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South Phuket,
Nai Harn & Chalong Bay
 Everywhere
on Phuket Island is beautiful but the south part of the island is straight
out of a tropical daydream. The southern coastline is blessed with magnificent
mountains covered with lush jungle forest that stretch out to meet the
azure blue sea and are framed with white powder sandy beaches and fringed
with coral reefs. When you see a photograph of Phuket, it is likely to
have been taken in the south part of the island. The southern beaches
offer superb vistas and some of the most glorious sunsets in the world.
The South Coast Area covers the part of the island
that lies south of Relax Bay on the west and then across the island to
include the Cape Panwa area. Many of the best hotels and restaurants in
Phuket and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are located
here.
Places
of Interest
For a guaranteed remote beach experience that will
rival anything you will find on the offshore islands, give this
beautiful little beach paradise a try. You might be able to reach
Nui beach on a mountain bike or motorcycle but it is not recommended.
It is certainly not to be tried on a standard rental motorbike like
a Honda "Dream". The trail is deceptively steep and you
will fight the whole way to maintain traction on the loose soil
and gravel on the path. The safest way to enjoy this truly beautiful
and pristine beach is by walking the 2km trail to the beach. It
is a beautiful but fairly steep climb as you walk around and down
the rocky headland to the beach below. To get there: Follow the
road south from Kata to the main lookout pavilion and continue down
the road about a half kilometer and you will see a small parking
area and sign for Nui Beach.
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The white sandy beach is clean and rather quiet,
nestled in a small bay with striking views. Except for the exclusive
Phuket Yacht Club complex, Nai Harn is not as developed as other
south coast beaches. This is due in part to the Samnak
Song Nai Han, a monastic center in the middle of the beach
that claims most of the beachfront land. This beach has a reputation
of being dangerous during the monsoon season but it really varies
according to daily weather changes. Watch for the warning flags
and use some common sense. A number of food venders here offer inexpensive
but quite tasty food.
A small bay lying northwest of Nai Harn Beach.
The rather unusual entrance to this beach ensures that it will remain
a secluded little hide-away that few tourists will find. To get
there you must pass though the gates of the Phuket Yacht Club Hotel,
drive through the underground parking lot on the left and continue
on through the hotel to a very narrow and rough road that winds
along to the northwest about 1km to Ao Sehn. The beach is small,
clean, and dotted with rocks large and small -- very romantic. A
great picnic place.
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A sleepy little hide away with interesting rock
formations and good snorkeling from the beach. Located at the bottom
of the hill between the Promthep viewpoint and the wind powered
generators on the next hill to the west, this beach is easy to drive
past. Only a small restaurant and parking lot are visible from the
road but walk past them a few feet and you are rewarded with a beautiful
sheltered bay framed with large rock formations and a coral reef.
Being located at the southern tip of the island only a few minutes
drive from most of the hotels, this little beach is one of the best
kept secrets on the island.
 ‘Prom’
is the Thai word for the Hindu God ‘Brahma’ signifying purity
and ‘Thep’ is Thai for God. Promthep is a headland stretching
into the sea and forming the extreme south-end of Phuket Island. It has
traditionally been the prominent feature for mariners approaching the
island. No trip to Phuket would be complete without taking a few photos
of the breathtaking panoramic vista overlooking the southern tip of the
island. The best time to visit is as the sun sets over the Andaman Sea.
But don’t miss the sunrise if you can make it there at that hour,
as many people feel it is even more spectacular and the crowds are a lot
smaller. The view is practically irresistible for photography since the
bay reflects images of coral reefs as the waves in changing hues break
upon rock boulders.
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Is a favored picnic spot for Thais who flock to
the seafood stalls sitting under the trees that shade this narrow
but picturesque bay. The beach is not so great but the water is
shallow and safe for children and it is protected from the wind.
There are many longtail boats and speed boats anchored here that
you can hire to make trips to the nearby islands. Try to find one
with life jackets because when the wind picks up the seas can become
quite rough.
 This
calm and serene bay offers shelter to a fleet of boats from sailing yachts
to tour boats seeking shelter against strong winds. It is also a famous
take-off to well-known islands like Phi Phi, Coral Island, Mar Thon Island,
Racha Island and the dive sites of Dok Mai and Shark Point. It bustles
with activity from the crack of dawn till 9.00 am as the boats leave for
their destination of the day . From 4.30 to 5.30 PM this bay is again
quite busy with the passengers returning from their offshore island tours.
Seaside restaurants by the pier attract bus loads of tourists in the evening
after they have been to see the famous sunset from Promthep Cape.
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Is a small and hilly island located four km east
of the capital and separated from the main island by a canal. The
main attractions are a village of Sea Gypsies which occupy the Tokay
Beach, and a giant hill-top reclining Buddha. Fishing villages and
prawn farms are found along the coast where mangrove forests provide
shelter and homes for fish, crustaceans, and shells.
 Is
Phuket’s most important Buddhist temple and is the biggest and most
ornate of Phuket’s 29 Buddhist monasteries. The architecture is typical
of wats found throughout Thailand. Wat Chalong is associated with
the revered monks, Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, both of whom
were famous for there work in herbal medicine and tending to the injured.
During the tin miners’ rebellion of 1876 they mobilized aid for the
injured on both sides. They also mediated in the rebellion, bringing the
warring parties together to resolve their dispute. Statues honoring them
stand in the sermon hall (viharn). Many Thais come here to be blessed
by the monks and receive a good luck charm in the form of a string tied
around the wrist, which they believe protects them from injury and illness.
Many local Thais and Asian tourists will set off
fire crackers and ask for the lucky lottery numbers, and have their
fortune told. Just inside the main hall on the floor before the
image are two cans of what looks like shaved bamboo chopsticks.
Pick one up and shake the can back and forth rhythmically until
one of the sticks works its way to the top and falls to the floor.
Read the number, then walk around the corner to the right where
there is a wooden cabinet on the wall. Open the drawer with the
corresponding number and take one of the slips of paper inside.
Get someone to translate it for you or hold onto it until you get
back to your hotel where the desk clerk can translate it. Also on
the floor are several pairs of red wooden blocks made from bamboo
roots and shaped like twin halves of a mango. These help you make
decisions. Pose a question that requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’
answer. Toss the a pair blocks in the air and watch how they land
on the floor. If both land with the same side up the answer is ‘no’;
if they land, one up and one down, the answer is ‘yes’.
Whichever form of divination you choose, be sure to leave a donation
at the alter. It will go towards the upkeep of the shrine.
From the Chalong traffic circle take bypass road
Why 4021 3km (2 miles) and Wat Chalong is on the right.
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