Phuket: the largest and most popular tourist island in Thailand

2. Phuket is an island, but the island is big. Therefore, on the one hand, Phuket has the charm of the islands (for some reason, the most beautiful beaches and views in Thailand are found on the islands). But at the same time, there is enough space and good transport links with the outside world, which generally keeps prices down, bringing them closer to mainland prices.

3. Excellent transport links: road bridge to the mainland, international airport, speed boats. Thanks to this, arriving in Phuket (even from abroad) is no more expensive than arriving anywhere else in Thailand.

4. In addition to the beaches, Phuket has other interesting places for tourists: viewpoints, various zoos and various shows. There is also so-called “nightlife”.

So, Phuket is a heavenly beach destination, where accommodation is only slightly more expensive than on mainland Thailand. And if you want something more than a relaxing holiday on the beach, then Phuket can keep you busy for at least a couple of weeks.

2. Features of Phuket for living and recreation

Phuket is very heterogeneous in the distribution of beaches, nightlife, attractions and crowds of tourists. At the same time, Phuket is very vast in area and not very convenient in terms of internal transport: there is practically no public transport, taxis are expensive.

Why is public transport bad in Phuket? The answer to this is that Phuket is an island, and a mountainous island at that – at least half of Phuket's area is covered by mountains. Among these mountains are the inhabited areas of the city (they are called “mu ban” – literally “village”), which are connected by roads characteristic of mountainous areas – winding, with many turns, usually with only 1 lane in each direction.

So, as a result, we have: the area and population are like on the mainland, and the roads are like on a mountain island.

If you are not going to rent a motorcycle, then the smartest thing to do is stay in a tourist area. In this case, the beach, shops and many entertainments will be within walking distance. But you will have to put up with the high cost of hotels in these areas, as well as crowds of people everywhere, including on the beaches and in restaurants.

When it comes to visiting various attractions, the most popular ones provide transportation services, including hotel transfers.

Or, if you don’t drive a vehicle yourself, you can put up with the fairly high cost of a taxi.

If you drive a vehicle and are not afraid of the wild traffic in Phuket (literally the wildest drivers I've ever seen in Thailand), then you can save a lot on the cost of rental housing and the best, but almost empty beaches will be available to you.

3. How to get to Phuket

Detailed information on how to get to Phuket from a variety of places is collected in a separate article “How to get to Phuket”.

4. Map of Phuket attractions

This map contains beaches, viewpoints, zoos and other interesting places on Phuket Island.

More details about these places are given below.

5. Where are the beaches in Phuket

Beaches that are interesting for tourists (with white sand and easy-to-swim sea) are located on the western side of the island.

The eastern side of the island is mountainous and there are no beaches suitable for swimming.

The southern part of the island is also not suitable for swimming, although you can find a couple of beaches there, but they are more like moorings for boats.

On the map presented above, the beaches are marked in three colors:

green – beaches that are of greatest interest to tourists
yellow – beaches that for one reason or another are of little interest to tourists (for example, rocky beaches, very small beaches)
red – beaches with paid access

6. The best area of Phuket. Why is it important to choose the right area in Phuket

Phuket is large, diverse and overall a very pleasant holiday destination. I wouldn't say there is one “best area for a Phuket holiday” – it all depends on your specific needs.

For example, you like a beach holiday, but you vitally need such amenities as a sunbed, umbrella and shower on the beach, as well as some food within close reach. Already these seemingly elementary requests will cut off more than half of the beaches.

For some, privacy (or at least the absence of crowds) is important – and this will eliminate the most popular beaches.

Do you want to get everything from your vacation and from life? Are you a lover of nightlife, communicating with women and drinking? In this case, literally a couple of districts of Phuket will suit you.

