Personal experience: what are the pros and cons of Karon? Why has it become a favorite beach for Russians? Our review, assessment and advice on Karon.
You are going to vacation in Phuket in 2021. The questions arise: which beach to choose? Which one is considered the best? Where is the sea cleaner? This article will answer your questions about the most popular beach in Phuket among Russian tourists - Phuket Karon Beach.
We visited all the famous beaches of Phuket and created our own ratings with ratings according to the criteria: infrastructure, cleanliness, entertainment, etc. We put the ratings on a 10-point scale and give comments and advice to each item.
Karon beach rating
| Criterion | Evaluation |
| Privacy | 6 |
| Silence on the beach | 7 |
| Nature | 8 |
| Purity of water | 9 |
| The cleanliness of the beach | 8 |
| Entering the water | 8 |
| Sand | 10 |
| Shadow | 5 |
| Beach infrastructure | 5 |
| Resort infrastructure | 8 |
| final grade | 7,4 |
Atmosphere
Privacy (6 out of 10). There are enough people here, mostly families with children. Mostly Russians. But the beach is wide and long, there is always a secluded corner.
Silence on the beach (7 out of 10). Tourists are quiet and calm. There is a secondary road near the beach, there is little transport on it.
Nature (8 out of 10). The bay is picturesque, you will have a rest overlooking two small islands.
Beach quality
Water purity (9 out of 10). When the sea is calm, the water is cleaner than Patong.
Beach cleanliness (8 out of 10). There is natural debris, but little.
Entering the water (8 out of 10) gentle, but the sea is deep. There are no rocks or reefs.
Sand (10 of 10) amazing: fine and squeaks like starch. The color is almost white, slightly yellowish.
Shadow (5 out of 10). There is a life-saving line of trees and palms in some parts of the beach. There is shade on the beach only until noon, then you will have to rent a sunbed with an umbrella or hide under the palm trees.
Beach infrastructure
Rating: 5 out of 10. As in the case of Patong, we put a fat minus for Karon: only 1 toilet and shower in the northern part, there are no changing cabins. There are no cafes or restaurants on the beach, just across the street. You can buy food and drinks from vendors. Prices in cafes and restaurants on the first line - from 70 baht for rice with meat. Visit the Yummy restaurant on the north of the beach for chic seafood noodles.
Rip currents and large waves are not uncommon during the rainy season in Karon, so warning flags are posted.
There are two playgrounds and exercise equipment - not all there is to lie around. Simulators are not popular, but we noticed some activity. The beach has standard water activities: parasailing, jet skis, banana rides, beach volleyball courts.
Compare Phuket and Pattaya: prices, beaches, sea.
Resort infrastructure
Rating: 8 out of 10. The resort is well developed and there is no shortage of cafes, shops, restaurants and night markets.
Entertainment at the resort. There is no variety like in neighboring Patong. The resort has excursions, massage parlors, karaoke, bars and clubs. Attractions include the Karon View Point, Wat Karon Temple and the Big Buddha statue. For children - mini-golf at Dino Park.
Night life. It is on Karon Beach, but the resort cannot compete with Patong.
Shopping weak. Visit the Shopping Sale Karon Plaza and the Karon Temple Night Market.
Food on Karon
Tourists write that food prices in Karon Beach are higher than in Patong. It seems to us that they are the same. Of course, it all depends on the level of service and the status of the establishment. We ate at the seaside restaurant: seafood noodles from 90 baht, fried squid - 120 baht, garlic fried rice - 60 baht.
Hotels in Karon Beach
On Karon Beach, you will find hotels of different price categories - and even close to the beach. Here are examples of hotel prices:
High season prices 2021 | Low season prices 2021 | |
| Guesthouses away from the sea | from 16 $ | from 16 $ |
| Guesthouses closer to the sea | from 22 $ | from 19 $ |
| 1 star hotels | from $ 31 | from 20 $ |
| 2 star hotels | from 16 $ | from 15 $ |
| 3 star hotels | from 25 $ | from 17 $ |
| 4 star hotels | from 41 $ | from 37 $ |
| 5 star hotels | from 89 $ | from 89 $ |
Hotel booking tips:
- Book in advance... Better 3-5 months before the high season - and there will be more choice and lower prices. You can book a hotel on the Roomguru search engine.
- Read reviews tourists when looking for a hotel in Karon - so you will learn about the important details.
Map of Karon Hotels
Tours to Karon - 2021
Tours to Karon cost from 65 thousand rubles in high season (7-10 nights for two in a 2-3 * hotel, departure from Moscow). Look for them on Travelata and Level.Travel services - they find the lowest prices among all tour operators. Find out also how to buy tours cheaper >>
Our feedback and advice
Come on vacation in 2021 to Karon if developed infrastructure is important: there is a large selection of hotels, cafes and restaurants. It is not as noisy as in Patong, but you can have fun and have fun.
If you are not friendly with English, then you will still be comfortable on Karon Beach - almost every second vacationer at the resort speaks Russian.
There are also conditions for families with children: children's menu in restaurants, playgrounds, entertainment. But entry into the sea for children is not convenient - the depth quickly begins.
We do not recommend swimming in the low season: the sea becomes rough and rip currents appear.
Why has Karon Beach become so popular with Russians? We think it’s a matter of silence, tranquility and some intimacy of the resort. There is less nightlife, there is no busy road near the beach, but the infrastructure is developed almost like in Patong.
