By Alessia Kerr
When visiting the tropics, and if you’re a party enthusiast, I’m sure you’d hope to find some tropical parties to match. In this article, Exotiq explores some of its favourite seaside party scenes to give you everything you need to know about the party places parked on the oceanfronts of the Andaman.
Embrace parties the Phuket way, in complete luxury, at one (or all!) of these modern and stylish tropical beach clubs. Delve into the thrilling atmospheres each offers, with unique entertainment programmes featuring internationally recognised talent, exclusive menus, fire shows, dancers, and, of course, delicious drinks! All against picture-perfect tropical backgrounds Phuket is famed for. If you were looking for nights out (or even some daytime dancing) why not do it in the ambience of the pristine beaches that have built up Phuket’s name, it is only right for Exotiq to commemorate and celebrate the island’s four most impressive, extravagant beach clubs and the unforgettable moments they create.
CATCH
Opening hours 11 am – 1 pm
Located on Bangtao Beach
The crème de la crème of Phuket beach clubs, Catch, has been a luminary on the island for years. Catch isn’t just a big player in the Phuket beach club scene – it made the scene. Initially thriving on the shores of Surin, Catch has found a new home on the bustling beach of Bangtao. Perched on the sand right by a headland, at Catch you are approximately 20 metres from the beach, and a cooling westerly wind blows in to keep you comfortable all day – and it is an all-day place. During the sunny hours chill out in their alfresco seating, maybe take a dip in the pool and enjoy tunes from international DJs. Following their latest renovations there’s space for everyone to relax and enjoy the beachside vibes.
A comprehensive food menu lights up the taste buds of even the most critical diners with all-day dining options that fit any occasion. European technique provides the basis for a lot of the meat and seafood dishes, as well as the pizza & pasta. Wagyu beef burgers, black truffles, and Gambas are just some of the items you’ll have to get your hands on. The sophistication continues on the menu as sashimi and sushi options provide the clean and fresh flavours of East Asian seafood. Catch’s varied dishes come in diverse shapes and sizes – from antipasti, crudos, and beach snacks they start to scale up to mains and sharing platters for the big groups looking to whittle a day away in a funk-filled environment.
Carry on late into the evening at Catch and spot seductive dancers and musicians who produce magic with their chosen instrument, injecting energy into the area. There is always a party on at Catch, and the mix of quality sounds and masterfully mixed drinks are part of it. Their drinks list is extensive when the festivities commence. Luxury bottles and cocktails comprise the menu, if you know what you like – I’m sure the staff can help. Super premium Beluga vodka, the historical Hennesy, and their range of single malts assure me at least that I’m never going to go thirsty. If you’d prefer not to know what fills your chalice, try a drink from the curated cocktail list. Their mixologists are artisans who have an acute sense for flavour, and make the drink that is the cherry on top for your classy night at Catch.
catchbeachclub.com
KUDO
Opening hours: 11 am – 12 am
Located on Patong Beach
A two-story titan, KUDO is a new player in the Beach club scene, rising with the fall of COVID-19 and taking the belt for best beach club in Patong. For those unaware, Patong is the heart of the fiesta scene in Phuket, it is the biggest and baddest party place on the island and it’s only right that it has a beach club to match. I’m remiss, however, to rope it into the same reputation as the rest of Patong. Where the Bangla strip offers you a commercialised red-light district atmosphere, the ambience of KUDO is commercial elegance. Their large free-form pool works as the club’s centre-piece, surrounded by sunbeds and deck chairs. For those looking to set up camp and turn up with a crew looking to party, I’d recommend a cabana.
They are positioned on the beachfront of Patong and their seating stretches out onto the sand for the true beach club experience. With two floors to the club, you decide how you want to enjoy the view, with your feet buried in the sand, leaning back on a sunbed, cocktail in hand, or up on high watching the world from above and seeing the sand and sea stretch out underneath you. But once the sun goes down, get ready to jump up and out of your seat as the party starts in earnest. Fire spinners, supermodel dancers, and various other entertainment will keep you up all night. If, however, you are just looking for somewhere during the day, they have a food and drinks menu to keep you fed.
Their expertise is in fine Italian dining, covering a range of meats and fish. Pizza and pasta are of course aplenty. But keep going through the menu and you’ll also find some iconic Thai dishes too. The classic cocktails – your negronis, mojitos and what have you – are made to authentic traditional standards so not to worry there, they’ll do it right. As well, they have a massive range of bottles with pricing from cheap to luxury (I was particularly impressed with their tequila, my girlfriend wasn’t). Join the elegance and enjoy, day or night, the energetic Phuket party scene of Patong, at KUDO Beach Club.
kudohotel.com/kudo-beach-club
M BEACH CLUB
Opening hours: 12 pm – 12 am
Located on Mai Khao Beach
From KUDO the big booming centre of Phuket partying we take it up to the serenity of Mai Khao beach to feature M Beach Club by the JW Marriott. The people running the JWM up north were clever in their conceiving M Beach Club to leverage the quiet shores and maximise the quality they offer. Exclusivity allows them to keep standards high, from their food offerings to the DJs and other entertainment. Happy hour, fire shows, and seafood stacks are just some of the options for how to spend your day (and night) there. Open from 12 to 12, they will serve as your late breakfast spot, your all-day lunch locale, or your late-night dance destination.
Their food is tapas-inspired but blends local and international food concepts to serve bites that hit the spot, any time of day. A place to hang out with friends and vibe with international like-minded people, the tapas holds the same philosophy, meant to be picked and mixed, or if your group is hungry enough, they scale up to sharing-sized servings. If you’re more interested in the drinks menu than the food one, I’d recommend arriving around 4 or 5 in time for happy hour (5 to 6 pm) where glasses of bubbly, wines, and cocktails get their prices almost slashed in half to get the party started. At M Beach Club, it’s really simple. Get your toes in the sand and a drink in your hand, the perfect weekend away, no matter what day it is.
Mbeachclubphuket.com
YONA
Opening hours – 12 pm – 7 pm
Located: Off Patong Pier in the Andaman Sea
Last but not least, the beach club that holds one key difference compared to all the other beach clubs, both on this list and on the island. It’s not on a beach, or on the island. YONA Beach Club is built on a 1,200 sqm state-of-the-art boat, decked out with a 22-metre-long infinity pool, private cabanas, day beds, and even a restaurant. The boat itself has twin lines of palm trees, parallel to the boat, with the pool as the centerpiece. The vessel has an upper and lower deck meaning you can get a bird’s eye sea view to watch the ever-changing Andaman sea and shoreline with its panoramic 360 view, the immersion into the venue is unmatched.
But it’s not just the state-of-the-art venue that amazes but also the luxury service, and attention to detail. Currently parked off of Patong Beach, included in the price of your ticket is their boat service to shuttle you to the club, where you then disembark onto YONA and enjoy the eclectic mix of day-time dance tunes and uplifting house beats. Their menu offers a mix of Mediterranean and coastal cuisine. All the food looks delicious but I have only ever eaten their seafood pastas, and I loved it so much I don’t think I’ll be trying anything else. A one-of-a-kind experience for sure in Phuket. Float along in luxury and enjoy a beach club like no other at YONA.
yonabeach.com