Or the main thing for you is savings and cheap housing, but you drive a motorbike – you can save a lot while living in a very good home. The main thing is not to go too far into the wilderness, where there are not even shops for renting motorbikes…

Or you just want to relax on the beach, but you don’t want to drive a motorcycle, or overpay for a taxi, or walk a kilometer along a roadway without a sidewalk – in this case, it’s not enough to just read the description of the beaches – there are many good beaches, but many of them are located on distance from places of residence.

7. Patong – the main tourist area of Phuket

If you are wondering where tourists stay in Phuket, then the answer is Patong. This is the most convenient place in many respects.

The most popular area of Phuket among tourists is located next to Patong Beach and is also called Patong (sometimes written as Pa Tong). This is the epicenter of nightlife and other entertainment.

There is a huge nice beach here, but in high season there are so many people that it is still crowded.

Many hotels and accommodations here are within easy walking distance to the beach.

The beach has all the necessary amenities (sunbeds, umbrellas, showers). Water activities are also offered (parasailing, jet ski rental, banana boats, etc.).

This is the best place in terms of tourist infrastructure: shopping centers, motorbike rentals, restaurants, bars, and other entertainment.

Even in terms of public transport, it is easiest to find tuk-tuks to the neighboring beaches.

8. Phuket towns and villages near beaches

The top location (Patong) was discussed above. It really is the most convenient. Other places, although they are close to the beaches, have certain compromises.

Map of Phuket areas, which will be discussed below:

8.1 Naiyang Beach and airport area

An area with a rather loose infrastructure for tourists. On the plus side, we can note the availability of inexpensive but good hotels.

Hotels are generally not located too close to the beach, but some roads have sidewalks, which makes it easier to get to the sea.

8.2 Bang Tao area

Most of the hotels and residential buildings are located away from the beach. The tourist infrastructure is quite loose.

8.3 Kamala Beach area

This area is located near Patong. There are fewer people here, but the beach is also smaller, so in high season the beach is still crowded.

Quite a large town (or village), but from a tourist point of view, the infrastructure is very loose. Many hotels are located at a distance from the beach, and to get to the sea you need to cross a major highway.

8.4 Karon

And another popular tourist area is Karon. The area is quite large, but there are many mountains, so the inhabitants live quite compactly. In my opinion, these residents would not be enough to fill the large Karon beach (and in high season it is crowded). Apparently people come to this beach from Patong, which is relatively close from here.

There are many hotels here, but I wouldn’t call the local infrastructure developed.

The largest concentration of hotels and various restaurants and bars is in the Karon Beach Roundabout area. From here it is most convenient to get to the beach on foot.

As I already said, the area is not small, so there are also not very well located hotels, from which you need to cross a big road to get to the sea.

8.5 Kata Beach and Kata Noi Beach area

It is very picturesque here and there are a lot of resorts. Since there are many tourists, there are also corresponding restaurants. There are many luxury hotels here that have their own restaurants and bars – most likely, you will feel more comfortable relaxing in them than going somewhere else.

In general, other than admiring the views and relaxing in your house or on the beach, there is not much to do here. This is confirmed by the numerous cars and minivans available for transfer.

8.6 Rawai

There is a beach and a very picturesque (at high tide) pier. But the beach is not suitable for swimming. And at low tide it’s not even particularly beautiful here. That is, this area should not be regarded as a place convenient for a beach holiday.

There are a lot of people here and there are many different restaurants, bars, and a market.

For leisure (as far as I understood when passing this place on a motorcycle), there is only food and views of the sea without going into the water. It’s unclear what else to do here.

But at the same time there is a large concentration of hotels and people. Perhaps this place attracts those who prefer comfort and variety in food, as well as communication with people, and get on excursions using a transfer or taxi.

9. Non-beach areas of Phuket

9.1 Chalong

I don’t even know what to say about this place – I’ve been there many times, but only passed by.

This place borders Rawai (which has a non-swimming beach and plenty of food and hotels). It’s about the same thing here, but without the beach at all.

There is Lotus's Supermarket and several tourist attractions. But as a place for tourists to live, I don’t think this place is interesting.

