phuket magazine

 Nai Yang Beach in the north

Top of the Island, No Crowds Here  

Only two hotels, and just a short distance from the airport

Nai Yang is another of those quiet Phuket beach areas that boasts its entirely own, and very distinct atmosphere. This is far from the maddening crowds of Patong – and if you are one of those who find action-packed places like Patong maddening, this might be the right place for you.  

Herein lies the secret of enjoying a really good Phuket holiday: choosing the right beach to suit your personal tastes. The island is big, and there are so many places offering different atmospheres, which thus give entirely different holiday experiences. If the kind of young couple who enjoys the exciting buzz of Patong finds themselves in quiet and tranquil Nai Yang, they will probably hate their Phuket experience as much as a couple seeking complete solitude would hate being stuck in Patong. So choose carefully.

While Nai Yang does not offer the deep waters that the beaches further down do, it is good for swimming during high tides. At the back of the beach is an expansive, park-like area shaded by casaurina trees. Massage ladies work their finger magic on mats here, visitors sleep in the shade on their beach towels and vendors sell cold beers, snacks and simple but tasty foods. It is relaxed. It is quiet. It's a brief stroll back to the two hotels here, the Pearl Village and the Crown Nai Yang Suite Hotel. The rooms in Pearl village are set in a series of low-rise blocks spread through gardens surrounding a pool. Crown Nai Yang is a single block building, with large apartment rooms that make this an ideal family resort.

The wide, leafy park separating the hotels and beach further enhance this as a family-type resort, or one for people who don't want to do much on their holiday except relax. If you want some of each, i.e. a far-off, quiet corner like this, along with and other activities and attractions you will have no choice but to rent a car and drive. The distance from Nai Yang to Phuket Town is about 30 kilometres, and about the same to Patong. From Nai Yang one has the option of driving down the entire West Coast of the island, a trip of grandeur and beauty as the road winds over headlands and down to beaches.

There is a national park here at Nai Yang, though one would hardly guess it. The designated area is tiny, and is much like a well-used picnic area beside the sea. Don’t expect anything wild.

One of the great advantages of Nai Yang is proximity to the airport. While visitors in the south have an hour’s ride to their hotels, Nai Yang is just five minutes away.