Nai Yang Beach

Nai Yang Beach is without a doubt the most convenient of the northern Phuket beaches if you're visiting for longer than a day trip. There's a growing number of affordable guesthouses plus tour offices, mini-marts, motorbike rentals, and yet more tailor shops. Most shut down during the low season which is especially quiet in northern Phuket. Western restaurants like Green Pizza and Rodeo Steakhouse have opened along the beach road, but you'll get a more satisfying meal from the food stalls along the beach. Some have English menus, prices are low, and you get to eat sitting on a woven mat on the sand looking out on the beach.

Nai Yang Beach is also home to the headquarters Sirinath National Park which stretches across some 90 square kilometres between Naithon Beach to the south and Mai Khao to the north. The park was established to protect Phuket's sea turtles, but they're fighting a losing battle. North of town you'll find the visitor's centre, new bungalows, and public washrooms. Camping is also permitted.

Is noted for its impressive forest of tall casuarina trees, and as a picnic spot for Thais. Mobile food and fruit venders gather around the perimeter of the park and do a brisk business especially on weekends.

As throughout southern Thailand if you find a beach that is popular with local Thais it will also have a wonderful selection of grilled seafood stalls and other Thai munchies and Nai Yang Beach is no exception.

During low tide swimming can be good and a large coral reef a short distance offshore harbors a considerable variety us sea life and seashells are known to wash ashore here, especially after a monsoon storm.

Nai Yang Beach has a very different feeling than beaches to the south. The Pearl Village Hotel across from the beach usually has an elephant in residence that will give you ride on the beach and splash water on you for a few baht. Nai Yang is usually the last beach stop on the north beach safari.

Getting to Nai Yang Beach

Nai Yang Beach is just a five-minute drive south of the Phuket international airport and is very popular with Thai locals.

From the south of Phuket island, drive north along Thepkrasattri Road and drive straight through Thalang. Turn left at the second set of traffic lights towards the airport. At the end of this road turn left and then immediately right. You are now on the road to Nai Yang Beach.

At the end of this road, you have a choice of turning right into the national park area or left towards the more developed hotel area.

What to Do + See

Sirinath National Park stretches across some 90 square kilometres between Nai Thon Beach to the south and Mai Khao to the north. The park was established to protect Phuket's sea turtles, but they're fighting a losing battle. While the main visitor's centre is on Nai Yang Beach, the park also has a small mangrove section right at the northern tip of Phuket, near the bridge to the mainland. The mangroves have an elevated walkway built through it so you can wander through and observe the mangrove habitat. While it's not worth the drive all the way north just to see, if you happen to be in the area, it's worth a peak.

The second of the two national parks on Phuket, the waterfalls and jungle hiking paths of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park make for a fine day trip. Ton Sai falls is just inside the park gates, but a disappointing drip from November to April. You can swim in the chilly water of the larger Bang Pae falls which is a only a 15 minute walk into the jungle. A 200B entrance fee is collected at the gates, but a heads-up to early risers, the gates are unmanned before 9:00.

Also located within the park is the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre. This is a centre for gibbons seized from poachers, not a monkey show, so don't expect to be able to handle these endangered primates. They don't see a cent of the park admission fee, and even have to pay rent to be there. The centre does noble work and is run by entirely volunteers, so consider making a donation or buying something from the gift shop -- they have postcards, stuffed animals, and t-shirts (200 baht).

See Hotels in Nai Yang Beach