Bang Tao

Family friendly beach town

With its long sandy beach, fun activities for children and luxury family friendly resorts, Bang Tao is a great holiday destination for families with children. It is located on the West coast of Phuket island about twenty kilometers North of Patong, the island’s busiest beach.

Do & See in Bang Tao

Bang Tao has fun activities for both adults and children, both on and off the beach.

Blue Tree water park Phuket

Get to Blue Tree water park for a fun packed day. The Park has lots of exciting and challenging activities in and out of the water for both children and adults.

The Super Fly ride

The center of the water park is the Blue Tree Lagoon, an enormous pool. It has water slides, cliff jumping, a zipline across the lagoon and paddle boarding. There are sun loungers and parasols around the Lagoon.

Highlight of the water park is the spectacular Super Fly slide that has four water slides next to each other, each slide a bit longer than the one next. Slide down feet first or head first. At the bottom of the slide get propelled into the air, and land in the pool with a huge splash.

The Family Fun Zone for kids has a water playground and mini water slides for small children.

Out of the water is Kids Planet, Adventure Village, Pump Track (skateboarding), a rock-climbing wall and the Ninja Warrior, a challenging obstacle course. Around the park are several restaurants and bars.

Beach

Bang Tao’s nearly six kilometer long beach is one of the longest in Phuket. During the dry season from November to April, the waters are calm and clear, making Bang Tao one of the best beaches for families with children. There are bigger waves during the rainy season from May to November. Watch out for the red flags on the beach.

Surfing

Bang Tao beach is good for beginner surfers, especially the South end where the waves are usually low. The North end has bigger waves sometimes up to several meters and is better for more experienced surfers.

A good school is the Saltwater Dreaming Surf School in Soi Bang Tao 12. Beginners learn to surf on a calm section of the beach. All equipment is provided by the school. Instructors teach in a relaxed atmosphere. The school offers several programs starting at a two-day program for beginners.

Phuket adventure mini golf

Phuket adventure mini golf is a fun and challenging activity for both children and adults. The 18-hole mini golf course is set in a tropical garden with palm trees, rocks, bushes and water. It takes about 1 to 1½ hours to complete the course. With the day pass, you can play as many times as you like. The open-air restaurant serves food and drinks.

Ticket prices are 500 Baht for an adult, 300 Baht for a child. Price includes one drink (beer, wine or soft drink) and a cold towel after the game. Phuket adventure mini golf opens daily from 11 am until 11 pm. The address is 72/44 Moo 3, Bangtao Beach Road Soi 2.

Bang-Tao Night market

The outdoor Bang Tao night market on Soi Bang Thao 2 sells clothing, accessories, souvenirs, beauty products and children’s toys among others.

It’s a good place to try some Thai food at low prices. Order dishes as BBQ ribs, Pad Thai, spring rolls, BBQ fish, squid, fried fish, pork sausages or satay chicken.

There is plenty of choice of desserts like Thai crispy pancake, roti, mango sticky rice or waffle. You can also buy local fruits here. Depending on season there is papaya, mango, banana, durian, dragon fruit and mangosteen to name of few.

If you love Thai food, take a half day or full day cooking class.

Mango sticky rice dessert

Restaurants

There are countless restaurants in The Boat Avenue Phuket area as well as along the beach. The high-end Laguna hotels offer fine dining at their restaurants.

Age Restaurant
The Age Restaurant is in the Anantara Layan Phuket Resort at the North end of Bang Tao beach. Besides excellent seafood, steaks and grilled served in a relaxed ambiance you’ll have great views of the sun setting over the Andaman Sea. Start with cocktails and continue with delicious and well-presented food as foie gras, sea bass, beef tartar, rib-eye steak, lamb, kurobuta steak, beef cheek, king crab or escargot with truffle. For desserts, try a chocolate soufflé or frozen ferrero rocher brulee.

Ann’s Kitchen Bar & Grill
Ann’s Kitchen Bar & Grill at the Boat Avenue Phuket has indoor and outdoor seating and serves Thai, Indian and Western cuisine. Among the many good choices are Thai food as piri piri prawns, sate chicken, thai vegetables in oyster sauce, curry with roti and Panaeng. If you prefer Western food, try their burgers, roasts or pork ribs. After the main course have a lemon meringue pie, mango sticky rice or one of the other delicious desserts.

Siam Supper Club
Also at the Boat Avenue Phuket on Lagoon Road is the Siam Supper Club, a higher end restaurant that serves Western food. On the menu are dishes as tenderloin steak, ribs, salmon, honey-glazed chicken, mussels and clams in white wine and garlic sauce, Caesar salad and ravioli with lobster. The walls of the stylish place are decorated with photos of old Hollywood movie stars. The cocktail bar serves a huge variety of drinks.

