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Patong Beach is the real heart of Phuket, and what makes it so attractive to many is often what other people hate most about it. Patong is big, bold, crowded, bright and loud. And yet millions of people flock here every year, like flies on honey.
The main reason people come here is obviously: the beach! If you decide to spend the day on the beach, you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas, get a beach massage, try some parasailing, or get yourself killed by renting a jet ski (we warned you). Beyond the beach and the nightlife, Patong has a surprisingly wide array of things to do for everyone. There are rooftops bars, night markets, ziplines, cable ski, cinemas, bowling and huge shopping malls that are a lot more fun than you may think.
The beach is 3 kilometres long and often crowded in the middle part during the high season. Forget about parking your car anywhere around there, and even parking your motorbike can be a problem.
The northern part of the beach, not far from Novotel Phuket and Graceland Resort, is more beautiful and a lot less busy. In this part of Patong, there are fewer people and more parking, plenty of local food and fruit vendors to enjoy. Water is also bluer during the high season, and there are plenty of palm trees to offer shade.
The water at the southern end is not always as transparent as in the north. On this part of the beach, you can rent umbrellas and beach chairs which are now available on 10% of the beach (probably more now!). During high season, a long floating pontoon allows tourists to board those longtail boats that will take them to the beautiful and secluded Freedom Beach.