Karon Beach Or Kata Beach: Which To Stay In?

Are you planning a trip to Phuket but need help deciding which area to stay in, between Karon Beach or Kata Beach?

Karon Beach and Kata Beach are the two most frequently compared areas in Phuket, as they are very similar and just minutes apart.

While they share many characteristics, the two have a few subtle differences.

I’ve spent one month in both Karon and Kata Beach through my many visits to Phuket. This gave me enough time to get familiar with the atmosphere of each area, local restaurants, and things to do!

a tall palm tree standing high amongst many plants in Karon Village, Phuket

views of condos and hotels, the ocean, and many trees from a Kata Viewpoint in Phuket

Karon & Kata Beach: Main Differences

Both beach areas boast beautiful shores, plenty of activities, shops, restaurants, and everything visitors need for a great experience. However, there are a few key differences between them.

Karon Beach Advantage: Karon Beach features a significantly larger stretch of sand compared to Kata Beach, offering more sun loungers for rent and plenty of space to find a quiet spot to relax. In contrast, chair rentals at Kata Beach are more limited.

Kata Beach Advantage: Kata Beach has a more vibrant street landscape, with numerous streets to explore that help reduce crowd congestion. Karon Beach, with only two main roads, often experiences heavy tourist traffic, resulting in fewer shops and dining options compared to Kata.

Both Karon Beach and Kata Beach are among the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, featuring spacious shorelines, numerous amenities, soft sand, and crystal-clear waters.

Kata Beach is renowned for its surf-friendly waves, while Karon Beach offers calmer waters. Additionally, Kata Beach has a variety of street food options along the road leading to the beach, which are not available at Karon.

For an ideal beach day of relaxation, I favour the Karon Beach, however it’s hard to deny the convenience of street food at Kata!

the sun pealing through clouds with several beachgoers in Kata Beach, Phuket

Best Things To Do in Karon & Kata

Due to their close distance and similarities, Karon Beach and Kata Beach offer many of the same activities.

Kata Beach is popular for surfing, with waves that are ideal for beginners looking to learn. In contrast, Karon Beach features calmer waters ideal for those who aren’t strong swimmers and families.

The two beach areas are only a 5 to 8-minute drive apart, making it easy to travel from Karon to Kata for various activities and vice-versa. Alright, let’s look into the highlights of things to do in each area!

Regardless of where you choose to stay, don’t miss the famous Old Phuket Town Sunday Market!

Things to Do in Karon

Beach Day: Spend a relaxing day at Karon Beach, where the expansive shoreline offers plenty of room to unwind under a tree or rent a chair for the day. Enjoy activities such as jet skiing and parasailing available right on the beach.

Karon Park: As the largest park in the area, Karon Park is perfect for an evening stroll, featuring a large pond at its center and several nearby street food stalls.

Beach Volleyball: On the main strip, you’ll find 20 volleyball courts where you can join a game or simply relax, people-watch, and catch the sunset.

Karon Temple Market: This vibrant night market occurs biweekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, offering a variety of street food, souvenirs, and unique items to purchase.

Bazar Karon: Open every night, Bazar Karon is the ideal spot for beach gear and clothing, along with numerous open-air restaurants serving delicious BBQ seafood.

a stunning sunset setting in with several palm trees and a small statue of a man with a hat in Karon Park Phuket Thailand

Things to Do in Kata

Beach Day: Spend the day at Kata Beach, sunbathe, grab some street food mid-afternoon on the street, sit back, and relax. Or perhaps take beginner surf lessons, since Kata Beach is known for surfing!

Kata Beach Viewpoint: Hike to this breathtaking scenic viewpoint, where you can see the entire Kata area and beach from above it’s worth the workout, trust me!

Big Buddha: No matter where you choose to stay in Phuket, visiting the Big Buddha is one of the best things to do in Phuket. Luckily, it’s in Kata, you can take a taxi or hike there. The hike takes around 90 minutes.

Kata Night Market: Opened daily at 5:00 PM, the Kata Night Market is full of many street food, souvenir vendors, fresh fruit stalls, seafood restaurants, and more!

Dino Park Mini Golf: Lush green mini golf course with an artificial jungle, the perfect place for some family competition.

the famous tall white big buddha of phuket on a clear sunny day

Hotels & Resorts

From boutique hotels and large resorts to high-rise modern accommodations and budget-friendly hostels, both beach areas provide a variety of options for every traveler.

Best of all, because Karon and Kata Beach are small, most hotels are within walking distance of the main beach. This means you can easily access the beach no matter where you stay.

Where to Stay in Karon Beach

Le Meridien Phuket: A stunning modern 5 Star beachfront resort with many amenities and a private beach area

JonoX Karon: Ultra modern hotel minutes away from the beach, beautiful rooftop pool, and very well-priced

Karon Sino Hostel: Budget-friendly hostel a short walk away from the beach, next to many restaurants

Where to Stay in Kata Beach

Katathani Phuket Resort: Beautiful 5 Star beachfront resort, full of many activities and amenities

Blu Pine Villas: Modern boutique-style hotel offering villa rooms close to many excellent restaurants

Nonnee Hostel: Rated best hostel in Kata; spacious rooms, great communal area, and a lovely pool in the center of the hostel

evening time along Karon Beach with tourist on the beach and mountainous range in the distance

Several shops and tourist shopping, eating along the road as the sun is setting in with palm trees in the distance in Kata Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Restaurants

Both Karon Beach and Kata Beach are home to a fantastic array of restaurants, offering everything from local Thai cuisine to Italian, Mexican, and Turkish dishes, ensuring a wide variety of options for every palate!

