Kata Beach

The Kata area can be considered as three main sections, the long, sweeping Kata Yai Beach to the north, the smaller and more secluded Kata Noi to the south and the thriving Kata town which sits to the west, inland and well off the beaches.

Kata Yai
Kata Yai Beach is approximately 1 km long. Much smaller and less crowded than Patong Beach. The main road runs from Kata center at the end near Karon Beach all the way to Kata Noi. In Kata center you can find many shops that sell tourist gifts. These shops can be grouped into Gift, Suit, Music and Massage. Restaurants are well priced and food is good. Bars start further on down the road towards Kata beach.

There are more hotels than meet the eye and walking around for a couple of days you will find even more guest houses. This does not mean that Kata is packed with tall hotels.

Kata beach has safe swimming and does not have any dropoffs. It is safe for children and non-swimmers. But always take notice of the flags that fly, they will let you know if it is not safe to swim. There is a coral reef on the right hand side of the beach that goes out to Poo (crab) Island. Sitting on the beach and looking right you may see local fishermen on the rocks trying to catch their supper.

Kata Noi
Quite a contrast to big sister Kata Yai, this lovely little beach is hidden away over the headland to the south and gets but a fraction of the crowds you'll see elsewhere. This is in part because the beach is dominated by a massive resort owned by the Kata Thani group, but there is also a smattering of budget accommodation just off the beach.

Kata Noi is a reasonable place to escape the rest of Phuket, with just about nothing in the way of nightlife, and, as already mentioned, relatively low crowds. Even in high season, when the water can be like a millpond, the beach is rarely busting at the seams. During offseason, when the sea can get pretty rough indeed, chances are you'll have the beach largely to yourself, though swimming is for able-swimmers only.

Kata Centre

The town area behind the two beaches is a bustling little area packed with restaurants, bars, internet cafes and travel agents. Home to the bulk of the budget-orientated guesthouses and hotels, after Phuket town, Kata Centre is where you'll be at if a cheap room rather than a beach view is what you're after. If you're planning on setting up in Phuket for a while, be sure to ask after longer-stay rates, as many of the guesthouses offer discounts for weekly and month-long stays.

While the eating and drinking options on both Kata Yai and Kata Noi are limited, that's not a problem in Kata Centre where a wide range of bars and tourist-orientated eateries are on offer -- there's nothing too outstanding, but at least the bill won't leave you in tears. In the evenings some of the bars get pretty raucous, so bear that in mind when considering any room within earshot of a bar.

Get around

Taxi and Tuk Tuk cost around the same price.

What to See

The local market which is on Thursdays just off the main Kata road. Here you will find the locals buying their fish and spices. A very interesting place for the first time traveler to Thailand. Beware the shrimp paste. At one end of the market near the main road to Chalong you might just see an old man shelling coconuts with a very old, and dangerous looking machine.

Try and find the sauna in the jungle. It has an old copper water boiler that looks like a kettle, there is a cafe there and a plunge pool. They put tree bark in the water to make the steam smell like menthol sometimes. The sauna can be found on the right, about 10 minutes walk at the south end of Kata along the road that takes you to Chalong Bay.

What to Do

Diving and Snorkeling
There is a great shallow snorkeling and diving location on the North side of the bay. Information and equipment is available from Phuket-Diver. They also provide SNUBA diving, which lets people try diving without much time or expense and it is reportedly safer than scuba diving.

Surfing
Fantastic surfing. In the rainy season.

See Hotels in Kata Beach