Kata Beach
We lucked out with picking Kata Beach as our first destination when we arrived in Thailand. We were under the test and go policy which meant that we only had to quarantine until we got our test on arrival results. For us- it was only 12 hours! The hotel we picked was at the higher end of our budget but 100% worth it. We stayed at the Aurico resort and spa. It was new and had many western amenities such as a comfy mattress, bathtub etc which made the transition really easy for us, especially after the long 36 hours of travel we had just endured. The resort was stunning and had the BEST breakfast buffet with both thai and western options, an espresso machine, omelet station and so much more. Watch our Youtube video of Kata Beach by clicking here.
Kata seemed to us like a quiet area where the locals were happy to see tourists again. Though some things were closed, most were open.
The beach was fabulous! Quite large with white sand and crystal clear water. The beach was relatively busy for sunset but still felt we had it to ourselves.
We discovered our first night market right at the beach! We had salted buttered corn, stir fried shrimp with curry sauce, and a crepe. This market was perfectly situated along the walking street that lines the beach and after a long day of laying on the beach (rough life I know lol) it was convenient to just dust the sand off and walk right over to the food stalls to get some delicious dinner.
We also found the cutest coffee shop called Laem Sai Cup Cafe that had an amazing view of the ocean- if you’re afraid of heights, you might want to skip this place. It was absolutely breathtaking! Make sure you stop here if you’re in the Phuket area. They have delicious coffee, homemade treats and they have bungalows on site that you can rent via airbnb.
If you’re thinking about coming to Thailand and looking for an area to stay during quarantine then we would highly recommend Kata and the Aurico hotel. Some things to keep in mind- make sure your hotel offers both room service and breakfast included. This was important to us because we knew we would be hungry after the long travel days and you aren’t allowed to stop anywhere on the way to your hotel for food so its imperative that your hotel offers something. Also good to check your arrival time and check with your hotel to ensure you will be able to get a meal service. We didn’t rent a motorbike so we walked everywhere but our hotel did offer a shuttle service to the beach which was convenient.
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