samui magazine

Kata Beach is just south of, and over a small hill from Karon. These two beaches market themselves as a unit - 'Kata-Karon'.

Like Karon, Kata is trying to create the right atmosphere for the family market. There is a good selection of accommodation here, though there are many more smaller hotels and bungalows in Kata than full-facility resorts of the kind common in Karon.

 

While Kata has few large hotels there are many small bungalows and guesthouses on offer. Most are set back from the beach and clustered at the northern and southern ends, with some at the southern end set on a hillside with beautiful views out over the bay. About two thirds of Kata’s beachfront is occupied by the long grounds of Club Med, so access to the beach is from the ends. Happily, Club Med is a low-rise development set amongst the trees, which helps maintain the green and natural look of Kata. The view of Kata from a boat in the bay shows almost all trees, with few buildings visible.

There is a village atmosphere to the two commercial areas behind the beach, where we find numerous restaurants and bars. There are some beer bars with hostesses, but little of the sex business or wild nightlife so common in Patong.

Aside from Club Med, the only other large resort on Kata is the Kata Beach Resort which has an ideal setting directly on the beach, something few hotels in Phuket have due to the beach roads. Small, famous and beautiful - that’s the boutique hotel and restaurant called Mom Tri’s Boathouse, at the southern end of Kata. It’s the personal resort of one of Thailand’s top architects, and his special touch sets this place apart. This is so close to the beach that the restaurant manager has fallen off the restaurant onto the sand below while serving wine (The Boathouse has the biggest wine cellar on the island).

Behind the Kata Beach Resort and Mom Tri’s Boathouse is a hill with many smaller bungalows, and, further south, a couple of new resorts with many rooms at medium prices. One of the best established of these is Pop Cottage where two-star rooms are modern and cheap, with sea views.