Hot Scene

Kata Beach has long been a surfer’s mecca, and now board riding fans can enjoy year-round action with Surf House, Phuket’s first-ever flowboarding venue, on the Kata beachfront. Weekly events including Wednesday networking nights and Friday ladies nights have coaxed a number of locals as well as visitors to try riding the waves, and enjoy some burgers and cocktails afterwards on its rooftop bar.

Just up the road in the Kata Night Plaza is a colourful little place where surfers will also feel right at home. The newly-built Fin Hostel offers a comfy retreat for boarders on a budget. Though you can stay here for as little as 500 baht a night in the dorm, Fin really splashed out on the design, cleverly making this both a cheap and chic place to stay. Surfer heaven.

Hot Property

We’ve noted the new Kata Rocks above as an innovative dining venue, and its flair as a resort is now emerging, too, since it started taking bookings for its villas this January. While some villas are still under construction, a number of rooms are now welcoming guests. We had a peek inside and found them to amply live up to the resort’s“infinite luxury” tagline.

Each villa’s crisp and clean design, private pool and wide sea views evokes a feeling of being aboard a yacht, and every detail from the iPad-controlled entertainment and lighting system to the dishware in the kitchen is top notch. We also had a look around the Kata Rocks spa and fitness centre, where no expenses were spared to bring in the most state-of-the-art facilities, including a “sleeping pod” – a groovy bubble of comfort that looks rather sci-fi in design, aimed at relieving tension and stress.

Also hugging the headland is a six-bedroom private villa that’s been in the rental market for several years yet showing no signs of dating. Baan Kata Keeree has a lot of added character from the owner’s personal art and décor collection and, in keeping up with the growing private villa market in Phuket, the holiday home’s appeal has been further enhanced by the addition of a large Jacuzzi set under a skylight in the master bedroom and a massage room. And the views across Kata bay? Breathtaking.

The Novotel resort brand has been expanding its presence in Phuket of late, with new Novotel resorts opening in Patong and Kamala last year, and now another one is under construction on Karon Beach. Formerly a Ramada resort, the 217-room Novotel Phuket Karon is found just across the road from the beach, and is due to open in late 2015.

One of Phuket’s best-known resorts, Boathouse, has celebrated its 25th anniversary and doing so in style with the completion of a big makeover and rebranding as Boathouse by Montara. In addition to having a splash-out gala to mark the occasion, Boathouse has been reaching out to a younger set of holiday makers with Instagram contests, special offers and the promise of fresh and lively jazz entertainment to go with the superb sunset views.