Everything you need to know before you visit Nai Harn beach
When it comes to beaches in Phuket that remain largely untouched after decades of tourism, yet still possess glorious white sand and crystal clear waters, it is hard to beat Nai Harn Beach. Hidden between lush green hills, Nai Harn has long been a favourite location for both locals and expats and its not difficult to see why. We’ll delve into the reasons why Nai Harn Beach is one of the top things to do in Phuket right now:
It’s Never too Busy
When you venture to Nai Harn beach you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the space afforded. This includes during the peak season when the majority of beaches throughout Phuket and Thailand are filled to the brim. While December and January at Nai Harn can get a little bit crammed for space, overall, in the high season you’ll comfortably be able to find some space.
Plenty of dining options
Nothing builds up an appetite more than a day on the beach. Thankfully, Nai Harn Beach and its surrounding streets provide a range of eateries to choose from. The majority of these establishments are located along the beach and shaded by the greenery that surrounds the area. As for which eatery to choose from, the choice really only need come down to which view you prefer as all options provide classic Thai dishes at affordable pricing and are guaranteed to satisfy your hunger.
If, however, you are looking for something a little different then we’d highly recommend venturing down to the end of the beach and dining at the Rock Salt restaurant. Located within Nai Harn resort, the food is slightly pricier but well worth the experience as the view is unmatched. If you venture down after sunset then we’d highly encourage you to take a spot on the rooftop bar – a fantastic way to end your day at Nai Harn.
Activities around Nai Harn
Don’t be worried about having time to spare when traveling to Nai Harn Beach. If the sun gets a little overbearing and you fancy venturing off the beach, you’ll have much to witness in the surrounding area. We’d suggest starting by capturing a glimpse of the region with a Birdseye perspective, with a number of viewpoints recommended to accomplish this feat. You can’t go wrong at the Windmill Viewpoint, or the Black Rock Viewpoint – although be warned that this will require a bit of an effort to reach from Nai Harn Beach – both in travel time, exploration and climbing (so consult Google Maps!).
A bit further down the road, the Promthep Cape is well worth a visit. This is especially advantageous in the late afternoon before the sun sets in so that you can witness the greater Phuket region in all its glory in the early evening. The scenery that the Cape provides combined with the beautiful setting sun is impossible to beat.
For those looking for a more religious experience, venturing to the nearby Wat Nai Harn Temple will afford the opportunity to open up your spiritual side while feasting your eyes on this historic and gorgeous temple.
Where to stay near Nai Harn
Due to the close proximity of Nai Harn Beach to many other tourist locales, there are not a vast number of options of places to stay. However, those few options available to tourists are absolutely superb. Some of the best hotels in phuket lie within this region. These include the Nai Harn and the All Seasons and both offer a magnificent stay combined with excellent service. Our pick of the two would be Nai Harn. While we have heard great things about the All Seasons, we can only speak from experience about the former.
Nai Harn offers all guests a stunning sea view, with sunsets viewable from the very long balconies that each and every room provides. The restaurants and bar are also first class and well worth leaving you room to dine in during the later hours of the day when looking for some R&R.
Stroll around Nai Harn Lake
Nai Harn lake is well worth the visit if you are looking for a beautiful walk after a visit to the Nai Harn temple. During the day the lake is used by many runners, in large part due to its flat terrain. At the southern end of the lake you’ll likely find some nice food stalls offering corn on the cob, chicken kebabs and fruit drinks. Also, to the south of the lake sits a large workout area containing a few machines in case you prefer to work out more than just your legs.
Nai Harn lake also shines during Loi Kra Thong, a famous Thai event that involves the floating of candlelit flowers on body of waters throughout the Thai region. If you happen to be in Nai Harn during Loi Kra Thong then we highly recommend heading down to the lake in order to take in the masses of candle-lit flowers making their way across the lake.
How to get to Nai Harn
The journey to Nai Harn can be quite an enjoyable one. It affords visitors to the Nai Harn region with a scenic drive through (and over) lush hills complete with winding corners.
If traveling to Nai Harn from the Kata region, you will find some great activities along the way. Most relate to forest adventure and the most common revolve around ATV and motor cross trail riding. From the Phuket Old Town region the journey is much more straightforward and largely uneventful and can be completed in approximately 40 minutes.
A small minority travel to Nai Harn from the South (it is so close to the South that the majority come down from the North), yet most of these people will venture up from Rawai. There are 2 ways to get to the Nai Hai Beach from Rawai:
Front Route – If you travel this way you’ll drive past Rawai Beach and up towards Promthep Cape, from the Cape you only need travel past Ya Nui (a great little hidden beach) and then you are there.
Back Route – Generally not much to see if you chose this route with the exception of the local Rawai village but our preference is definitely the Front Route if you want a better entry into Nai Harn
Summing up
Nai Harn is definitely worth a visit if you are considering travelling to the South of Phuket. The lack of crowds (compared to other great Phuket beaches) is a major advantage and the chief reason why we always look to take our friends and family down this way in the peak season. It is also a great choice for those looking not to rely on a Phuket boat tours to visit a fine beach in the Phuket area although we would highly encourage anyone who does venture to Nai Harn Beach not to neglect Phang Nga Bay, Phi Phi or Krabi on a boat tour as these are also well worth a look.
We hope you’ll consider a trip to Nai Harn Beach, we’ve yet to take someone down there who hasn’t walked away with a smile on their face and we’d expect you to have the same experience as these fortunate souls!
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