Kamala Beach

Kamala beach is one of the most peaceful coves but bustles during the high tourist season with visitors from around the globe enjoying the seafront guesthouses, resorts, seafood restaurants, bars and boutique stores.

The southern headland of Kamala winds ever higher to a glorious cape affording one of Phuket’s most amazing views over the glittering sea to the horizon. Sunset at Cape Sol is a breathtaking affair with the rich colours of a descending sun and promise of shimmering moonlight on the waters below.

From the south of Kamala beach, the road leads around the headland where, at the base, sits the funky Rockfish Restaurant — a favourite eatery and lounge bar for locals and tourists. The twolevel open plan design cohabits perfectly with the natural forest surrounds and absolute ocean frontage.

Rockfish Restaurant, has a reputation for attracting the bold, the beautiful, the famous and the infamous to dine and sip cool cocktails on the timber decks. A simple fusion menu and quality selection of wines by the glass ensures that the popular pastime of people watching is always a treat at this sexy destination.

Day time views from the Rockfish balcony afford a sweeping vista of Kamala beach, with local fishermen busily building new longtail boats on the shoreline. Set behind the beach is Wat Kamala, the local Buddhist temple where monks practice meditation and community spiritual duties.

The Kamala Headland is the island’s uberexclusive address, with over 70 large oceanfront and full ocean view high-end homes built, or under construction, with a starting price of US $1.5m up to US $15m with a range of styles and architectural visions from tropical Thai pavilions to sleek contemporary cliff hangers. Estates include the Plantation Estate a short drive to the south offers villas and condominium apartments with stunning sea views; Ayara at the top of the headland is a luxury Thai villas estate with swimming pools that expand to the horizon; Cape Sol is creating an exclusive enclave of luxury custom-built villas on the secluded forest headland; and Jomchang has appointed an international architect to design the private seaview residential development of large lot sizes — where neighbours are present but outof view in the parkland setting.

Jomchang has an interesting history as the name derives from a mythical settler of the island’s prehistory. Toh Yomding, it is said, was a man blessed with magical powers. While chasing away wild elephants (chang) destroying his crops at Patong he herded the beasts to this headland. The pounding of charging elephants and the slashing of Toh Yomding’s sword carved off the small island that now lies offshore from this coast.

Legends are a part of Thai culture and the most fascinating way to gain an education of this aspect of Phuket is to visit Phuket Fantasea, a popular cultural theme park in Kamala. Nightly shows portray the history, myths and legends of this region with a glittering cast of performers and cabaret artists. Kamala is a great place to call home for any period of time.