9.2 Talat Nuea

It is a large and crowded area, but it is only interesting for tourists if you find cheap accommodation here.

9.3 Mueang Phuket District and Talat Yai

In Thailand, the name of a province and the name of the main city of that province are the same. For example, Chon Buri is the name of the province in which Pattaya is located, and Mueang Chon Buri is the city in that province (“Mueang” means “city”).

Before this we talked about Phuket as a province and the island as a whole. There is also the “Mueang Phuket District” – this is the southeastern region of the island. It is home to Old Phuket Town and also has a number of Mu Ban (villages) adjacent to it. This is a very crowded area of the city, but from a tourist point of view there are few amenities and entertainment, except perhaps shopping.

One of the advantages of this place is that it is quite close to Patong (about 10 km), it is also close to Rassada Pier/Rassada Harbor (the main place for sea transport) and Phuket Bus Terminal 1.

There are several shops for renting motorbikes.

9.4 Rasadanausorn Road

There are several excellent and affordable hotels in the Rasadanusorn Road area. Perhaps this is the best place for those who drive a motorbike.

I stayed at AJ Residence – I love this place! By the way, you can rent a motorbike right there, right in these apartments. Daily cleaning, washing machines and a food area with a small shop, microwave and hot water are all very convenient. If you read my articles, you know that I don't usually talk about hotels, but this place is great, it would be a shame not to mention it. But, again, only if you drive a vehicle! Otherwise, you'll just get stuck here.

10. Beaches of Phuket

All Phuket beaches, at least those that are of interest to tourists, are located on the western part of the island.

In this section, I consider beaches exclusively with free access. Beaches with paid access will be discussed in a separate section (looking ahead, it’s not particularly interesting there; free beaches are better).

Let's start our journey along the beaches from north to south.

10.1 Sai Kaew Beach

In Thai, “Sai Kaew” literally means "white sand".

The beach is really snow-white and very, very long!

When I saw this place, I immediately fell in love with it – it’s very beautiful here.

This beach is perfect for those who like a secluded holiday. Even in high season there are few people here. You may well find a place on the beach from which it is impossible to see other people.

On the other hand, since there are no people, there is no corresponding infrastructure – there are no sun loungers and umbrellas to hide from the sun. Restaurants are also located some distance away.

At low tide it is still comfortable to swim here.

As for the waves, there are some on this beach, but they are not strong at all. The waves here do not cause discomfort, but just pump up and down – I really liked it.

The sandy part of the beach is quite wide and becomes even wider at low tide. Coniferous trees grow along the shore – under them you can hide from the scorching sun. Local pine needles are not similar to needles from European conifers. Local pine needles are very soft, almost like withered grass.

The beach is located almost in the very north of the island. The obvious entrance to the beach is next to the road (marked on the map as “Entrance to Sai Kaew Beach #2”). This entrance is located behind the police checkpoint, not far from the bridge and exit from the island.

There is another less obvious entrance to the beach, which is marked on the map as “Entrance to Sai Kaew Beach”.

There is a small parking area on the beach at this location. Also along the road to the beach you will see “Phuket Riding Club” and “Maikhao Adventure – Elephant Home & ATV”. That is, here you can ride horses, elephants and ATVs.

There along the road there is “Mai Khao Local Seafood Restaurant”. We were there, I liked the food, even though it was halal (and there was still alcohol available). This is one of the few places in the area where you can get a full meal. This restaurant offers delivery – probably you can order food directly to the beach, but we didn't check this, we drove to the restaurant. The photo shows the view from this restaurant:

We have visited almost all the beaches of Phuket – on the one hand, to tell you about them, and also to choose the beach to which we want to return and relax. Both my wife and I definitely agreed that we wanted to spend our day off at Sai Kaew Beach. We arrived here in the morning and left after sunset – it was an amazing day, an amazing beach.

