Ya Nui Beach

Just across Nai Harn Bay from Ao Sane, between Nai Harn and Rawai beaches along the coastal road, sits the tiny Ya Nui bay. Not exactly a hidden spot, it can get crowded through the sunny season with rows of rental chairs full of sunbathers. Even on its busiest days, however, the beach is a breathtaking sight with its silken sands and dramatic surrounding landscape including a rocky cape jutting out from its centre and a lush green hill topped by a wind turbine rising up steeply from one end. There's one main restaurant at Ya Nui, which is actually very good for a beach eatery (try the chicken paeneng), and there's a scattering of vendors offering drinks, snorkel equipment and rental kayaks. When viewing Ya Nui from the wind turbine lookout point, it looks as perfect as a well-cut emerald gem.