Attractions

Located in the center of the beach town, the Karon Temple Market is a lively market similar to Phuket’s famous weekend market, but on a smaller scale. The market offers locals and expats the chance to finish the day’s shopping as the fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Similarly, the Karon Temple Market offers tourists the chance to experience a real slice of local life. There is a wide variety of food for sale at the Karon Temple Market, including grilled meats, Thai sweets, fresh spring rolls and even fried insects. Ready-made local and often spicy curries round out the available choices for a snack or meal. Curious travelers and budding foodies will have a great time sampling their way through the popular market. Once the food frenzy is out of the way, it’s time to shop! The Karon Temple Market caters to a tourist audience and sells the usual Thailand t-shirts and singlets, fisherman pants, affordable handbags and cheap jewelry. All of which make for great gifts and souvenirs to lavish on your family and loved ones once you return home. A wide variety of local beauty products can also be found at the Karon Temple Market. Items such as virgin coconut oil, aloe vera and balms & salves native to Thailand are available for purchase. These products are great when traveling, especially if you are prone to sunburn and mosquito bites. The virgin coconut oil also makes for a great souvenir from Thailand. The Karon Temple Market takes place at Wat Suwan Khiri Khet every Tuesday and Saturday starting at 4:00pm. The temple is located in central Karon on Patak Road, and is quite easy to find. A visit to the market is both fun and interesting, and highly recommended during a stay in Phuket or if you find yourself in the vicinity of Karon Beach.

Rawai beach is not suitable for swimming because of a certain amount of sharp dead coral and the abundance of speedboats who bring snorkelers to the nearby islands. The views, however, are spectacular when the sun goes down and the locally served seafood is just mouthwatering. A few establishments along the beach road do get a nice crowd in during sunset hours and it’s the perfect time to mingle with locals, expats and other tourists visiting the area. Next to Rawai Pier is a Sea Gypsy village of the local Moken population selling about anything that’s available regarding seafood. Another attraction nearby is the Phuket Seashell Museum.