Phuket Airport Beach: Mai Khao

The plane emerged from behind a cloud and began to descend. After a couple of minutes, he was already very close, literally fifty meters above his head. The whole picture around suddenly became some kind of fabulous and unreal. The turquoise ocean, this deserted beach with yellow sand - and the plane is so close that you want to jump up and get it with your hand ... Today it's all about the beach near the airport in Phuket, a lot of photos, a map and our reviews.

Spectacular beaches near airports are very popular with tourists. Every adventurous traveler tries to take a couple of photos against the backdrop of azure sea and a giant steel car in the sky. Tourists in different resorts of the world occupy such patches of sand near the resort airports in order to enjoy the landing of the plane with hundreds of other people from all over the world. Not so in Phuket. The beach near the airport is called Mai Khao - and it is deserted. And such oblivion is completely undeserved, because there is wonderful clear water, coarse yellow sand and excellent views.

If you look at the map of Phuket, the airport will be in the upper left part of the map - in the north-west of the island. It is not far from the bridge that connects Phuket to the mainland, but quite far from the most popular resorts - Patong, Karon and Kata beaches. During our wintering, we lived in the center of the island in the village of Kathu. We went to the beach to the airport by bike, the road took about 40-50 minutes. At the end of the post there will be a map with marks, you can estimate the distance to the beach from different points in Phuket.

There are two ways to get to the beach. First: park in the southern part in front of the airport and walk closer to the runway for about ten minutes. The second way is better: after the airport, turn onto the narrow road between the airport terminal and the nearest resort and go straight to the northern part of the beach. From there, it's a five-minute walk to the strip, no more.

Mai Khao Beach is very long, about nine kilometers long. It and the neighboring Nai Yang Beach are part of the Sirinat National Park. Somewhere in the north of the National Park, sea turtles lay their eggs from November to February. There is also a center for the study of amphibians.

The beach area near the airport is good for swimming. The entrance to the water is gradual, there is coarse sand at the bottom, the water is clean and transparent. Small waves do not interfere with swimming at all. Mai Khao will be quite comfortable for children.

We were on Mai Khao in February, and there were no jellyfish in the water, unlike, for example, Kamala Beach, where swimming at that time was problematic.

There is absolutely no infrastructure on the beach in front of the airport. Water is sold in a nearby resort, and it is better to bring your own umbrella and bedding. There are no trees right next to the runway either, so you need to build a shade yourself. However, a strip of coniferous trees begins to the north of the airport, and it is quite comfortable there.

Mai Khao Beach is a great place for photo shoots because there are very few people around and no one flickers in the frame.

Now about the planes. Phuket has its own international airport. Charters and regular flights from all over the world arrive here. There are many planes, they arrive often, although during the day in the very heat you can observe a slight lull. We noted for ourselves that in the morning there are continuous landings. Planes land almost one after the other. After noon, a break of two or three hours, and take-offs begin in the evening.

Aircraft landing and takeoff schedule is public information. If you want to plan a good photo shoot in advance, go to the Phuket Airport website and print out the schedule.

Beach hotels near Phuket Airport:

The town near Mai Khao beach is quiet and calm, without a vibrant nightlife. There is a small market and small grocery stores, with a dozen cafes and restaurants. Not far from the airport there is a water park Splash Jungle. If you want to stay right next to Mai Khao Beach, you can choose one of several nearby hotels.

posh Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas Phuket with good reviews from couples. The hotel has a kids club, a huge swimming pool, several restaurants. Guests praise the large spacious rooms and clean landscaped area. Water park next to the hotel. Room price - from 100 dollars per day.

If you are afraid of aircraft noise, you can settle a little further north of the airport. There is Luxury 2 Bedroom Private Pool Villa. Luxury accommodation, it is better to book in advance, as the villa is very popular.

Hotel MaikhaodreamVillaResort&spaPhuket popular with families with children. Swimming pool right on the beach, comfortable sun beds, spa, gourmet restaurants, large apartments with kitchens. Prices from $120 per night.