A short video of Sai Kaew Beach – I'm walking along the beach:

And another short video of Sai Kaew Beach – I’m approaching the beach:

10.2 Mai Khao Beach

Sai Kaew Beach blends into Mai Khao Beach – I'm not even sure where one ends and the other begins. Therefore, the beaches are quite similar.

The beach is beautiful. There are few people. There is no infrastructure on the beach line. The sand on the beach is grainy. Lots of coniferous trees.

The highlight of this beach is the “Mai Khao Beach – Airport viewpoint”, where planes descend and fly directly overhead to land at the Airport.

Below I will tell you more about this place, including how to get there.

Near the beach there is a small restaurant “Maikhao Beach Streetfood” (marked on the map) – there is excellent food and delicious fruit shakes.

Video from Mai Khao Beach

And another video from Mai Khao Beach with 8K resolution:

10.3 Naiyang Beach

Nice beautiful beach, with white sand and clear water.

This beach is also located near the airport.

There are more people here than on the previous beaches, but less than on the beaches that will be discussed later.

In terms of infrastructure, there is nothing on most of the beach, but you can still find sun loungers and umbrellas.

There are various restaurants near the beach.

Also near the beach is Sirinat National Park – it will be discussed below.

Short video from Naiyang Beach:

10.4 Nai Thon Beach

Small nice beach. Well, how small… the beach is almost 1 km long, but compared to previous beaches, this one is really smaller.

There are few people, the atmosphere is cozy.

The sand is snow-white, the water is turquoise, trees grow along the beach.

A short video of Nai Thon Beach:

10.5 Banana Beach

A quiet beach area in untouched nature: swimming, sunbathing and other modest entertainment.

This beach is very small – about 170 meters.

The beach is located away from populated areas. To get here, you need to drive along the mountain road (4018) until you see a parking lot. Then from the road you need to follow the path to the beach.

The beach is not at all secluded, at least in high season – there are quite a lot of people here.

10.6 Choeng Thale Beach

A beach for a secluded holiday with a gentle entrance and very clean water. There is shade – nearby there is a vast area covered with trees, between which it is also very pleasant to relax. As they say, I recommend it.

The beach is large and quite uncrowded. But there is active construction going on nearby (perhaps there are even several objects). Most likely, there will be more people here after construction is completed.

10.7 Laguna Beach

Clean, beautiful, sand like fine salt.

In fact, this is a continuation of Choeng Thale Beach. This place is quite similar to the previous beach.

Nice beach, but a long walk to the cafe (as in Choeng Thale Beach).

There is no parking here and people leave their vehicles under the trees.

10.8 Bang Tao Beach

Extensive beach with white sand and blue water, as well as numerous restaurants and shops.

If you look at the map, you will see that Bang Tao Beach is an extension of Laguna Beach, which is an extension of Choeng Thale Beach. But this place is really different – there are a lot of people here, and there is also infrastructure for tourists.

This is an area with a cluster of hotels, so it’s not like at the other end of the same sandy coastline.

I remember this place as a small, crowded parking lot.

10.9 Surin Beach

Beach with white sand, turquoise water, sun loungers and umbrellas for rent and street food.

Compared to the previous ones, the beach is not very large (about 780 meters). The beach is quite crowded. There is a dedicated parking lot with many food vendors.

10.10 Haad Laem Sing

A small beach (300 meters) in a bay with golden sand.

Very picturesque beach, with few people. In addition to snow-white sand, clear water and wonderful palm trees of all shades of green, for lovers of snorkeling in the northern part of the beach there are a few corals on the rocks, around which fish of different colors and sizes live.

There are two ways to get here:

To get to the beach you need to get to the neighboring beach, which is to the north (Surin Beach) and from it there is a path along the stones. Signs point along the path, which also advertise the café of the same name on the beach. The path winds along the stones; in general, it will not be difficult for a healthy adult to walk along it; the journey will take about 15 minutes. It's better to wear sneakers, but many people wear sandals and flip-flops.
By boat from Surin beach for 200 baht. They go every hour, the last one leaves here at 18:00.

