Kamala
Understand
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Get in
See
At the middle of the beach, there is a small park with a tsunami monument.
Do
On the beach, you won't be able to get around a Thai massage. These are offered at small stalls along the beach, and the rate seems fixed (300 baht/hour). Even if you're not comfortable with a full body massage, don't miss out on a heavenly foot massage. Get one daily and help support the local economy while enjoying a pampering.
The Kamala wat is located at the south end of the beach and is almost unnoticeable. The temple and its grounds have been restored since the Boxing Day tsunami and the Buddhist locals and resident monks welcome curious foreigners. It was the Australian television program Backyard Blitz that helped restore the gardens of the wat after the tsunami. A memorial tree is placed in the garden with a dedication plaque and the walls of the main temple are a beautifully decorated story of Buddha. Visiting this wat can be an enlightening cultural experience. Pictures and events of the tsunami are displayed on a board for foreigners to see and the monks allow photos of the grounds as long as you're in the company of a local.
The extremely popular Phuket FantaSea is located in Kamala. Phuket FantaSea is an exuberant show/cultural theme park that combines the rich heritage of Thailand with unique 4D effects and animals. The park is 140 acres and presents a 4000-seat restaurant offering a grand buffet of Thai and international cuisine and a shopping street offering local products. The park operates daily except Thursdays and opens at 20:30.
If more entertainment is desired you can take a taxi to Patong; however taxis are unreasonably expensive ~500 baht one-way (but less if you bargain). Tuk-tuks are a simple and (sometimes) cheaper way to leave Kamala. Tuk-tuks to the more popular Patong cost around 300 baht. Some of the hotels provide an affordable shuttle to Patong.
Kamala Dive Center has half-day trips to dive sites around Kamala, like Kamala Rock, a boulder site with plenty of fish, Ko Weo- a small reef island, Tin Lizzy - a wreck of a dredger, and Tai Pau, a shallow sand bottom site. The dives are done by longboat and are often quite enjoyable with fewer divers and more fish as compared to other Phuket diving options.
Catching the local open-sided bus to Phuket Town or further is a cheap and cultural experience for travellers unwilling to pay for taxis or tuk-tuks. The bus is fantastic and cheap - if you are willing to share it with curious locals. In Kamala the bus runs every hour and passes along the main road. You need only to flag it down and jump through the back. You pay the driver at the end of your journey.
Buy
Most noticeable are about 20 to 30 tailors (including two just outside the Kamala Bay Garden Resort), which all try to guess your nationality and offer the "best and cheapest suits in Western fashion". Before entering one of them, you should be well aware what you want and what you are willing to pay for it. Upon delivery, you should check all the seams.
Eat
Kamala BakeryBreakfast place. The bakery has good breakfast options and tasty breads. Clean and with air-con. Not that cheap, and will charge 5 baht extra for a little jam. Not as pleasant as Rockfish, but the food is more substantial.
PP&POne Thai place on the beach that seems to get repeat visits from the locals who run the hotels. Absolutely worth it if you want quality, clean, and authentic Thai food at excellent prices (sometimes hard to find in Phuket). The chef, Wichet, a friendly English-fluent former cook at the Four Seasons is approachable and gregarious. His Thai dishes are packed with local herbs and spices, and all made fresh. Get the pomelo salad, the coconut chicken soup, and anything you want in his special red curry/tamarind sauce. Right on the water, he can organize a romantic dinner in advance.
RockfishFor breakfast. It is rather splendid, and not too cheap, but the breakfast special is only 99 baht for juice, coffee, and some breakfast (several choices).
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phone: +66 76 385371Beach side restaurant. Better known for its steaks and pizzas than for its Swedish food.
Drink
Sleep
Kamala beach has a lot of small bungalows and huts directly on the beach, at about 1,600 to 2,000 baht per night in the high season. If you don't want to book one of the bigger hotels, you should start with one night booked in advance and then look for accommodation yourself. Don't let some agency at the airport book rooms for you.
Budget
Benjamin ResortOn the beach. Includes breakfast (ham & eggs, toast, coffee, tea, fruit).
Mid-range
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Baan Chaba
phone: +66 76 279158address: 95/3 Moo 38 rooms. Kamala Beachfront ApartmentOn the beach with one and two bedroom apartments, breakfast not included, up to 5 persons per apartment.
Kamala Beach Hotel ResortOn the beach, very nice, clean rooms, friendly staff, and is affordable.
Splurge
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phone: +66 76 338777address: 15 Moo 6, Layi Naka Lay RdLuxury resort on the hillside above Kamala Beach on the west coast of Phuket. A range of accommodation options (from 1-6 bedrooms).
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Aquamarine Resort & Spa
phone: +66 76 310600address: 17/38 Moo 6202 rooms. -
phone: +66 76 310777address: 22/10 Moo 6Grand deluxe ocean view rooms, Air conditioning, cable, DVD player and Internet. Bar, restaurant, swimming pool, and spa.
Baan AndaraAbove Kamala Beach, part of a gated estate where you’ll find some luxurious homes. Each secluded villa owns their private pools and manicured gardens.
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phone: +66 76 385437address: 84/1 Moo 3 Rimhad RdAll rooms equipped with balcony/ terrace, air conditioning, phone and Wi-Fi. Restaurant, terrace, laundry service, and airport shuttle.
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phone: +66 76 325722-7address: 100/10 Hat Kamala Rd200 m from the beach, has a great pool with water slide, tasty hotel food, and all rooms are suites (choice of one-, two-, or three-bedrooms). 180 rooms.
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phone: +66 2 6776240-5, +66 2 6776246-7address: 16/12 Hat Kamala123 rooms.
Kamala DreamsAll rooms equipped with air conditioning, kitchenette with microwave oven, cutlery, crockery, and balcony/lanai/terrace. Charoen Seafood Restaurant, swimming pool, laundry service and Internet.
Villa AnalayaWith a big infinity pool and views of the beach.
Villa LibertySix room pool villa on Kamala headland.
Villa YinOn Kamala headland.
Connect
Most Internet providers charge 1 baht/minute, usually with a minimum charge of 10 baht.
Jackie Lee Tours charges 1 baht/minute and no minimum, and all the usual tours and events can also be booked here.
25 baht/hour in Kamala at 78/6 main road, opposite Club Euro. Coffee or tea, 10 baht.