Karon Beach is located on the south part of Phuket, between the popular beaches Patong Beach and Kata Beach. That makes it a really good place to stay if you want to explore south of Phuket and famous attractions like Big Buddha and Wat Chalong.
At the same time, the beach itself is long and wide (like many other beaches on Phuket), making it a great place for a relaxing beach holiday. Combined with its convenient location, Karon Beach is an ideal base for exploring south of Phuket.
The Beach
Karon Beach is about 3 km long, so it never feels too crowded. The sand one the beach is nice and soft, but the waves can get pretty big, so watch the flags if you’re planning to swim.
Along the beach you’ll find plenty of sun chairs and umbrellas and every now and the, vendors are walking by selling snacks and souvenirs.
One thing to know about Karon Beach is that there’s a road separating the beach from the town. That also means that it’s just a few hotels with proper beach access. That’s a difference from the northern beaches like Bang Tao Beach and Mai Khao Beach where most of the resorts sits right on the beach.
I did like the south part of the beach the best, it’s a bit hidden with less people. There’s also not that many sun chairs and no parasailing, which adds to the calm atmosphere. At the far end oft the beach you’ll find Beyond Karon which is one of the few hotels with direct beach access.
What to do in Karon?
Although Karon is one of the largest areas on Phuket, there’s not much to do here. They have kept it quite low-key, without shopping malls or other larger attractions. But one thing I recommend you to do is visit Wat Karon, the main temple.
I went there during the day and it was quite sleepy with nothing going on. Later in the day, there’s a market in the temple area, so I highly recommend you combine the two if you go there.
Another fun thing you can do in Karon is to play some mini golf at Dino Mini Golf, which is very popular with kids. It’s located along the road towards Kata Beach.
The course is full of dinosaurs and clever obstacles. I went around midday and got completely drenched in sweat, so it’s much better to go in the evening when it’s cooler. The lights make the course even more fun, and they also have a little show.
A Day Trip to Big Buddha and Wat Chalong
One of the best things about Karon is all the attractions nearby. Two of the most iconic ones are Big Buddha and Wat Chalong.
Big Buddha is a large Buddha statue that sits on Nakkerd Hill behind Karon. There’s a hiking trail up to the statue from Soi 14, but most tourists visit it as part of a day tour.
You have to go around the hill to get up toBig Buddha. It’s pretty steep, with some other attractions along the way like a shooting range and Tiger Park. But it’s well worth it because you get an amazing view of the southern part of Phuket from the top.
Unfortunately, there had been a landslide when I was there, so the entrance to Big Buddha was closed. It was still possible to get to the parking lot, but not to go close to the statue.
When you come down from the hill it’s just a short drive to Wat Chalong, the largest and most visited temple on the island. The buildings are very beautiful, with lots of small statues and intricate decorations.
It’s free to go inside the main building, which has different floors with rooms full of Buddha statues and amazing wall paintings.
At the top you get a great view over the temple area. There were a lot of people when I was there, which took away a bit of the charm.
The temple area is built on concrete, so it gets very hot and there’s barely any shade, so make sure to bring some water.
I think it’s worth seeing, but the number of tourists takes away a bit of the beauty. If you don’t like heat and crowded areas, maybe skip this one.
Some Less Known Attractions Near Karon
I really like to find some hidden gems when I travel and Phuket might not be the best destination for that. It feels like every corner of the island has been explored. But there are still some places where you can escape the crowds.
One thing I recommend is to rent a motorbike for these places. I ordered a Grab myself, but it’s a bit inconvenient and it’s much easier to just stop at nice places along the way.
Windmill Viewpoint
Windmill Viewpoint sits on a hill above Nai Harn Beach and although I wasn’t alone, there were just a handful of people there. The view is amazing, overlooking Yanui Beach and the south of Phuket. There’s a small shop, but apart from that it’s basically just a viewpoint.
Yanui Beach
While you’re there, make sure to go down to Yanui Beach. It has a completely different vibe than Karon, with some restaurants on the road above the beach. It’s very calm and relaxed.
Eat Dinner at the Restaurants in Rawai
While you’re down south, don’t miss visiting Rawai. It’s about a 10-minute drive from Yanui Beach and it offers the same laid-back vibe.
You have to go a bit along the beach road before you see the restaurants, but there’s plenty and they all serve excellent food. Last time I was in Phuket, I had my best meal here with seafood from the nearby market.
Dining options in Karon
One of the pros of staying in Karon is the large selection of restaurants. There’s restaurants everywhere, and most places serve Thai food, but there are also plenty of steakhouses, Italian restaurants, and other options, so you will definitely find something that suits you. If you choose a hotel in the south of Karon Beach, you can easily go to Kata for even more options.
Two places I really want to recommend are Dinner in the Sky and On the Rocks. Dinner in the Sky is a unique restaurant experience where you eat dinner in the sky, which can be interesting and fun to try. It’s located along Patak Road, close to Paradox Hotel.
On the Rocks is a nice little restaurant in the southern part of Karon Beach. It’s a bit hidden but has amazing views over the beach, especially at sunset. The vibe is a bit more high-end, so dress up just a little—it feels really special.
Where to Stay in Karon?
I recommend staying in the southern part of Karon Beach. It’s calm and a bit more relaxed, with fewer tourists and sun chairs. My go-to hotel for couples would be Beyond Karon. It’s also nice that it’s so close to Kata, so you can easily go there if you want to explore more.
Most of the area above the beach is dominated by a handful of resorts, like Pullman and Thavorn Palm Beach Resort. If you stay here, you’ll have a great location.
The hotel areas are so large that you never feel like it’s crowded. At the same time, you just have to cross the beach road to get to the beach.
One downside, especially at Pullman, is that even though the resort itself is close to the beach, your room might not be. You might still have to walk a bit to get to the beach, restaurants, and other facilities.
Getting around Phuket
Getting around Phuket is fairly easy, but you should know your options. Tuk-tuks are parked along Beach Road, but they’re quite expensive, around double what you’d pay for a taxi via Grab.
I preferred using Grab. It’s very popular in Phuket and really easy to use. I often found a driver within five minutes, and I really liked that the cars had AC, which made getting around much more comfortable. I ended up using it all the time.
I also tried the Phuket Smart Bus to get from the airport to Karon. It was cheap, only 100 baht, while a taxi wanted 900, but it took quite a bit longer, probably about an extra hour. It’s fine for getting between beaches, but if I did that trip again, I’d just take a Grab.
