Ao Sane could be a great Phuket beach, but it falls a bit short of basic requirements. Ao Sane is located past Nai Harn Beach, through the Le Meridien Yacht Club and along the narrow road until you get to a wooden bridge. Stop and park at the bridge (limited spaces) and walk down to the beach.

It’s a quiet spot and there are hardly any people about, which is always a plus point, but the state of this Phuket beach means that it’s not really worth making the effort to visit when Nai Harn Beach is so close by.

Ao Sane has sand, but it’s more like gravel than the fine white powder you may have hoped for. The beach itself is tiny, with a restaurant and bar serving average Thai food and drinks. The water isn’t great for swimming, given the large number of rocks in it, but it’s suitable for a paddle.

Here’s a tip: When there are elections in Phuket, all the bars stop serving alcohol. There are some bars that are a little off the police radar. We’ll leave it to your imagination to figure the rest out.

To sum up, Ao Sane is nothing special but you might appreciate the seclusion of the area during Phuket’s busier months.