Kata Noi Beach

Kata Noi is the small bay just south of Kata, about 850 meters of soft white sand between two headlands, with Karon Viewpoint on the hill above it. The road in is a dead end past Kata, so nothing passes through, and the drop in noise and crowds is the whole point. If Kata feels like too much, this is where I'd go.

It's at its best from November to April, when the water is calm, clear and shallow, and families with small children can put a towel down without hunting for space. From May to October the southwest monsoon sends in bigger waves and strong currents. The north end picks up beginner surf then, lifeguards post flags during the day, and the red ones mean stay out. January to March are Phuket's driest months, and September the wettest at about 350 mm of rain.

Three resorts take up the beachfront. Katathani covers most of it, with low-rise wings and lawns running onto the sand, The Shore at Katathani has private-pool villas, and Mom Tri's Villa Royale is on the hillside at the north end. The sunbeds belong to the resorts and there's no public rental, so bring a towel and come early, because the shade under the trees at either end goes fast and the middle has none after mid-morning. Small restaurants, minimarts and massage shops line Kata Noi Road behind, and Kata Noi Resort is about a 500-meter walk from the sand.

The beach itself is free, like every beach in Thailand, and you can walk onto the sand from the road. Kata is about 1.5 km north, roughly 15 minutes on foot over a hilly road with patchy sidewalk, since a rocky headland blocks any path along the shore. Parking is a small lot at the southern end near Katathani plus a few spots on the road, so on high-season weekends I'd arrive before 10:00. Stay for sunset if you can. The bay faces west, and the bars on the hill toward Karon Viewpoint fill up before the sun goes down.