Kamala
Kamala Beach seems much farther away from the “short-time” beach of Patong than the 10 minutes it actually takes to get there.
Lined by casuarinas, Kamala is a good place to swim or eat a relaxing and pleasant meal at one of the laid back (and very local) restaurants along the beach. It’s generally empty enough that you can find a bit of privacy, even during high season. During the rainy season (now called “summer season” by some overly optimistic hoteliers) locals and foreigners will also do a bit of surfing.
Kamala is still much less developed than the more southern beaches and the standard tourist stalls have not yet completely overrun all the authentic Thai restaurants.
The relatively undeveloped nature of the beach along with its proximity to Patong make many of the Kamala villas here attractive for longer stays: giving you a nice calm place to put your feet up and not too much of a hassle when you want a night out.
The beach's far northern end remains mostly undeveloped due to a Muslim cemetery. However, the southern end is known as Millionaire's Mile due to the explosive growth of exclusive resorts and vacation homes. Madonna owns property here.
The beach itself has the standard water activities during the high season including: windsurfing, water-skiing, banana boats, and fishing trips.