudy. Blame the sand.

Judging by the comments of tourists, plankton is nibbling in the sea (typical of Tay). The sensation is comparable to a mosquito bite; there are no marks left on the skin. Tourists also talk about rare influxes of tiny jellyfish. But during three trips we did not notice anything like this.

When is the best time to go?

High season: from November to March

Average daytime temperature is +31.5°C, minimum precipitation, maximum sun, calm elements, but(!) crowds of tourists and a high price tag. The peak is during the winter months.

Rain season: from May to October

It’s still warm, on average +31.5°C. But it’s not the most luxurious time for a family vacation - the weather gets worse and it’s often stormy. Advantages: reasonable prices in general (July, August). The sea will have to be crossed out from the enjoyment list and replaced with a swimming pool, which is too dangerous a pleasure during this period.

The first time we went was in May - we liked it, it was such an off-season. The rains did not last long, 10-15 minutes during the day, or a little longer at night - they did not interfere with rest).

Pros and cons of holidays on Karon

Above there were many, many words and information. For your convenience, we will briefly summarize the advantages and disadvantages of Karon Beach (Phuket), based on reviews in 2018 and personal experience. But whether or not you should take a ticket – decide for yourself, based on your wishes.

5 km length of beach
+ clean sea (especially in winter)
+ white crispy sand
+ inexpensive fruit market
+ you can always find a more or less secluded place (outskirts)

No nightclubs and discos + quiet village evenings
- occasionally incoming plankton
- expensive transport (if without a bike, of course)
- shortage of hotels on the first coast

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