Mai Khao Beach

Mai Khao runs about eleven kilometres up the north-western side of Phuket, the island's longest beach and the emptiest, with much of it inside Sirinat National Park and correspondingly undeveloped. Leatherback and green turtles nest here between roughly November and February, which is why the park protects it and why lights and vehicles on the sand are restricted; nesting numbers have fallen sharply over decades and a local foundation runs monitoring and hatchery work. The southern end sits directly under the approach to Phuket airport, and photographing aircraft passing overhead became a phenomenon - it also became dangerous enough that authorities have restricted access and posted warnings after people stood in the jet blast area, and taking photographs on the runway threshold is prohibited. The undertow along Mai Khao is strong and the beach shelves steeply; drownings occur, and it is not a safe swimming beach in the monsoon.

What you actually see

• The eleven kilometres - Phuket's longest and least developed beach.
• The turtle nesting - leatherbacks and greens from November to February.
• The airport approach - aircraft passing low over the southern end.
• Sirinat National Park - the protected section behind the sand.

When to go

November to April for the weather; turtle nesting falls in the same window but is rare and not a spectacle to plan around. The beach is quietest at its northern end.

Honest expectations

Strong undertow and steep shelving - drownings happen and it is not a good swimming beach, particularly in the monsoon. Airport photography at the southern end is restricted and the jet blast area is genuinely dangerous. Turtle numbers are low.

Nearby

Phuket airport is adjacent; Nai Yang beach and Sirinat park are south.