Where should I stay on Koh Tao for a diving course?

Sairee Beach. Most dive schools are based there, many bundle accommodation with courses, and being able to roll from bed to briefing to boat is exactly the convenience you want mid-course.

Which part of Koh Tao is best for non-divers?

Chalok and the southern bays for calm swimming and an easy pace, or an east-coast cove like Tanote if snorkelling is your thing — some of the island's best reef sits within fin-kick of the beach.

Is Koh Tao good for families?

Yes, with the right base. Chalok Baan Kao and Shark Bay offer sheltered, shallow water and a quieter scene than Sairee. Just note the island is hilly and taxis are pricey, so pick a bay you're happy to mostly stay in.

Do I need a scooter on Koh Tao?

Not if you stay on the west side — Sairee and Mae Haad connect by an easy flat walk. For the east and south coasts you'll want wheels or boat rides, but be honest about your riding: Koh Tao's hills are steep and its roads unforgiving for beginners.

Where to Stay in Phuket: Which Beach Suits You

Pick the coast before the hotel

Phuket is fifty kilometres long, and the drive from the airport in the north to Rawai in the south takes well over an hour. That single fact decides more about your week than any hotel review: a cheap room in the wrong place costs you two hours a day in a minibus.

Sino-Portuguese shophouses in Phuket old town

The west coast holds almost every beach worth the name, strung from Mai Khao in the north to Nai Harn in the south. The east coast is where the island works — piers, boatyards, the old town — and where almost nobody swims. Choose the west, then choose how loud you want it.

Transport

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Quick guide

Which beach

Patong — nightlife, everything walkable, never quiet
Kata and Karon — families, mid-range hotels, good swimming
Nai Harn and Rawai — quiet, long stays, local restaurants
Bang Tao to Mai Khao — big resorts, empty sand, need a car
Phuket Town — cheap, characterful, no beach

Patong, Kata and Karon: the busy middle

Patong is the loud one and makes no apology for it. Everything is walkable — bars, tailors, massage shops, the beach itself — and it is the only part of Phuket where you genuinely do not need transport. If you want quiet, it is also the worst possible choice.

Kata and Karon sit just south and are the family compromise: wide sand, restaurants along the road, a manageable amount of noise. Karon is longer and calmer, Kata smaller and more social with a surf scene from May to October.

Good to know

Before you book

Check the distance to the airport: the north is 20 minutes, the south is 75.
The west coast has real rip currents from May to October — respect red flags.
Taxis are the most expensive in Thailand. A hotel within walking distance of dinner saves real money.
Sea view is worth paying for on the west coast; on the east coast it is a view of boats.

The quiet ends: south and north-west

Nai Harn and Rawai in the far south are where long-stayers end up. Nai Harn has the better beach, Rawai the better seafood and a working fishing pier, and both feel like a town people actually live in rather than a resort strip.

The north-west — Bang Tao, Layan, Nai Yang, Mai Khao — is resort country: long, near-empty sand and hotels built to keep you inside them. It is the right answer for a honeymoon or a week with small children, and the wrong one if you want to wander out for dinner.

Beach bar at sunset on Phuket's west coast

Frequently asked questions

Which part of Phuket is best for a first visit?

Kata or Karon. They have the swimming, the restaurants and enough transport to see the rest of the island, without Patong's volume.

Where should families stay in Phuket?

Karon, Kata or the north-west resorts. Karon has the gentlest swimming and a long flat beach; the north-west has the space but you will need a car.

Is it worth staying in Phuket Town?

For a night or two, yes — the old town is the most interesting part of the island. But there is no beach, so most people combine it with a coastal stay.

How far is the airport from the beaches?

Twenty minutes to Nai Yang and Mai Khao, forty-five to Patong, and an hour and a quarter to Nai Harn or Rawai in the south.

Where to stay in Phuket