Author: Anastasia
“Now I would like to rest in Thailand: wallow on the beach, drink smoothies, and not that’s all,” you think. Why not? We analyze one of the best natural tanning salons in Phuket - Karon Beach. How to get there, which hotels are better to take and why did we choose Karon beach for the second trip to the island?
Features of Karon beach - our rating
Karon is one of the top 3 beaches in Phuket, both according to our and national ratings. Prices for tours here are not to say that they are the most budgetary. A trip for two for 10 nights will cost from 90,000 rubles. Only Patong is cheaper. But in the second location it is dirty, noisy and a lot of people.
Right side of Karon beach and descent to the beach
For three trips, we traveled the island far and wide. Karon made it to the list of favorite beaches, and here's why:
- The sand - it really is different from Patong and Kata, so loose and creaky - and the sea is clear
- Local fruit market - the cheapest on the west coast of Phuket
- The two best (in our humble opinion) cafes on the island - which we will talk about below
Karon is something between an expensive / cheap quiet / noisy vacation 🙂
| Criterion | Grade |
| The purity of the sea | 9 |
| Cleanliness of the coast | 9 |
| Sand | 10 |
| Infrastructure | 6 (like most beaches in Phuket) |
| Beach length | 9 |
| Night life | 4 (behind this - to Patong) |
Phuket beaches - which one to choose?
There is a small descent before approaching Karon Beach
Phuket Island is geographically the largest section of Thailand. A different audience flocks here: party youth, families with children, and even savage tourists. Which one to choose among the beaches of Phuket?
On Karon even in the season there are small waves - for us this is a big plus. The sand is very fine, creaks underfoot like a snowball, clear water. On the shore there are two fields with nets, you can play volleyball at any time (we did so).
Within walking distance is located Kata beach - the most expensive, with a gentle entrance to the sea. On the other hand - in 15 minutes by bike or taxi - party Patong... Less crowded and 1 line on the beach Kamala (other hotels are separated from the sea by road).
Kata beach
How to get to Karon beach?
At the time of this writing: monetary unit of Thailand 1 baht (฿) = 2 rubles |
The distance from Phuket airport to Karon beach is plus or minus 40 km. How to get to Karon Beach?
- Order a transfer on Kiwitaxi (beneficial for companies from 2 to 4 people) - the price list starts from ฿ 970, they are greeted with a sign with your name
- Travel time: ≈ 40 minutes
- Or jump into a minibus for tourists for 10-12 people - ฿ 200
- Travel time: ≤ 1.5 hours (+ stop for 10 minutes to clarify hotel addresses)
As for us, the first option is faster and not so "annoying" - everyone in the cabin is different.
Hotels on Karon Beach in Phuket - tips from us
Searching for a hotel in Karon (price = quality) brought us to the list below. Prices are indicated for 7 nights tour for two in winter 2020-2021.
Have you noticed that Karon Beach tours are not cheap? So here's to you life hackif you want to save some money. We choose hotels in Patong, rent a bike and want to sunbathe on the clean coast of Karon beach. On the first trip we did just that! The second time we stayed at a hotel on Karon. And our third Thailand took place not by the beach at all (even chipier).
Is there a way to lower the price of a tour to Thailand, Phuket and Karon Beach in particular even lower? Yes. And his name is early booking. We already wrote about this, click :)
Tours to Karon - prices in 2020
Where to monitor tours? We use online services (for 2 years and 4 vacations). Most reliable:
- Level.Travel
- Travelata
- Onlinetours
The three aggregators (it is worth comparing at all) gives out offers from leading tour operators with current prices (in most cases, taking into account the fuel surcharge). Plus: you can read reviews of real tourists about the hotel and explore the infrastructure nearby.
The cost of a ticket to Karon Beach (Phuket) in 2020 for two for a week starts at 75,000 rubles. Expensive? No matter how it is. On New Year's holidays, the amount will jump from 115 thousand and more. Do you feel the difference? And yes, advice: take tours from 9 nights (out of 7 - two will "eat" the flight).
Where did we live on Karon?
We flew to Thailand three times: the first two times a tour, the last - a savage. The voucher was taken to 3 * La Vintage Resort, Patong (not very), but the vacation in Karon was spent in the hotel 2 * Room Actually (very “very”, albeit 2 stars). We booked ourselves, since there are no package offers here. But resting on a tour - for a short time - is always more profitable.
Where is it more convenient to book hotels and accommodation if you go to Thailand on your own? We check out Airbnb for an apartment / condo or Roomguru for a hotel.
By the way, if privacy is a priority, we recommend renting a villa. How to do it? Our recommendations are here.
Map of Karon Hotels
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. It is also possible to dine on a budget in Phuket. The main thing is to know where to go.
We have divided the cafes of the beach + near it into three categories:
Cheap:
➢ Pad Thai Shop
➢ Golden Paradise Restaurant
➢ Sabaijai
Average:
➢ Starbucks (just have coffee here)
➢ Chehoff
➢ Kata Villa
➢ On The Rock
➢ restaurant at the hotel 4 * Diamond Cottage Resort & SPA (between Kata and Karon)
Expensive:
➢ Mom Tri's Kitchen at Villa Royale
➢ The Oceanfront Restaurant and Bar at Kata Rocks
➢ La Scala
Menu from the Sabay-Jai cafe / Our order: tom-kha and coconut shake for 270 baht
We advise: order a mango shake (฿ 70) from a woman in the center of the beach (on the left, looking at Karon Plaza). Mmm ... We drank it all the time on the first two trips. By the way, there are also inexpensive fruits: they took mango, papaya. Many in this mini-market take them with them to Russia.
