10 Best Things To Do in Karon

Karon Temple (properly known as Wat Suwan Khiri Khet, but often called Wat Karon) manages to keep a peaceful atmosphere, just off the busy Patak Road. Founded in 1895, it went through a major renovation and the addition of a 3-storey building that hosts monk’s dormitories, prayer hall and a large kitchen.

The ordination hall is set in a superbly decorated edifice surrounded by 2 naga (Thai mythological snakes) statues. There are many Buddha statues, images and paintings around the complex, with the black Buddha statue inside the building being quite unusual and rare. You'll also see colorful statues of monsters (or yak in Thai) from Thai folklore. Look out for the night market on Tuesdays and Fridays, with a great choice of stalls filling the expansive temple grounds.

On the borderline between Karon and Kata beaches, Dino Park is a fun entertainment center for kids and grown-ups. It has an 18-hole mini-golf course with different dinosaurs at each hole, which is challenging in parts but nevertheless doable for younger players. It takes about 40 minutes to do a full round.

Unwind and dine at COAST Beach Club at Centara Grand Beach Resort, a glamorous beach club, restaurant and events spaces at the northern end of Karon Beach. With its great seafront views, COAST Beach Club offers a laidback barefoot vibe, featuring a cocktail bar, restaurant and the cool breeze off the Andaman Sea.

Karon Beach is the only place in Phuket where you'll find beach volleyball nets set up every day for public use. Naturally, they're quite popular, and you can see locals and tourists joining in games most evenings. It's a good way to meet new people and have some fun. They're mostly busy around sunset when the temperature is down to a level where playing becomes less of an endurance challenge.

The art of Thai massage has deservedly gained a worldwide reputation for quality, and many visitors inevitably include it on their ‘must-do-in-Phuket’ lists. At Karon Beach, you'll find plenty of world-class spas and massage centres, with some therapists using special ingredients such as Royal Thai honey, black sesame and chocolate.

The most renowned spas are found on the grounds of the largest resorts, including the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach. A few standalone spa complexes like Body and Mind Day Spa are also extremely popular. For a more laid-back and affordable massage, you could also enjoy a beach massage; most of the masseuses practicing on the beach have excellent skills in kneading those aching limbs.

The Karon Beach naga statue is a landmark but it isn't exactly certain if this golden statue by Karon Beach is a dragon or a naga. If it's a dragon, it would be Hai Leng Ong – the mythic Chinese sea dragon which supposedly went to sleep and formed Phuket Island. The naga, meanwhile, is a creature of Buddhist mythology and is basically a giant king cobra, commonly associated with rivers. Either way, it's quite a dramatic statue and is especially beautiful at sunset.

Karon Park is mostly fitness-oriented, providing several simplified gym machines and a running track around the lake, a lot of which is shaded by trees. The lake itself is the star attraction, as it's one of the more popular places to celebrate Loy Krathong in November each year. The park and surrounding area is often the site of small festivals and fairs and there's convenient car parking for those visiting the beach.

Karon Temple Market occupies part of Wat Karon (Wat Suwan Khiri Khet)'s 12,000-square-meter compound in Phuket. Twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays), this lively market offers a wide choice of products and local food, giving a real insight into the local culture. Karon Market is similar to the famous Phuket Weekend Market, which takes place in Phuket Town’s southern suburb on Saturdays and Sundays.