In the northeast season, Panwa Bali is more protected from the chop than the main anchorage directly across Chalong Bay. In the southwest season, the anchorage is open to a long fetch across the width of the bay.
Ashore are private housing developments, resorts and restaurants. Just behind the beach is a road that runs to the top of the mountain to a spectacular viewpoint giving a 360-degree panorama (on a clear day) of Phi Phi islands and the south end of Phuket. The trip to Phuket town takes about 30 minutes; finding transport can be difficult so best to download the Grab or Bolt app and ‘call’ one of their cars.
A drying coral reef fringes the sandy beach, but there is an access channel at low tide. Two miles further north in Chalong Bay is a mangrove creek, which can be accessed by dinghy from mid-tide, leading to a picturesque seafood restaurant on stilts.
