After Beach Bar in Phuket

Here, the sun setting into the Andaman is accompanied by an almost non-stop flow of Bob Marley tunes on the stereo and the wait staff is made up of dreadlocked Rastafarians and ‘relaxed’ locals. Décor consists of wagon wheels, raw plank shelving with Thai and (of course) Jamaican flags. Simple, but effective. No decor, no matter how well thought out, could possibly outshine the views out over the Andaman Sea to the horizon, nearby Pu Island, and Kata and Kata Noi beaches below. 

This is also the place to check out the latest in photographic accessories as punters tend to haul out their expensive Japanese hardware at dusk to capture that golden moment when day turns into night.

The handwritten photo Thai-Russian-English menu features a good long list of cocktails at just about reasonable prices (the elevated location means elevated prices but you get what you pay for), a bottled beer selection, Thai and international dishes with even a few dishes coming from Thailand’s distinctive northeastern cuisine, but the main focus at After Beach Bar is seafood. Here, order a deep-fried fish in chili peppers or a steamed sea bass in lime juice and you’ll get the best out of the place.

It’s nowhere near fine dining but in a setting such as this and at prices that cannot be called expensive for a tourist destination you can dine for the same rates as at a three-star hotel restaurant. You can also get steaks and even kebabs here. All in all, this place is about average in pretty much all aspects except for one glaringly obvious detail: Those fabulous views.

After Beach Bar

Location: On the hill road between Kata and Rawai, directly above Kata Noi Beach
Type : Reggae bars (with a view!)