| NAI HARN Nai
Harn Beach, home to the Phuket Yacht Club, is a secluded area near the tip of
the Island and is home to many of the local ex-pat residents. There are few places
to rent for short term. A Buddhist monastery is centred
here: Samnak Song Nai Harn. During monsoon season swimming can be dangerous as
there is a steep drop-off close to shore and strong undertow. Other times it is
a great place for swimming. RAWAI Rawai Beach
lies around Cape Prom Thep from Nai Harn and is a working beach. Here you will
find traditional long-tail boats and modern speedboats for hire. Also along here
are many Thai beach restaurants where you sit on mats along the water's edge eating
grilled chicken, fish, clams and mussels, whatever's the fresh catch of the day.
On the weekends many of the local Thais come here to picnic
and vendors roam up and down selling everything from sausages and dried squid
to ice cream, fresh fruit, sodas and shaved ice treats. At the east end of this
beach there are a number of shops selling sea shells and other tourist items.
A sea gypsy village is located here also but it is not
recommended to visit these people who are in the process of being supplanted by
tourism. A couple of hotels and bungalow resorts are found along Rawai with their
accompanying restaurants. CHALONG Chalong
is the main gateway to the southern end of the island. From Chalong Circle five
roads lead out: north to Phuket (ChaoFa Rd East and ChaoFa Rd West which goes
past Siam Safari and Wat Chalong), east just a bit to Chalong Bay, south to Rawai
and Nai Harn and west past the BaanChang Safari and PaintBall/Shooting Range/Cobra
Show and across the mountains to Kata/Karon. There is a
main pier here although it is currently under major construction until 2000-01
as well as an Immigration Check-point for incoming yachts. Many of the dive operators
depart from here. Chalong is a centre for many of the resident
ex-pats on the island and has the flavour of a combination Thai-European village.
There's a great local early morning market and in the evening near the circle
is a vendor market featuring all sorts of curries and Thai foods. Local buses
heading to all points of the southern end of Phuket pass around the circle and
there's a motorcycle taxi stand there as well. | 
