Quiet Beaches in Phuket - Ao Sane and Ya Nui

Quiet Beaches Part I - Ao Sane and Ya Nui

The main tourist beaches of Patong, Karon, Kata, and to a lesser extent Kamala and Bang Tao will not get too much mention on this blog save for hotels (such as the Dusit Laguna on Bang Tao beach) or places to eat (such as BBQ Hut in Patong. The main west coast beaches contain most of the hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and shops, so no matter where you stay or go during the day, it makes sense to visit these at some point or even stay at a hotel on a main beach and travel out each day to explore.

There are many small or quiet beaches on Phuket Island, some have development, some have almost nothing. Among those I like include Naithon, Nai Yang, Layan and Surin. If you want something real small for a day's relaxation, try one of these:

Ao Sane Beach

Reached by a winding cliffside road from Naiharn (you have to drive through Royal Phuket Yacht Club), Ao Sane is a tiny beach with some bungalows for rent and a small restaurant. There's even a tiny dive shop. The views are great, the water always seems quite clear and is good for snorkeling. There is limited space for parking vehicles, and when we have been there we've only seen a few other people. The bungalows were hit by the tsunami, but have been rebuilt and the restaurant serves decent food (nothing special, but not bad). The beach is rocky, with large boulders buried in the sand. It really is quite scenic, and is always quiet. My only gripe is that the bungalow/restaurant owners don't seem to bothered about keeping the beach clean.

• Ao Sane Beach location on Google Earth

Just a little further is a unique accommodation option - the Baan Krating Jungle Lodge, set in the trees overlooking the sea, a real jungle getaway.





Ya Nui (Yanui) Beach

This place has a special place in our hearts. We have photos of our daughter here with my parents back in 2003. The beach was wiped out by the tsunami and many of the small bungalows were destroyed. It's not far from Ao Sane and Naiharn, in the same SW corner of Phuket - it's a very nice area to drive around with several beaches, views and quiet roads.

At Ya Nui there are some bungalows again now, and it's usually quiet. We went last time in April and there were just a few people there as we watched a great sunset. It's a lovely little beach, again quite rocky with little rockpools where the kids enjoy finding little fish and hermit crabs.




Ya Nui Beach Links

• Ya Nui Recovery Project
• Ya Nui Beach location on Google Earth
• Ya Nui Bungalows
• Ya Nui Resort