Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 0 7633 3423; Th Kotanod; meals 350-600B)
Two restaurants in one, the top
shelf is an Asian fusion tapas bar blessed with live jazz. The lower level is a
candlelit fine-dining patio restaurant where you can sample fresh barracuda fillet
with a sun-dried herb crust while you watch the oblong paper lanterns swing in the
trees.
THAI KITCHEN $
(Th Thai Na; meals 80B; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Good rule of thumb: if a
humble, roadside cafe is packed with Thai people, you can be certain that the food
will rock. The green curry (warning: your nose will run) and glass-noodle dishes are
superb. It's just down the road from, ahem, 'Pussy Bar'.
Thai
Drinking
Kata's nightlife tends to be pretty mellow.
SKA BAR
( till late)
At Kata's southernmost cove, tucked into the rocks and seemingly in-
tertwined with the trunk of a grand old banyan tree, is our choice for oceanside sun-
downers. The Thai bartenders add to Ska's funky Rasta vibe, and the canopy
dangles with buoys, paper lanterns and the flags of 10 countries.
Bar
RATRI JAZZTAURANT
( 0 7633 3538; Kata Hill; 6pm-midnight; dishes 145-345B)
Hang out on the hill-
side terrace, listen to live jazz, watch the sun go down and enjoy delicious Thai
food. Now
this
is a vacation.
Bar
Hat Karon
Karon is like Patong and Kata's love child: it's chilled-out, a touch glamorous and a
tad cheesy with some sleazy corners. There are two megaresorts and package
tourists aplenty here, but there's still more sand space per capita than either Patong
or Kata. The further north you go the more chic and beautiful the beach gets, cul-
minating at the northernmost edge, accessible from a rutted road that extends past
the vendors and food stalls, where the water is like turquoise glass.
