Surin Beach

3 kilometers north of Kamala Beach lies the popular Surin Beach. As of now this beach has not been developed and it is a quiet and peaceful bay lined with a row of stately Casuarina trees. A tropical beach with pine trees rather than palm trees may seem out of place to many but the local Thais flock to this beach on weekends and holidays and bask in the shade provided by these unusual trees. The middle of the beach front is occupied by a dozen Thai beach-style mini restaurants serving up sizzling seafood to hungry visitors.

Surin Beach is usually the second stop on the north beach safari and a good place for lunch because the next beach stop does not serve food. For the careful swimmer Surin offers some good snorkeling opportunities at both ends of the beach but during the rainy season the water visibility is not very good. Big waves that are common on Surin beach during the monsoon season have caused a steep drop from the shore to the water line and can create dangerous undertow conditions. During high tide when the swells are big and running swiftly good surfing conditions exist here and is becoming an increasingly popular sport. There are no vendors renting surf boards at the beach yet but that may change in the future. Good surfing conditions can make for hazardous swimming and care must be taken with children and non-swimmers.

Surin Village Is the traditional heart of Phuket’s Muslim community. As you pass through this picturesque village strung out along the highway you will see the Ban Thao Mosque. This impressive and ornate structure is the largest mosque on the island. Visitors are allowed and discrete photos may be taken, but care should be exercised and avoid going on Fridays the Muslim holy day. The village offers several roadside markets that offer up delicious Muslim food and fruit picked fresh from the many nearby orchards. When ordering food or buying fruit you may have to resort to "point and smile technique", because English is for the most part only spoken by the younger generation.