As many visiting holidaymakers know, Phuket is an island blessed with some big beaches. The kilometres-long stretches of tropical west-coast beaches, including Patong, Kata, Karon and Kamala, are famous around the world and their sands have been trodden by millions of bare feet.
Though few undiscovered places remain in Phuket, there are plenty of smaller, more remote beaches offering barefoot travellers some peaceful and picturesque escapes. Here are some of our favourites.
Laemka Beach, Rawai
Less than one kilometre north of Rawai Beach, Laemka has long been a popular haunt for locals looking for a scenic picnic spot, but it’s often overlooked by tourists. Arriving to Laemka’s main beach at the end of Soi Laemka Yai, there’s a rather spooky sense of dereliction. On the beachfront sits a restaurant long since shut down and there are some empty, decaying bungalows up the hillside. The beach itself, however, is a fine patch of sand with a few vendors selling coconuts, drinks, snacks and renting out sun beds. A fine family escape, the tiny bay is shallow and safe for swimming. There are some annoyances that disturb the serenity here, namely tourist boats blithely motoring to shore a bit too close to swimmers and uncollected trash in places, but overall an afternoon spent at Laemka is sure to soothe the senses.