Surf is up on Kata Yai, Phuket

Taken on: 22nd April, 2011. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See travelfishery's page of Flickr

Read more about Kata Beach

Phuket's famous Kata Beach is actually made up of two main beaches, the Club Med dominated Kata Yai Beach and the Kata Thani dominated Kata Noi Beach.

In both cases the large beachfront hotels dominate the landscape, moreso in the Kata Noi case as the Kata Thani is on the beach side of the road and does a good job of making beach access as difficult as possible — at least Club Med has a road between it and the sand. In both cases though, the beaches themselves are not restricted and there's plenty enough sand for everyone — once you get onto it!

Of the two beaches, Kata Yai (big Kata) is the better beach with soft, super fine sand meeting turquoise water which swings from a millpond in dry season to a small surf beach in the wet. More protected than Karon Beach to the north, Kata still gets currents and novice swimmers should be careful — if the red "Do ... Read our complete Kata Beach travel guide

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