Situated just a couple of minutes north of Patong Beach, Phuket’s busiest and most famous resort, Kalim Beach is virtually a continuation of the island’s most popular destination. Despite their close proximity, the two beaches are poles apart when it comes to human activity.

While Patong Beach is packed day in, day out, particularly during the high season months of November through until April, the beautiful Kalim Beach is virtually deserted, offering those who come away to get away from the hustle and bustle of crowds the perfect place to escape and unwind.

The northern part of the beach is very rocky and is also home to an extensive coral reef, both of which are covered by the sea until the tide recedes. The remainder of the beach consists of fine, white sand and is one of the smaller beaches on the west coast of the Pearl of the Andaman.

During peak season, visitors to the beach will find a limited number of sun beds and umbrellas on Kalim’s soft sands, with the majority confined to the center of the beach.

Should sun seekers on Kalim start to feel peckish, they won’t have to travel far to pick up some good, cheap local cuisine.

Behind the beach is Srisoonthorn Road, the road that links Heroines’ Monument with Patong. A number of Phuket residents operate mobile food carts and temporary restaurants on the beach side of the road, serving up tasty Thai food at good prices with the bonus of a beautiful view of Kalim’s white sands and the turquoise Andaman Sea.

During the monsoon months from May until October, the northern end of Kalim Beach is exposed to fairly strong winds, creating a reasonable amount of surf.

In 2009, the first event of the inaugural three-part Quiksilver Thailand Surf Series, the Monsoon Riders, was held at Kalim, attracting surfers from all around the Asia-Pacific region to participate in the fledgling surf competition.