Kata Beach Phuket: A Concise Travel Guide

Kata Beach is a 1.5-kilometre stretch of beach located about 20 kilometres from Phuket Town. This beach is located directly south of Karon Beach and is adjacent to the quieter Kata Noi Beach. Kata Beach is a busy beach, but it is much less hectic than Patong Beach and retains a more village-like charm compared to Patong. Different parts of Kata Beach are suited for different things, as tourists will see if they walk along the entire strip of beach.

For example, the northern end of the beach is mostly pure beach area where you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas to relax or even bring along your own beach mat to soak up all that beautiful sun. You will find many vendors along the whole beach selling food and beverages, as well as beach massage parlours where you can get amazing Thai-style massages to loosen up your tired muscles. If you are bringing young children to the beach, you may want to hang around close to the southern end of the beach where the sun is less intense later in the day, and where you can easily access toilets and shops.

In general, the waters of Kata Beach are safe for swimming and there are no sudden drop-offs in the water that could endanger your children or non-swimmers in your group. However, if you spot red warning flags along the beach, don’t go into the water as it is a warning that the rip tides can be dangerous at this area. The seas of Kata Beach in Phuket are the most pleasant to frolic in between the months of November and April, though surfers may enjoy the rougher waters brought on by the monsoon seasons between May and October.

There’s quite a number of activities you can do on the beach itself, besides what’s stated in the previous section. If you’re a water sports enthusiast, you will enjoy snorkelling, diving, stand-up paddling, surfing, and kayaking in the beach waters have a splashing fun time. Being a well-maintained beach, you would also enjoy just taking aesthetic shots on the beach, and let the kids in your holiday party have fun playing with the sand or swim in warm, inviting waters.

But don’t worry if you’re not much of a water person, or want more variety in what you can do near Kata. Leave your Phuket beach resort behind and explore local offerings at Kata town like Muay Thai classes, Thai cooking classes, as well as the local daily night market. You can also visit Wat Kitti Sangkharam, a local Buddhist temple located on the eastern end of Kata. This temple’s history goes as far back as 1832 and has gorgeous, bright infrastructure that is a sight to behold. Of course, you can also visit the more serene Kata Noi Beach for quieter reflection time, or visit Karon Beach to the north.