Nopparat Thara Beach

Long beach at the western edge of Ao Nang, zoned as a national park. Nopparat Thara beach is effectively divided in two parts, separated by a river that hosts the Hat Nopparat Thara Pier, where longtail boats and speedboats depart to Phuket and other islands. The western half is located in the neighboring Nong Thale sub-district. It is mostly surrounded by forest and a few resorts, and hence extremely quiet. The eastern half, located in Ao Nang, is lined with hotels, restaurants and shops, although not as much as Ao Nang beach. In the section of the beach closer to the pier, there are more businesses catering to Thai, rather to Western visitors, making it a good place to look for budget food. Nopparat Thara is a quieter alternative to Ao Nang and excellent for a morning stroll or watching the sunset, but the beach gets rather narrow at high tide, and it is a good idea to ask the locals if it is jellyfish season before plunging in if no one else is in the water. Near the river, during low tide you can walk up to some of the nearby craggy limestone islands like Kao Pak Klong.