Naiyang beach Phuket

Chilled out beach near Phuket airport

The best beaches on Phuket’s are along the west coast. Patong beach is the main tourist area, some people love it, plenty more hate it. Any beach north or south of Patong is quieter and the northern beaches are less developed than the beaches south of Patong. Naiyang beach is quite far north and still pretty quiet. It was once deserted, now it has enough development to be a nice place to stay without feeling crowded. The vibe is reminiscent of Kata beach ten years ago, more chilled out reggae bar than trendy beach club. More independent traveler than mass tourist.

Naiyang is a long beach. It’s  location just south of Phuket International airport makes it a popular place to stay for just one night for anyone in transit, may be with an early morning flight or a boat to catch to the Similan islands.

Naiyang beach falls within the purview of the Sirinat National park which affords it some protection from development.

A couple of popular resorts in Naiyang are the Naiyang Beach Resort and the newer Dewa resort. There are also lots of cheap guesthouses.

In a recent purge by local authorities a lot of restaurants that were encroaching on the beach have been removed, but you can still find plenty of great places to eat. Plus lots of street side food vendors whether you fancy papaya salad, barbecue skewers, grilled chicken, pancakes, fruit smoothies etc.

Naiyang beach Phuket – things to do

• Eating. Seafood restaurants on the beach. Picnics under the casuarina trees. Or cheap street food.
• Kite surfing and surfing (during the south west monsoon May to October). The surfers can actually make Naiyang busier in the low season than the high season.
• Watching the planes take off and land from Phuket international airport. It keeps the kids entertained.
• Cocktails on the beach at sunset. It keeps the adults entertained.
• Watching the local fishermen mend their nets. They fish on the outer reef by longtail boat.
• Watching turtles nest on the beach. This is rare to see but Naiyang is a turtle nesting ground. If you see a turtle laying eggs in the sand at night please do not disturb it, instead report it to your hotel or to the Phuket Marine Biological centre.
• Beach dives or snorkeling. If the sea is calm it is possible to dive from Naiyang beach. There are a couple of local dive shops. They may also run snorkeling excursions.

The next beach north of Naiyang is Maikhao beach, to the south is Naithon beach.