This is what the walking route looks like:

A short video of Haad Laem Sing from above:

10.11 Kamala Beach

Unlike the previous one, this is an easily accessible beach. The beach is very long – about 2 km.

There is a walking path along the entire beach, a wide selection of cafes, smoothies and shops nearby, plus the availability of toilets and showers.

There are also sun loungers and umbrellas for rent.

This beach is quiet in terms of the lack of waves, but in terms of crowding, it is perhaps the second most densely populated beach in Phuket.

10.12 Kalim Beach

The beach attracts primarily with its interesting stones that are located on the shore. The water in this place is not very clean, as there is runoff from the city. There is a road nearby. At sunset you can take very beautiful and unusual photos! So, if you live nearby or are passing by, you can drop in and have a look, but of course you shouldn’t make a special trip, because there are much more interesting beaches.

A short video of Kalim Beach from a distance:

10.13 Sea Salt Beach

Great little beach just north of the main Patong beach.

The beach is quite small, it’s not easy to find parking, and even just walking from the parking lot to the beach along a roadway full of cars is difficult – but it’s worth visiting this place, at least to admire the views.

A very beautiful place, unusual stones and the views from here are also amazing!

10.14 Patong Beach

Calm (in terms of absence of waves) sandy beach in the shape of a crescent with clear water and many cafes, restaurants and bars.

The beach is about 2.6 km long. There are a lot of people here.

Patong is the center of tourist life with the largest number of shops, restaurants, bars and other places of interest to tourists. This is all reflected on the beach – the tourist infrastructure here is very good, but there are also a lot of people.

Patong Beach offers a variety of water activities: jet ski rental, banana boats, sofa boats, parasailing (flying over water with a parachute).

10.15 Tri Trang Beach

The beach is not large and you can’t swim at low tide because of the corals and rocks.

Elephants are also bathed here.

There is no need to get to this beach through hotels; there are two other options:

From the road on the left side of the beach.
Near the right side of the beach you need to turn towards the elephant farm from the main road. And then to the left along the dirt road it goes down to the beach.

10.16 Merlin Snorkel Beach

A small beach overlooking the hotel territory, there is a coral reef in the water. The beach strip is quite wide, the sand is white and fine. Fragments of corals lie on the sand in small alluvial spots. The bottom is rocky and reef, with aqua-shoes you will be more comfortable. Many people swim with masks. We were just before sunset, very beautiful. At the entrance to the beach, a sewer leaks from the road; people with children swim right next to the drainage point. We didn't find a toilet; there is a cafe at the entrance to the beach. The beach is more suitable for snorkeling, come with masks.

Excellent beach for snorkeling and freediving. But not for swimming – solid corals, it’s hard to get into the water when there is no tide.

There are few people, mostly scuba diving enthusiasts.

Before coming, be sure to check the tide schedule. And arrive at high tide, otherwise you will have to walk to the diving site in coral slippers. The optimal entry into the water is on the left side, looking at the sea.

10.17 Karon Beach

4 km beach with calm, clear water and a wide strip of golden sand.

In terms of tourist density, this beach can compete for second or even first place – there are a lot of people. But thanks to this, there is also the appropriate tourist infrastructure: rental of sun loungers, water activities, varied food.

A short video from Karon Beach:

10.18 Kata Beach

This vibrant expanse of white sand is lined with restaurants and resorts where you can swim, snorkel and sunbathe.

There are a lot of people here; along almost the entire beach there are many sun loungers and umbrellas for rent.

I saw a water taxi here – the boat can take you to other popular beaches and places in Phuket.

10.19 Kata Noi Beach

The beach is close to resorts and restaurants and offers swimming, diving and other activities.

Noi means “small” in Thai. This beach is about 670 meters long.