Make sure to explore the street food and night markets, you’re in a Thailand, the night markets here sometimes have the best food! Here’s a shortlist of my favourite restaurants in each area.

Where to Eat in Karon Beach

PINTO Karon: Known as the best Thai restaurant in Karon, Pinto serves up all the classic Thai dishes with beautiful presentation.

EAT Bar & Grill: Steaks, hamburgers, BBQ foods; this is the spot to go for modern-western BBQ; try the Wagyu steak with truffle sauce.

Napoli in Vespa Phuket: Italian restaurant best known for the wood fire oven pizzas.

Noodle House: Small local restaurant serving classic Thai noodle bowls.

table full of Thai Dishes, Pad Kra Pow, pineapple friend rice, and coconut curry with rice being served at Pinto / Best Kata Beach restaurants

pizza and pasta being served at table with a street view at Napoli in Vespa restaurant in Karon Village Phuket

Where to Eat in Kata Beach

The Pad Thai Shop: A local Thai restaurant known for its limited menu but delicious dishes.

Oh San Ramen & Izakaya Kata: Japanese Tapas restaurant offering various ramen bowls, sushi and more.

Istanbul Restaurant Kata: Classic Turkish cuisine, BBQ meats, fresh bread, and classic breakfast.

Pomodoro Pizza Restaurant: Popular pizzeria known for its pizzas, and pastas.

For more restaurant recommendations, refer to Kata food guide!

various traditional Thai dishes being served at The Pad Thai Shop restaurant in Kata, Phuket

Nightlife

If you’re looking for a destination with vibrant nightlife, Karon and Kata Beach may not be the best choices.

Both areas are quieter, attracting families and travelers seeking a relaxing beach experience.

The nightlife in Karon and Kata primarily consists of night markets, bars, and pool halls, with some venues featuring live music performances.

While you won’t find the bustling nightlife of more crowded areas, both areas offer a laid-back atmosphere perfect for unwinding after a day in the sun!

If you want to party until the early hours, you can always take a grab or taxi to Patong!

Karon Beach Nightlife

Walkabout Sports Bar
The Garage OG Phuket
Karon Aussie Bar
O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

Kata Beach Nightlife

Mee Bar
Back Cat’s Bar
My Bar is Your Bar
AllStar Aussie Sports Bar

several tourist purchasing food from various food vendors at Kata Night Market in Phuket, Thailand

How to Get Around in Karon or Kata

Besides renting a scooter, here are the most efficient and cheapest ways to get around Phuket.

Phuket Smart Bus: This local white bus operates on the West side of the island, driving and stopping at all the popular beach areas, including Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon, and Kata.

Each beach area has designated stops, so make sure to wait there. The bus stops around every hour and costs 100 Baht/$2.88 US – Check the Schedule

GRAB: Popular ride-sharing app you can download the app and find a ride quickly. It is safe, efficient, and one of the best ways to get around Phuket.

Song Taew (local Blue Bus): The local blue bus picks you up and drops you off anywhere you want along the route. Stand on the side of the road and wave for the driver to stop; once you’re at your destination, press the button and pay the driver 30-50 Baht (they’ll tell you).

It operates from Old Phuket Town and outwards from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and frequents each route approximately every 30 minutes (sometimes slightly longer).

Tuk-Tuk/Taxi: The fastest way to get around Phuket is by taking one of the many red tuk-tuks you can spot all over the island, and remember to negotiate!

TIP: If you need to know what to pay for a taxi, use the Grab or Bolt apps and negotiate based on the price you see in the app!

old couple walking along the Karon Beach boardwalk in Phuket at sunset amongst clear skies and palm trees / best things to do in Karon Beach

Final Thoughts

Personally, I slightly favor Kata Beach as an area over Karon because it’s more lively and easier to walk around. But Karon has the more excellent beach overall.

If you haven’t decided, here are a few parting words that may convince you to stay in one area over another!

Solo Traveler: Both beach areas are great for solo travelers, if you appreciate a quieter area, stay in Karon Beach instead of Kata Beach.

Couple: Karon and Kata Beach are excellent for couples, you can’t go wrong with either choice.

Family: Both areas are equally ideal for families. However, I’d slightly favor Karon over Kata due to the calmer area atmosphere and larger beach shoreline.

Group of Friends: Kata is better for a group of friends; Karon is too quiet. Just make sure you understand that Kata Beach is still very much a couple/family-friendly beach area. It’s not the place for late-night parties, for that, you’ll have to head over to Patong for the evening!

a busy extensive beach shoreline full of people at Kata Beach and a mountain range in the background in Phuket, Thailand, is Phuket expensive?

Can you walk from Kata to Karon Beach?

Yes, you can walk between the two areas, but it can be a long trek depending on your starting point, typically taking 15 to 30 minutes.

For a quicker and more convenient option, it’s best to take a taxi or tuk-tuk between Karon and Kata Beach.

What is Kata Beach known for?

Kata Beach is renowned for being one of the best surfing spots in Phuket. Beyond its surf-friendly waves, the area is celebrated for its laid-back, walkable atmosphere, making it a fun destination for couples and families.

How far is Karon Beach to Kata Beach?

From the main part of Karon Beach to Kata Beach, it’s a 4 km distance and an 8-minute drive.

Happy & Safe Travels

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