The Palm Cuisine
The Palm Cuisine in the beachfront Mövenpick Resort has indoor and outdoor seating. It serves a good choice of both Thai and Western dishes like king prawns, grilled whole fish, seafood BBQ with sushi and sashimi, chicken curry, as well as desserts like warm chocolate cake. Enjoy a cocktail in the bar or try one of the many juices.

Riverside Restaurant
The Riverside Restaurant has few thrills, but it serves good authentic Thai food at affordable prices. On the extensive menu are dishes as chicken satay, massaman curry, fish cakes, baked rice in pineapple, BBQ squid, red curry, pad thai, spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken and steamed fish with lime. For drinks try one of their fruit shakes, juices or smoothies. You will find the Riverside Restaurant on Haad Surin Soi 8, just past the South end of Bang Tao beach.

Where to stay in Bang Tao

Some of Phuket’s best hotels and resorts are located in Bang Tao.

Laguna hotels Phuket

The Laguna hotels Phuket is a group of luxury hotels and resorts in the Bang Tao area. Among them are Banyan Tree, Dusit Thani Laguna, SAii Laguna Phuket, Angsana Laguna and Mövenpick Resort.

The hotels are set in an environment of parks, lagoons and beautiful sandy beaches. The Laguna hotels offer a wide range of facilities like restaurants, bars and spas as well as activities as canoeing, sailing, beach yoga, tennis, fitness, kayaking and windsurfing. Golfers can play the 18-hole, par 71 course at Laguna Golf Phuket.

Five-star luxury resorts

Some of Phuket’s best and most luxurious hotels are on Bang Tao Beach.

Anantara Layan Phuket Resort
The Anantara Layan Phuket Resort is located at a private stretch of Layan Beach secluded in a bay with calm, clear waters at the North end of Bang Tao Beach. The peaceful and relaxing five-star resort has luxury suites and pool villas set in beautifully landscaped tropical gardens with great views of the bay. Three restaurants serve Thai, Western and seafood. There is lots to do with a tennis court, game room, an 18-hole golf course, fitness centre, beach yoga, windsurfing, kayaking and a full-service spa. With facilities as baby sitting, kids pool, soundproof rooms and a children’s club, the resort is a great place for families with children. The Anantara Layan Resort provides a great setting for a beach wedding.

Banyan Tree Phuket
The Banyan Tree is a luxury five-star villa resort set in well-kept tropical gardens with a lagoon. The luxurious and spacious villas each have their own private pool. Banyan Tree has facilities and activities like tennis courts, a full-service spa, fitness centre, two pools, aerobics classes, beach yoga, canoeing and kayaking. Golfers can play the 18-hole golf course at the Laguna Phuket Golf Club. For children there is a kids club, a children’s pool and a babysitting service. Four restaurants serve Thai, international, Japanese and seafood dishes.

Mövenpick Resort Bangtao Beach
Set between Bang Tao beach and a large lagoon, the five-star Mövenpick Resort offers large, well equipped luxury rooms and a wide choice of facilities and activities. The beachfront resort is family friendly. There is a kids club, game room, children’s club, various children’s activities and a babysitting service. For adults there is a huge pool with pool bar, a full-service spa, fitness-center, an 18-hole golf course, free bicycle rentals, pool tables, beach yoga to name a few.

Family friendly hotels & resorts

SAii Laguna Phuket
The beachfront SAii Laguna Resort is located between Bang Tao beach and a large lagoon. The five-star resort has spacious well-equipped rooms and suites with either ocean view or lagoon view. Relax at the pool or on the beach or try one of the activities as tennis, golf at the 18-hole course, canoeing, kayaking, fitness, racquetball, windsurfing, beach volleyball and yoga classes. There is a kid’s pool with a water slide, a children’s club and a childcare service. Three restaurants serve European and Thai food. Breakfast comes with a good choice of pastries and cakes.

Luxury spa resorts

Trisara Villas & Residences
One of Phuket’s most luxurious resorts, Trisara Villas & Residences has its own private Trisara Beach, a little North of Bang Tao Beach. The five-star resort has luxurious suites and villas, each with a private pool. It has lots of things to do like tennis, kayaking, sailing, snorkeling and windsurfing. Work out at the fitness centre, take yoga classes or pamper yourself at the full-service spa. For the youngest there is a kid’s pool and kids club. Dine at one of three beachfront restaurants. The seafood restaurant, the Thai restaurant or the PRU restaurant that has a Michelin star and serves international cuisine.