Our apartment enjoys a unique location: nestled in Sirinat National Park, directly by a long and peaceful beach, neighboured by boutique and mid-sized five-star hotels and affordable dining and shopping options within easy reach.
When staying at our holiday rental apartment by Mai Khao Beach, you can’t imagine being on the same island as the better known, busy areas of Phuket. The area of our apartment is called Mai Khao (in English: white wood), by Phuket’s longest sandy beach. The beach of Mai Khao is called – well, Mai Khao Beach – sometimes also spelled Maikhao Beach.
When people mention Mai Khao or Maikhao Beach they most probably refer to the same place: village, beach and resorts between Phuket airport and Sarasin bridge which connects Phuket island to the mainland.
Location
Mai Khao is ideally located for the ones who prefer to avoid sometimes congested traffic of Phuket but still experience a true tropical paradise. Mai Khao extends to an area of roughly 10 km from north to south and our apartment is closer to the northern part of the beach, not far from five-star hotels such as Renaissance, Sala and JW Marriot.
Distances to some points of interest:
- Phuket airport 15 km
- Phuket Town 40 km
- Central shopping malls 40 km
- Patong Beach 50 km
- Khao Lak 70 km
- Krabi 130 km
Despite the short distance to Phuket airport, you don’t need to worry about the noise of the planes landing or taking off from the runways. The airport is still several kilometres away and runways are directed so that planes do not fly above Baan Mai Khao when approaching or departing from Phuket.
Things to do
For many, life in Mai Khao centers around beach, pool, water sports, beach massage, spa, food & drinks. However, Mai Khao Beach is a great spot for reaching out to experiences nearby. For golfers, Mai Khao is a great base: Blue Canyon Country Club, Mission Hills Phuket Golf Club and Laguna Golf Phuket in the northern part of Phuket are all within a short convenient ride. Diving and snorkeling excursion providers will arrange a pick-up from our apartment. If you visit Mai Khao Beach in the springtime and are lucky, you might see sea turtles crawling on the sand.
Restaurants & bars
Baan Mai Khao is neighboured by both five-star resort restaurants at Renaissance Phuket and Sala Phuket as well as simple local food stalls. You will find a nice variety of dining options and bars within walking distance. Even more alternatives are available in the area of Turtle Village and Mai Khao Plaza shopping centers, located 2 km from the apartment and accessible by free shuttle car.
Shopping
There are a handful of shops in Mai Khao within 2 km from the apartment and you can reach these with a free shuttle car. Be it a supermarket, 7-eleven, local fruit stall, souvenirs, beach accessories, pharmacy or Jim Thompson’s silk clothing boutique – you find it all there. Shops are at and around two shopping centers: Turtle Village and Mai Khao Plaza.
Weather in Phuket
When it comes to weather, there are three seasons in Phuket: Cool, hot and rainy. Temperatures basically never fall below 25 degrees celsius and typically you will enjoy the warmth of 30 degrees celsius or above.
Cool season begins in November and lasts until February. Cool season is for Europeans the most popular period to visit Phuket. Despite the name, the weather is not cool but for many very pleasant, temperatures ranging typically around 30 degrees celsius and only a few, if any, days with rain per month.
The hot season begins in March and lasts until May. Skies are blue and it is warm, but the sea breeze will cool you off. You will most likely experience day temperatures between 32-24 degrees celsius.
The rainy season begins in June and lasts until October. Despite its name, you may not experience any rain for several days in June-July. September is statistically the rainiest month of the year, with on average 20 days with less or more rain. For many this is a favourite time of year to visit Phuket: there will be fewer tourists, less traffic and prices for services may be lower compared to other times of the year.