The beach is crowded with people. So that you understand how busy the beach is: there is a large parking lot there, but I couldn’t find a single free space in this parking lot.

10.20 Nai Han Beach

A lively stretch of white sand, popular for swimming and sunset views, with restaurants and umbrella rentals.

The beach is very beautiful, with pleasant sand. As you enter, it immediately becomes a little deep, so the waves here can be quite large. This makes bathing especially enjoyable. There are umbrellas on the beach under which you can hide from the sun.

There is infrastructure nearby: toilets/kiosks/food/fruit/beach amenities. The parking lot is also quite large, including spaces for cars (you can park by the lake and walk for a couple of minutes). There are a lot of people too.

There is a paid shower near the parking lot in the northern part of the beach (20 baht), paid sunbeds for 200 baht and umbrellas for 100 baht.

10.21 Yanui Beach

Small tree-lined sandy beach with snorkeling equipment and kayak rentals. Suitable for families.

On the beach you can rent kayaks from 8.30 until sunset, cost 200 baht for two people for 1 hour. At dawn there are still no boatmen.

It’s difficult to swim, there are a lot of stones at the entrance and it’s unsafe. I recommend taking a boat and watching the setting sun at sea. Beautiful view of the neighboring islands.

10.22 Rawai Beach

There is no swimming on this beach; there is a boat parking area here. In the evening there are strong low tides and you can collect shells and crabs with local children. At low tide it is very shallow and dirty.

It's beautiful to watch sunrises on the pier. The setting sun is not visible from this beach, as it is behind the mountain.

11. Viewpoints of Phuket

11.1 Mai Khao Beach – Airport viewpoint

This place is on Mai Khao Beach near the airport. Here planes land and, therefore, descend right over the beach.

A short video from Mai Khao Beach – Airport viewpoint:

The view is impressive. I don’t think I’ve seen planes flying anywhere closer.

Also striking is the frequency with which planes arrive – approximately every 5 minutes a new plane comes in to land.

This is a free-access place, but you have to find your way here. If you are on Mai Khao Beach, then you need to move to the south (to the left if you are facing the water) almost to the very end of the beach.

If you want to come to this beach by car, then:

First, move to the point marked “Turn to Road 3033” on the map.
Further, if you follow the Google Map, you will come across a hotel, through whose territory security will not let you pass. To still get to the viewpoint, you need to turn onto street number 6 (on the map this place is indicated by the point “Turn to Soi Mai Khao 6”).
Continue until you reach the fork marked “Turn to Mai Khao Beach – Airport viewpoint”. Here you need to turn left, but traffic is prohibited there (except tuk-tuks). Park your vehicle somewhere (but not at the turn, of course) and move towards the viewpoint.

You will see tuk-tuks that will take you to the beach for 10 baht per person.

The path passes by hotels, but the road is open to free passage. Tuk-tuks are also not part of the hotel, so you can use them.

Video of a plane landing overhead:

The plane flies very low before landing:

The plane flies very low over the beach:

Video of an airplane flying over people's heads:

11.2 Karon View Point

An easily accessible viewpoint right next to the road. Parking available.

From here you can see three beaches at once:

Kata Noi Beach
Kata Beach
Karon Beach

And you can also see the island “Ko Pu”.

The observation deck has several levels and has an area for drone operators. There is also a small shop and even a toilet a little to the side.

Video from Karon View Point (8K):

And another video of Karon View Point from a different angle – as you can see, you can find a place where trees do not block the center of the view:

11.3 Windmill Viewpoint

A very picturesque viewpoint, also with easy access by vehicle.

From here you can see Ko Man Island and Yanui Beach.

A short video from Windmill Viewpoint:

And another Windmill Viewpoint video with a wide-angle lens:

11.4 Cape Phrom Thep

The first thing that caught my eye here was a huge parking lot and a huge number of buses that bring tourists.

