Kamala

Kamala is a bayside village with two faces and a quiet middle. At the northern end of the beach are hotels, the InterContinental among them, and a promenade along the water. At the southern end is a Thai Muslim neighbourhood with a market and street food; its cafés, as a rule, do not serve alcohol.

Evenings here are calm. Four kilometres to the north is Surin, with Amanpuri and The Surin. Café del Mar has been at the northern end of the beach since 2017: the bay faces west, and on a clear evening the sun sets straight into the sea.

Kamala suits families with small children: the beach shelves gently, and the evenings are quiet. Patong and its nightlife are 20⁠–⁠30 minutes away⁠—close enough to go for the evening and come back to the quiet.

That is what estate agents call the rocky headland south of the village. The road from Kamala climbs in hairpin bends and crosses the hill to Patong. Along it are private villas on the cliffs and the Paresa, Andara and Cape Sienna resorts.

Houses here are built for the sea view and the sunset. The average sale price of a villa in Kamala is ฿234.3 million (Knight Frank, year-end 2025).

On the headland. The view, privacy, the sunset. The beach is a drive away, and in the season the airport can take an hour.

On the hills above the village. A view over the bay, with the sand closer than from the headland.

In the village by the beach. For a family with children: a walk to the water in the morning, quiet in the evening.

• A villa on the headland or by the beach. Before booking, we ask the villa manager about access, the view at sunset and road noise, and the answers go into the shortlist.
• A driver for the whole trip: the hairpin bends, an evening in Patong, the airport. More on transport.
• A chef at the villa. Dinner in time for sunset, with a menu that takes account of your dietary requirements.
• Tables. Loungers at Café del Mar for sunset, booked in advance. For dinner with a wine list, the headland⁠—Silk at Andara, for example.
• Children. A coach or a tutor comes to the villa. If Kamala becomes home for a school year, we start with a comparison of schools.
• The sea. From the west coast a yacht has to round the island to reach Phi Phi, so for longer routes we usually leave from a marina on the east coast. More on yachts.