Kata Beach

Found along the West coast of the island of Phuket in Thailand is a beach, known simply enough as the Kata beach. It’s quite well renowned, being one of the most visited beaches in the country after the more popular Pa Tong beach/resort. And yet, despite its lower popularity, it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

The iconic white, sandy beaches of Thailand can be overwhelmingly beautiful, and Kata beach promises the very same experience but with its own usual unique twist that every location in the country promises.

You can make your way to Kata beach easily enough from Phuket town. The best way to do this is via the open-air bus, which typically doesn’t cost any more than around 40-200 baht (£1-£5) and serves as an excellent means through which to see more of the island’s beauty along the way. It’s about 20 kilometres from the town, but well worth the journey, as it’s one of Thailand’s most visited spots for a reason.

This reason is its natural beauty of course. There are few places in the world where you’ll find such pristine and clear waters flanked almost entirely by rolling hills, and with a great view of the offshore Pu island sitting in the distance to boot. It’s also known to be a very safe place for tourists (a given, considering how many visitors the beach gets annually) and the locals are frequently recalled to be supremely friendly and welcoming.

Kata beach is a particularly beloved spot by surfers, who like to come around the June-November season, in what’s known as the ‘low period’ where the waves become a bit stronger. It can have its dangers of course, but for any aspiring surfers it’s an excellent place to learn! Not to mention, surfing equipment is always available for rent or buying across the many surf shops scattered around.

The beach itself goes on for about 1.5 kilometres with plenty of Thai restaurants, shops, and general vendors along the way. The many trees provide plentiful shade, and the waters are most beautiful between December and April. Snorkelling is just one of the many wonderful pastimes you can have here, best experienced in the North bay of the beach, along with general activities such as swimming and diving.

Kata Noi is also accessible from close by Kata beach itself. Kata Noi in Thai means ‘Small Kata’, and this is really the best description for the beach – offering all the beauty of Kata beach, only more contained and simplified to an easier section. Just as pretty, in all regards! Though the smaller size of it may make it seem a bit more overcrowded.

Overall, Kata beach is an experience for the lover of nature and water. There’s no doubt that it doesn’t share anything near the popularity of Pa Tong, but in the end, this works to its advantage, giving the already expansive beach an all-the-more personal feeling to it. No matter how you choose to travel to and experience Kata beach, you’ll find yourself missing it by the time you leave.