Chaloklam Beach (sometimes called Chaloklum) is located at the very north of Phangan. The easiest way to get there is through the island’s centre via a good road from Thong Sala. You can travel from one end of Phangan to the other on this route in about twenty minutes on a scooter without having to twist the throttle too hard. Chaloklam is a small village with well-developed amenities, which immediately stands out against the backdrop of Phangan with its more rustic areas.
Chaloklam is slightly smaller than Tong Sala, but compared to other settlements on Phangan, I’d rank it second or third at worst. Among Phangan’s settlements, Chaloklam is like a small town, even if the whole town has just two streets.
Beach Overview
The main road that runs through the centre of the island and brings you to Chaloklam ends at a pier, which roughly divides the bay into two parts. The pier and the beach on either side are usually called Chaloklam Beach. If you stand on the pier facing the sea, Chaloklam ends on the left with Malibu Beach and a river.
Over there, beyond the river, there’s a continuation of Chaloklam, but there’s no point going there: there are loads of parked fishing boats along the shore, and fishing gear, marine rubbish and human waste litter the beach. Bluntly speaking, going beyond Malibu Beach isn’t worth it simply because it’s a dump.
To the right of the pier, Chaloklam ends with Fanta Beach (Fanta See Beach) and another river. The depth of the river mouth and its current present a serious obstacle for pedestrians, so the last 150 feet (50 meters) of the swimmable Fanta Beach remain in perpetual isolation for those walking along the shore. You can only get there by going around, through the hills.
Overall, for about 300 feet (100 meters) to the right and left of the central pier at Chaloklam, you’ll find shallow water, dirty sea and parked boats. So from the centre, I’d go straight to one of the two nice beaches at the edges of Chaloklam Bay: Malibu or Fanta.
It’s worth noting that these place names aren’t official but colloquial, taken from the names of the adjacent resorts Malibu Beach Bungalows and Fanta Beach Resort, but they’re actively used by tourists and old-timers on the island.
Swimming
Malibu Beach has REAL white sand, where ball-trimmed trees grow that look very much like casuarinas. People come here specifically for this exotic scenery and love to take photos in it. Fanta Beach is a more simplified version of the polished Malibu: without the ball-trees, with more shells and pebbles in the sand, and less swimmable sea.
Malibu Beach is quite shallow, so at low tide you won’t be able to reach depth in three steps, but during high tide it’s a perfectly swimmable beach and more importantly – an incredibly beautiful beach. With sand flies that visitors complain about, sadly. It’s better to come here to sunbathe, enjoy the beauty, rinse off in the sea, but without any special expectations for proper swimming.
You won’t be able to float in the water standing upright with your feet down, which for me is the main criterion for determining a beach’s swimmability. The beach is 15-30 feet (5-10 meters) wide, and at the far left flank there’s a sandy patch measuring 150 by 150 feet (50 by 50 meters), a whole desert of snow-white sand.
Fanta Beach is similar in depth to its neighbour Malibu, well, maybe a bit deeper: at high tide it’s more or less decent, the depth 15 feet (5 meters) from the shore can reach neck level, and at low tide – at the same spot – it’s waist-high. Throughout its length, the width of the sandy strip is about 50 feet (15 meters), and only towards its rightmost edge does it widen to 80 feet (25 meters).
Sunbeds and Shade
Shade at Malibu is provided by both trimmed and untouched vegetation – palms and ball-trees, with more shade appearing in the afternoon. The coastal strip in the left part of Malibu is quite wide and you can always find a spot here.
I didn’t notice any sunbeds; everyone lies on towels. And at Fanta Beach there’s no shade except under the single tree in the centre of the beach. No sunbeds either, unfortunately. So you face a tough choice between heat with solitude, or shade with crowds of people with cameras.
Beach Photos
Malibu Beach
Fanta Beach
Amenities
Chaloklam has the infrastructure of a typical tourist village, that is, without any particular extravagance, but with everything necessary to exchange money and spend it pleasurably. At Chaloklam there’s a small pier from which you can sail to the neighbouring beach by boat or speedboat. Within a 300-foot (100-meter) radius around Malibu and Fanta, you’re limited to a couple of bars belonging to the resorts of the same name.
The rest of the conveniences and services are closer to the main road that runs along the shore – there’s everything there. From ATMs to restaurants, guesthouses and hotels, massage parlours, mini-markets, equipment rental, pharmacies, travel agencies, diving – in short, a full-fledged tourist infrastructure.
Personally, I liked Malibu better. Maybe because of its extraordinary vegetation or wide beach, maybe for its more well-kept appearance, but subjectively – it’s better. Although Fanta beach is quite pleasant too, I’d go to Malibu to swim and sunbathe. And Fanta is great to visit and stroll along the shore.
Here during low tide, the seabed is exposed with dense sand, hard as asphalt, very convenient for walking, your feet don’t sink in the sand. From a holidaymaker’s perspective, I might stay here – I really liked the area around Chaloklam Beach in terms of infrastructure. It has everything required for independent existence.
There’s a 7-Eleven mini-market, which covers all the local population’s needs for household bits and bobs, snacks, alcohol and simple food. You can find Thai shops with clothes, souvenirs and small fruit stalls, and that’s it for shops.
There are no attractions here apart from the beautiful white Chaloklam temple; all the interesting places worth visiting are at a considerable distance. Although for many tourists, Malibu Beach itself is considered one of the most prime attractions of Phangan Island.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Chaloklam is excellent, with all categories available for holidaymakers, from cheap bungalows to high-rated hotels.
- Baan Moon Chan Koh Phangan
- Malibu Beach Bungalows
Pay attention to that patch on Fanta See beach beyond the river, which I mentioned above. On this patch stands Buritara Resort, which is separated from the rest of Fanta See beach by a rather deep river mouth, across which (attention!) there is no bridge. The mouth was deliberately deepened for the taxi-boats cruising here, and the detour by land is several kilometers (miles).
The inhabitants of Buritara can only look at their small but beautiful beach with its rocky bottom and envy their walking neighbours across the river. It’s simply that the hotel is quite good and many people book it, but they aren’t aware of this nuance.
How to find the beach
Malibu Beach: drive along the main road from Tong Sala to the only 7-Eleven on the entire road, turn left and drive about 650 feet (200 meters) to the sign for Malibu Beach Bungalows.
Fanta Beach: continue past that intersection with 7-Eleven straight ahead almost to the sea, then there will be a right turn onto a dirt road along the sea and after 300 feet (100 meters) you’ll reach Fanta Beach – there’s a signpost there, you simply can’t miss it.
