rawai travel information guide

Rawai Beach is popular with locals, thai and foreign, who come to enjoy seafood and the lovely view of the islands from the shore. More lay back than the west coast beaches, Rawai host quite a few of Phukets foreign expats.

In the days before Phuket became a popular holiday destination, Rawai Beach was where locals from Phuket Town would come to enjoy the seaside. These days, the beach itself is not that nice with many small boats anchored off the shore, although it is safe to swim all year round due to its position facing Phang Nga Bay.

At the eastern end of the beach is a sea-gypsy village which has a small fish market. Here you can also buy local handicrafts and assorted Thai snacks. The nearby viewpoint at Laem Phrom Thep, the southernmost tip of the island, is particularly popular at sunset.

Rawai offers a wealth of different restaurants. You can choose from inexpensive and causal to alfresco dining at the high end resorts.

For a pampering experience, visit one of the many resort spas in Rawai area.

Laem Ka
Just north of Rawai beach is a small rocky bay, known as Laem Ka, which is popular with locals at the weekend. It's a slightly better beach than Rawai, although guests staying at the nearby Evason Resort & Spa are ferried across to the resort's private beach on Bon Island.

Rawai is a center for chartering boats for fishing and diving trips as well as for trips to the nearby islands such as Koh Lon, Koh Kaew, Koh Aeo, Coral Island and Koh Racha. At low tide, collectors often come to Rawai looking for seashells.

Should you wish to stay in this charming part of the island, Phuket Villas & Homes offers exclusive villas for rent within the internationally renowned 5-star Evason Phuket and Six-Senses Spa in Rawai.