Nai Harn Beach in Phuket - entertainment, hotels, how to get there

Nai Harn Beach is one of the best beaches in Phuket, located on the southwest coast of the island. It is neighbored by the beaches of Ao Sein and Yanui. The English-language term “longstay”, which has recently been increasingly used by Russian tourists and means a long stay in a beautiful, tranquil and relatively inexpensive place, fully describes it.

Indeed, it is a charming place surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. In addition – it is the only beach on the island, along which the highway does not pass. Once you’re there, you can forget about most of the trappings of man-made civilization. There are no strollers blowing around with exhaust fumes!

General beach characteristic

Nai Harn Beach is a strip of sand about seven hundred meters long and just over fifty meters wide. Most of it is free all day, the sunbeds are located quite compactly, only near the hotels. It occupies the entire northeastern shore of a rather vast bay, and the northern and eastern are forested hills. Its entrance from the southwest is enclosed by a large wooded island.

All in all, the view from the hotel windows might well inspire some movie director. To the south the strip of sand is interrupted by a wide stream from the lake, around which the park is laid out. It’s where the natives love to spend their weekends.

The Nai Harn area of Phuket has a pretty good tourist infrastructure. There are several restaurants and cafes, bars, places where you can exchange currency and immediately spend it in souvenir shops. For lovers of outdoor activities there are sports fields. But the motor boats and jet skis, disturbing the idyll of the waves and roar of motors, in the water area of the bay is not so much.

If you prefer active and noisy hangouts, Nai Harn Beach in Phuket may disappoint you. But for those who like to spend their days and evenings relaxing on the veranda of a restaurant or bar, there’s no better place to be.

Depths-and-waves-in-the-water

The place is great for family holidays with kids in Phuket (except in low season due to frequent waves). The depth increases very smoothly, and with the beginning of high season in Nai Harn Bay, the calm prevails. Therefore, the water is clear and has an azure hue. The sand is light beige and fine. It is pleasant to walk on it. From the beginning of the summer to late autumn, the picture changes exactly the opposite: the bay looks like a boiling cauldron, and the relief of the bottom contributes to the emergence of reverse currents. Throughout the low season, the shore is festooned with red flags and warning signs.

Entertainment

Entertainment on Nai Harn Beach is there, but not much choice. You can be offered the standard range of water sports, there are Thai massage parlors and stores. The merchandise for shopaholics is not particularly inspiring. Most of the assortment consists of things that might come in handy on the beach – swim trunks, swimwear, flip-flops and sunglasses. There are also souvenirs. If you get really bored, you can walk up to one of the two travel agency desks and order a Phuket tour, as well as at Krabi or at Phi Phi.

Some more traffic and shopping opportunities are offered by the village of Nai Harn, a kilometer from the shore. Gourmets in particular will love this trip: the restaurants in Nai Harn Beach will delight them with authentic Thai cuisine. True, you won’t find hypermarkets or shopping malls here either.

Sightseeing

There are no sights in Nai Harn Beach. They include a lake next to the shore and a park around it with a small Buddhist temple in the traditional Thai style.

On the north shore of the bay, a wind turbine generator – the only one in Phuket – catches tourists’ attention. Next to it is the “Windmill” viewing platform, which can be reached on foot by climbing the hillside. The journey will take no more than half an hour. A bonus is the view over the bay. There is a gazebo at the site where you can relax in the shade. There are two more viewing platforms on the south shore. One is closer to the beach and the other is on Phromthep Cape. The coastal highway leads there. There is a tiny beach in between.

Three kilometers east of the beach, near Rawai village, there is a folkloric tourism center. It is a settlement of the so-called sea gypsies. There is a fish market and you can buy unique souvenirs.

Best hotels near Nai Harn Beach on Phuket

Hotels by Nai Harn Beach are not cheap. They are on the north shore of the bay. The ones closest to the beach are All Seasons and The Royal Phuket Yacht Club. But while the first has direct access to the beach, the second is located above the coastal bluff, on the hillside. Slightly further from the coast is Sunsuri Phuket, which has the largest pool.

If you are interested in budget accommodation, then just across the pond begins Nai Harn village (about 15 minutes walk from the sea there). There you can find a cheap hostel. A distance from the beach will compensate a considerable number of bars and restaurants, stores and massage parlors. It is a quiet village, one- and two-storey buildings are prevailing, there are not many cars and there is no crowds of people in the streets.

Tip! You can search and book the hotel that suits you best at Hotellook.ru or RoomGuru.ru. These are two large aggregators who work with many booking systems (Booking, Agoda, Ostrovok and others) and directly with hoteliers.

Cheap
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With a sea view

How to get to Nai Harn Beach

There are several ways to get to Nye Harn Beach. We’ll touch on just three main departure points – Phuket Town, the airport, and the rest of the beaches.

From the island capital-Phuket Town

The beach is twenty kilometers southwest of Phuket Town. There are municipal bus routes between the village and the metropolis. The bus station is located on Ranong Street. The car stops under every palm tree, picking up passing passengers. Therefore, such a short trip can take an hour and a half. It will take you all the way to the beach.

If you have a rent a bike in Phuket or car in advance, follow the Chao Fan Tawan Tok (farther from the shore) or Chao Fan Tawan Aok (shorter) to Chalong village. From here, you will need to follow the road signs. Take Wiset Street first, then turn off at Sai Yuan and go in a general direction southwest, keeping the lake on your left. You will arrive at the Sunsuri Phuket hotel, it is about a kilometer to the sea.

From Phuket Airport

Taxi or transfer to Nai Harn Beach is the best way to get from Phuket Airport, because the journey is not a short distance, about fifty kilometers. The trip will cost from 900 baht, so it is better to find companions and divide the cost for all. Minivan drivers who run to Kata Beach usually refuse such trips. But your personal charm and a few dozen baht on top can solve the issue. Just don’t overpay, because it’s only a fifteen-minute drive from Kata to Nai Harn.

Try the transfer

Try to book a transfer to the beach through KiwiTaxi.ru. The essence of this service is that after making an order, at the appointed time you will be waiting for the driver at the airport with a sign in his hands, which will be written with your name in large letters. Its main advantages are help with luggage, comfort, speed, safety, provision of a child seat. The minus is that it is a bit expensive for one person.

From other beaches – Kata, Patong, Karon…

Municipal transport does not run between the beaches. So look for it on your own. You can find taxi, songteo. The coastal highway will take you to the right point. From Kata Village, Kata Sai Yuan Road takes you in the direction you want to go.