Bang Tao is one of Phuket’s longest beaches — about six kilometres of gently shelving sand on the north-west coast. Its central section fronts Laguna Phuket, a group of resorts, a golf course and villas laid out around lagoons that were once tin-mine workings.
Around it the area known as Cherngtalay has become the island’s most fashionable residential district, with beach clubs, cafés and the Boat Avenue dining and shopping strip. It suits travellers who want a comfortable resort and good restaurants more than nightlife.
Top things to do: Bang Tao & Laguna
Find your stretch of sand
The southern end, near the village, has fishing boats, simple restaurants and several beach clubs. The Laguna section is wide and orderly. Walk north towards Layan and the beach empties almost completely.
Beach clubs
Bang Tao is the island’s beach-club centre: day beds, pools, DJs and cocktails with a minimum spend. They are the obvious place for a long sunset.
Eat at Boat Avenue
A few minutes inland, this strip of restaurants, bakeries and bars is busy every evening and hosts a street market on some nights of the week.
Golf, spas and lagoons
Laguna has an 18-hole course, and its resorts are linked by shuttle boats across the lagoons. Several of the island’s best-known spas are here.
How to get to Bang Tao & Laguna
- From the airport: about 30–40 minutes by road — one of the easier transfers on the island.
- By bus: the Phuket Smart Bus passes the Bang Tao and Laguna area on the main coast road.
- To Patong: about 35–45 minutes by taxi via Surin and Kamala.
Insider tips
- Bang Tao is big. A hotel “in Bang Tao” may be a long walk from any restaurant, so check the map.
- For boat trips, the east-coast marinas used by Phang Nga Bay tours are closer to Bang Tao than to the southern beaches.
- The sea here is among the calmer on the west coast in season, but monsoon flags still apply.
Best tours & tickets for Bang Tao & Laguna
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Bang Tao & Laguna:
Observation-only sanctuary visit from €50 Phuket: Elephant Sanctuary Canopy Walkway Tour
The hands-off choice. You watch elephants from a long raised walkway as they roam and bathe freely in the forest below, with a guide alongside. Rated 4.9.
- Watch elephants roam and bathe from a canopy walkway
- No riding, no bathing with visitors
- Visit the island’s first elephant hospital
Afternoon and evening canoe trip from €116 Phuket: Phang Nga Bay Bioluminescent Plankton and Sea Canoes
An afternoon-into-evening trip that reaches the sea caves after the day boats have gone. You are paddled into the lagoons, watch the sun set over the bay and, once it is dark, see the plankton glow when the water is disturbed.
- Sea caves and hongs by canoe
- Sunset in the bay
- Bioluminescent plankton after dark
Catamaran day trip from €111 Phuket: Phi Phi Islands Day Trip by Speed Catamaran
A middle path between the crowded speedboats and the premium sunrise tours. The twin-hulled catamaran has more deck space and a smoother ride, with stops at Phi Phi’s best-known sights and time to snorkel.
- A more stable ride than a speedboat
- Phi Phi’s main sights
- Snorkelling on coral reefs
Private transfer (price per vehicle) from €26 per group Phuket Airport: Private Hotel Transfer with Meet & Greet
A pre-booked car between Phuket airport and your hotel, with a fixed price agreed in advance. After a long flight it removes the one negotiation every visitor dreads.
- Driver meets you on arrival
- Fixed price per vehicle
- Air-conditioned car to any Phuket hotel