We also recommend: cafe from the list ↑ Pad thai shop... It looks not ice from the outside, because for the locals, it is tasty and budgetary - pad thai with shrimps or rice with crab cost only ฿ 50. AND Sabaijaiwhere 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 🙂
🍝 Karon Beach gastronomy and prices (average):
- rice with chicken - ฿ 100-150
- tom-yam - from ฿ 120
- steak - ฿ 250-400
- European cuisine - ฿ 150-250
- drinks - from ฿ 40
- beer - ฿ 80-120
- ice cream - from ฿ 100
On average, two people will receive a check from ฿ 300 to ฿ 700.
Bike rental - where did we get it?
We took such a bike for 130 baht / day for 10 days
🏍 To grab a bike in 2020 in Phuket for a price tag below 200 baht / day is the very thing. If you want a newer machine, you will have to pay extra on top of the floor or a whole hundred square meters. We usually take a bike of average "wear" - be sure to check the brakes and wheels. A few extra scratches won't be as noticeable.
Where to look for a 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 that came across). In the second, they were smarter. On Karon beach, 200 meters from the Pad Thai Shop cafe (on Googlemaps, the Best Beam Bike & Cars Rental point), we agreed for 130 per day, wholesale - for 10 days. Saving!
Car rental in Phuket
🚘 Have you decided to arrange a family vacation in Karon? Then the option of renting a car will do. More expensive than a bike, but more comfortable. The price varies from 700 baht / day (if sooo fortit), for ฿ 1200 you can find it for sure. It is better to take a car online in advance - so that everything is official, accurate and without unnecessary problems - read about our personal experience of renting a car in Phuket.
But do not forget, must have with you - international driving license; steering wheel on the right ☺. Cars rarely stop, as well as bikes, but you won't be able to pay off. However, we somehow gave a ride to the Russian huge rights of the old model.
Beach infrastructure and resort
Karon Beach
Hooray! Since 2017, sun loungers (200 baht) on the beaches of Phuket have been allowed, but they should occupy no more than 10% of the coastline. So there are few of them, most tourists sunbathe on a towel. Toilets and changing rooms are not visible - the beaches are public.
Entertainment and excursions
How about the action on Karon Beach? Very, very boring ... The classic sights of Phuket are located in other places. Free sunset volleyball and parasailing will save you - ฿ 1500 per person.
There is no entertainment for families with a child in Karon. Is that a splash pool (you need to check for each hotel separately) or a small playground. Good news! Nearby there is Dino Park for toddlers and older children. It consists of a pleasant jungle restaurant and golf courses. Tourists say they don't mind running in their free time.
Top 5 excursions:
- Sightseeing - ฿ 700-1200
- Sea 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 clubs and discos in Karon, or almost none. In the evening, you can take a bus or taxi to Patong that is not sleeping around the clock (4 kilometers away). This is where the nightlife rages!
Karon Beach is "crowded", there are many cafes, shops, souvenir shops, massage parlors. Shopping can be arranged at the Karon Night Market on the territory of the Temple (open: Tuesday, Friday - from 16:00).
Our reviews and advice about Karon
Now we will share our feedback on Karon Beach: is the water clear, when is it better to pack your bags here, the pros and cons of the shore.
Is the sea on Karon clean?
Yes, in the absence of waves from November to March, the water is clear, slightly unclear with them. The sand is to blame.
Judging by the comments of tourists, plankton nibbles in the sea (typical for Tay). Feels like a mosquito bite, there are no marks on the skin. Tourists also talk about the rare influx of tiny jellyfish. But we did not notice anything like this in three trips.
Allergy tip: put antihistamines in the medicine cabinet |
When is the best time to go?
High season: from November to March
The average daytime temperature is + 31.5 ° C, minimum precipitation, maximum sun, calm elements, but (!) Crowds of tourists and a big price tag. The peak occurs during the winter months. For example, we were in February.
Rain season: from May to October
It is still warm, with an average of + 31.5 ° C. But not the most luxurious time for a family vacation - the weather gets worse, often storms. Advantages: pleasant prices in general (July, August). The sea from the endjoy list will have to be deleted and replaced by a pool, too dangerous a pleasure during this period.
The first time we went was in May - we liked it, such an off-season. The rains did not last long, for 10-15 minutes during the day, or a little longer at night - they did not interfere with rest).
But in Thailand, you can safely relax in the summer. And even if it's not Phuket, good weather remains in Pattaya and on the islands! For example, here is our article about prices in Pattaya or a guide to holidays on Koh Samui - from a local 🙂 |
We reviewed the best beaches in Phuket
Pros and cons of staying in Karon
Above there were many, many words and information. For your convenience, we briefly summarize the advantages and disadvantages of Karon Beach (Phuket), based on reviews in 2019-2020 and personal experience. But it is worth / not worth taking a ticket - decide for yourself, based on the wishes.
Pros:
+ 5 km long beach
+ clean sea (especially in winter)
+ white crunchy sand
+ inexpensive fruit market
+ you can always find a more or less secluded place (outskirts)
Minuses:
- no nightclubs and discos + quiet village evenings
- from time to time oncoming plankton
- expensive transport (if without a bike, of course)
- shortage of hotels on the first coastal
