Stretching along the northern coast of the small island of Koh Hey, around nine kilometres south of the southern tip of the main island of Phuket, Banana Beach is one of the principal day-trip beach destinations for visitors based on the southern Phuket coast. The beach takes its name from the curved banana-like shape of the white sand strip, which arcs across approximately seven hundred metres of the northern coast and forms one of the most photogenic small beach landscapes anywhere in the surrounding Phang Nga Bay area. Koh Hey, sometimes anglicised as Coral Island, is a small undeveloped island covering around three hundred and fifty hectares of land. The island is uninhabited apart from a small day-trip resort facility on the northern coast and a small national park ranger station, providing the principal undeveloped beach experience available within an easy boat trip of the main Phuket resort area. The island lies within the Hat Naiyang National Park and is subject to the standard environmental restrictions on construction and on the disposal of waste material. The beach is reached principally by speedboat or longtail boat from the southern Chalong Pier or from the smaller Rawai Pier in the south-eastern corner of the main island of Phuket. The standard boat journey takes around twenty-five to thirty-five minutes each way depending on the type of boat and the prevailing sea conditions. Most visitors travel as part of an organised day-trip package that includes the return boat transfer, one or two additional snorkelling stops at the surrounding coral reef and a beachside Thai buffet lunch. The principal beach activities include conventional swimming and sunbathing on the gently sloping white sand beach, snorkelling along the inshore coral reef immediately offshore from the beach, banana boat and parasail rides organised by the various small operators based on the beach, and a small selection of jet ski rentals available from the central beach desk. The water is generally calm and clear during the principal dry season between November and April, with visibility typically between five and fifteen metres along the inshore reef. The supplementary facilities along the beach include several beachside restaurants and bars, a small Thai souvenir market, the various beach loungers and umbrella rentals and a small first-aid station near the central pier. The beach is principally a day-trip destination, with most visitors returning to the main island of Phuket by the late afternoon boat services. A small overnight option is available at the Coral Island Resort at the western end of the beach for visitors wanting a more extended stay in the otherwise undeveloped island environment.

Type: Beach

Address: Koh Hey, Phuket, Thailand