Jamie's Phuket Blog

Phuket Viewpoints - Best Views in Phuket

We like hills, we like views. Phuket is pretty darn hilly, with the highest point at over 540m (1600 feet) and several other 500m hills. The hills stretch right from the south at Phromthep Cape up to the northern hills around Bang Pae and Tonsai waterfalls. There are great Phuket viewpoints / lookouts to be found all over the island. In fact, did you know? Phuket got it's name from the Malay word "Bhukit" which means hill. Just get off the beach and explore another side to Phuket!

Buddha Mountain (Phuket Big Buddha)

Phuket Big Buddha

In the Nakkerd Hills overlooking much of southern Phuket, a 45m high Buddha has been under construction for many years. We first went up here before the building started. The main Buddha statue is complete, and the whole area was supposed to be complete sometime in 2012 ... But it's not yet! This is one of my favourite places in Phuket and I am sure Buddha Mountain will be blogged yet again! You can hike up from Karon Beach (see links below). It's not just the Buddha, it's the views! It's a lot busier than it used to be. We first went up there before they even started building. Now it's on the route of just about every tour!

Phuket Big Buddha
Hiking up to the Big Buddha (March 2018)

View south from Big Buddha Phuket

(above) View from the Big Buddha over the hills of Phuket

Karon Viewpoint and Phromthep Cape

Probably the two most visited viewpoints in Phuket. Karon viewpoint has a view across Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches and the picture is found on just about all Phuket websites, this one included! It's basically "the" Phuket viewpoint. Phromthep cape is the rocky headland in the south west of Phuket, great for views, great for sunsets, and don't miss the lighthouse... and recently I hiked for the first time right to the end of the cape!

Karon and Kata Viewpoint
Sunset at Cape Phromthep
Hike to the end of Phromthep Cape

Sunset at Phuket Viewpoint

(above) The Phuket Viewpoint over Kata and Karon Beaches

Black Rock Viewpoint - Pa Hin Dam

A new viewpoint, with a dirt road just improved in 2017. It's just north of Naiharn beach, not far from Karon Viewpoint, but much higher - great views to the south ...

Black Rock Viewpoint

My boy at Black Rock Viewpoint

Naiharn / Wind Turbine Viewpoint

Just North of Phromthep Cape, in between Yanui and Naiharn beaches is a big white wind turbine, and there's a viewpoint here too where people sometimes go paragliding off the steep cliff.

Naiharn / Yanui Viewpoint

View from viewpoint near Naiharn beach looking west

Samed Nangshe Viewpoint in Phang Nga

OK, not on Phuket Island, but amazing and not that far from the north end of Phuket. We explored the area in 2015, but this viewpoint was not there. Someone built a dirt road in 2016. There's a viewpoint and there is a new boutique hotel opening in 2017 which also has camping. The area is developing quite fast. The view stays the same.

Samed Nangshe Viewpoint

Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

More Great Phuket Viewpoints

Radar Hill (with the round radar dome on top) overlooking Patong Beach has some fantastic views on the way up, and nobody ever seems to come up here. Khao Khad is a viewpoint in Cape Panwa, one of our favourite areas of Phuket - there is a view tower and a superb view across Chalong Bay. Rang Hill and Monkey Hill are both in Phuket Town - good views and monkeys too!

Rang Hill Viewpoint, Phuket

(above) Viewpoint at Rang Hill (Phuket Town)

Monkey Hill
Khao Khad Viewpoint
Radar Hill
Tunk Ka Cafe on Rang Hill
Viewpoint at Rang Hill

Khao Kad Viewpoint, Phuket

(above) View from Khao Khad Viewpoint

Some back roads in the hills can lead to great views. I have done a (hard!) hike up to the highest point in Phuket (about 540m above sea level) which sits between Kathu waterfall and Kamala Beach. Many back roads are worth following in Phuket to get an unexpected view!

Hiking to the Roof of Phuket
Back road over the mountain above Patong

You can also get nice views from some of the temples in Phuket, such as Koh Sirey Temple which is built on a hill, Wat Sapam on the east coast, or from Chalong Temple. And all along the west coast especially between the beaches on the rocky headlands there are great sea views.

And get your camera out when flying in to Phuket, oh and make sure you have a window seat to get views of Phuket, Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay... See Phuket Views from the Air, and Seaplane Flight to Phi Phi. The seaplane flight was particularly amazing! Check out the view below over Maya Bay!

Maya Bay, Phi Phi Islands

Get up a hill! It's good to get some fresh air and see Phuket from another angle!

Hills and Viewpoints in Phuket - Google Maps


View Phuket Viewpoints and Hills in a larger map






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