There is a bar-athmosphere, but different from Patong!
It all depends what you are up to.
Kata is quieter the Karon, and really more family -orientated.
There is a small bar-area in the mainroad, just leaving the main-village, direction club med (south). Not so found of it, but some here are.
On the beach-road between Kata and Karon, another bar-area. Was not doing well the last times I was there. A lot of bas closed, even in November before the Tsunami.
Then you have, just before you go to Patong, near the big round point to your right, the village of Karon, with some bars on the main road and a lot of bars in the main soi. Very different athmosphere here again, but I prefer this area to the 2 mentioned above. This is because village-life is mixed with the bar-area. You can have a traditional massage, before you go to the bar at night. Every bar has a different athmosphere, some loud ones, but also some quieter ones. All depends on the owner and the girls, the biggest bars are not the best. Some bars with pooltables and girls. The girls are not all frst rate, a little bit more difficult to find a stunner then in Patong. Prices are lower, most of the girls just ask 1.000 bath.
If you are on this road of Karon, wich is not the beach road to Kata, but the one that leads to Phuket-town, passing Kata from the back, you will have 3 bars, next to each other, at a red light. One of them is called "Phuket-bar".
If you just go for a girl and a drink, this is not bad! Every time I went there, at least one bar had a stunner. Girls are not too bad generally here. It is not a place to come every night and talk to the lads as in MT bar. But if you want to find a girl closer to where you staying (where is that in Kata?), it can be a good choice.
Most of the time, I take the bike over the hill to Patong. It is dangerous, yes, but if you keep well to the left and be carefull for the sand on the hill, it iis ok.
If you plan to drink much, take a tuk-tuk! But a bike is cheaper, 150 bath/day, i could not do without in Kata, even when I risk my life any time!
