Bangtao Beach

Bangtao Beach is the second longest beach on Phuket at over 8 km long. The northern half of the beach has been annexed by the ultra-luxurious Laguna Complex of five-star hotels, but there's still plenty of sand to share. Travellers without a super-sized budget shouldn't be scared off by this mega-resort as the southern stretch is home to enough mid-range options that Bangtao is still worth considering.

The area around Bangtao Beach was formerly tin-mining country and the Laguna Complex's artificial lakes are actually filled-in pits. Much of northern Phuket, Bangtao included, was almost completely abandoned when the mines ran dry. It wasn't until droves of tourists began to arrive that interest in Bangtao was re-sparked, and parcels of land were quickly and sometimes illicitly snatched up by property developers.

To this day controversy surrounds ownership of some parcels of land in both the Bangtao Beach area and sections of Khao Lak. Corrupt politicians and other people of influence have, across the country, often tried to take advantage of Thailand's sometimes vague land title system and Phuket has some prime examples of this type of abuse.

But swathes of dodgy land deals shouldn't bother slowly bronzing tourists and Bangtao Beach remains a fine area for a bit of bronzing. The beach is long and the waters calm. There's plentiful shade and in high season this area is a hit for water-sports.

Getting to Bangtao

Bangtao is about 40 minutes from Phuket airport and transfers can be arranged for about 600 Baht.

Get around

Getting around Laguna is easy and free. There are free shuttle buses between all the hotels and the shopping centre as well as a ferry service around the lagoon to most of the hotels and the shopping centre. Leaving Laguna for other places in Phuket is expensive as few Phuket taxis travel to this complex. There are chauffeured cars available but these cost 600 Baht each way to Patong or Phuket town.

What to See

The only two tourist attractions Kamala has to offer (besides the beach) are the Fantasea show and the Buddhist temple at the southern end of the beach.

At the middle of the beach, there is a small park with a tsunami monument.

What to Do

If you are looking to spend most of the time on the beach enjoying the sea, this is a very good place to be. Beach is quite nice and is not too crowded. Sea floor is nice and sandy. In the afternoons the water spectacularly recedes leaving a blanket of rocks at the left end of the beach for local fishing and a beautiful swimming area at the right end of the beach.

On the beach, you won't be able to get around a Thai massage. These are offered at small stalls throughout the beach, and the rate seems fixed (300 baht/hour, March 2007).

The Kamala Wat is located at the southern end of the beach and is almost unnoticeable. The temple and its grounds have been restored since the Boxing Day tsunami and the Buddhist locals and resident monks welcome curious Australians and foreigners. It was the Australian television program Backyard Blitz that helped restore the gardens of the Wat after the tsunami. A memorial tree is placed in the garden with a dedication plaque and the walls of the main temple are a beautifully decorated story of Buddha. Visiting this Wat can be an enlightening and cultural experience; pictures and events of the Tsunami are displayed on a board for foreigners to see and the monks allow photos of the grounds as long as you're in the company of a local.

The extremely popular Phuket FantaSea is located in Kamala. Phuket FantaSea is an exuberant show/cultural theme park that combines the rich heritage of Thailand with unique 4D effects and animals. The park is 140 acres and presents a 4000-seat restaurant offering a grand buffet of Thai and international cuisine and a shopping street offering local products. The park operates daily except Thursdays and opens at 8.30pm.

If more entertainment is desired you can take a taxi to Patong beach; however taxi's are unreasonably expensive ~500 baht one way (but less if you bargain). Tuk-tuks are a simple and (sometimes) cheap way to leave Kamala. Tuk-tuks to the more popular Patong cost around 300 baht. Some of the hotels provide an affordable shuttle to Patong.

Catching the local open-sided bus to Phuket Town or further is a cheap and cultural experience for travellers unwilling to pay expenses for taxis or tuk-tuks. The bus is fantastic and cheap - if you are willing to share it with curious locals. In Kamala the bus runs every hour and passes along the main road. You need only to flag it down and jump through the back - you pay the driver at the end of your journey.

See Hotels in Bangtao Beach