HAT RAWAI AND ITS ISLAND

The eastern side of Laem Promthep curves round into HAT RAWAI, Phuket’s southernmost beach and the first to be exploited for tourist purposes. Twenty-five years on, the developers have moved to the softer sands of Kata and Karon and returned Rawai to its former inhabitants, A few bungalows still open here, but most visitors come either to eat seafood in one of the open-air seafood restaurants on the beachfront, or hire a long-tail out to the islands offshore. Of these, Khai Nok Island, Hai (aka Coral Island), Racha Yai Island and Racha Noi Island are good for snorkeling and diving – the visibility and variety of the reefs around Racha Island in particular compare with those off Similan Island further up the Andaman coast, and make a popular destination for Phuket’s diving centers.