At first, walking around the viewpoint, I was not very impressed. Overall it is beautiful, the wide viewing angle and vastness of this place itself are its features: you can look at the sea both from a special platform and along the road, which is closed to vehicles. There is a square, a monument and statues. But the view is similar to the one I just saw from Windmill Viewpoint – and this is not surprising, since both of these places are nearby.

But then by chance (more precisely, after looking at other tourists), I found an inconspicuous entrance to the stones from the road – and from here there really is an amazing view! On the map I marked this place with the point “Entrance to the trail”.

But that's not all! There (point “Entrance to the trail”) there is an entrance to the trail and a small hiking route. Along this route you can reach the very end of the cape – and from there you can see equally picturesque views. Don't miss both of these places – the entrance to the stones from the road and the route itself. The path is quite simple and very short.

The trail to the edge of Cape Phrom Thep on the map:

This is a view of the edge of the cape.

And this is the very edge of the cape and island. You can walk on the stones a few meters further, but I didn’t go there (primarily because there were already people there).

From here you can see the southernmost edge of Phuket:

When we were returning from a walk around the cape, I saw that a huge number of people had gathered at the main observation deck and the entire parking lot was filled with large buses. Apparently, tourists are brought here to watch the sunset – perhaps it is some kind of especially beautiful sight here.

8K video from Cape Phrom Thep viewpoint (from Prince of Chumphon Monument platform):

Video from the Cape Phrom Thep viewpoint with a wide angle lens:

Ko Man, Ko Kaeo Yai and Ko Kaeo Noi Islands (8K):

View of the Andaman Sea from Cape Phrom Thep (wide angle lens):

The very edge of Cape Phrom Thep:

View of Nai Han Beach from Cape Phrom Thep (8K):

View from the very edge, on both sides of Cape Phrom Thep:

11.5 Patong Beach Viewpoint

As the name suggests, this is a viewpoint on Patong Beach.

You can also see another tiny beach from here.

There are parking lots nearby.

Video from Patong Beach Viewpoint, showing Patong as well as another tiny beach, 8K video resolution:

And another video from Patong Beach Viewpoint, but from a different angle (there are several viewing platforms):

11.6 Laem Sing Beach Viewpoint

Beautiful view of Laem Sing beach. There is parking for vehicles.

In the distance you can see a piece of Kamala Beach and even a little visible Rayee Beach (rocky beach).

11.7 Kalim Beach Viewpoint

A beautiful and unusual view of the stones in the water. You can also see Patong Beach from here.

A short video from Kalim Beach Viewpoint:

11.8 Monkey Hill Viewpoint

A hill with wild monkeys and an observation deck at the top.

There is a road leading to the observation deck, but the road is closed at the foot of the hill (near the Charoen Samanakij Temple intersection). From here you need to walk uphill for about 2.5 km.

Besides the viewpoint, the attraction of this place is the monkeys – there are a lot of them here.

If you just want to see the monkeys, then you don’t have to go to the top of the hill – the monkeys will meet you at the very beginning of the path.

Monkeys are very dexterous – do not hold in your hands or in easily accessible pockets something that you would not mind saying goodbye to. The monkeys take any food and water right away – either hide it in your bag, or give it to them (but don’t try to fight them). It is also better not to play with monkeys, much less touch their babies – if a monkey bites you, you will then have to undergo a vaccination course – and this is not cheap.

11.9 The Big Buddha, Phuket

45m tall marble Buddha statue at the top of the mountain with panoramic views, café and gift shop.

A beautiful and calming place. The entrance is free.

Big Buddha is impressive, but many come here to enjoy the views – the views are even more impressive.

From here there are views of Karon Beach and Kata Beach.

The monk ties a rope to everyone who wants to make a wish come true; you can thank them with tips or offerings for 100 baht

11.10 Pa Klok viewpoint

One of the few attractions on the east coast of Phuket.

The view is nice, but this viewpoint is located at a distance (from everything) and there is nothing else to do here.

Since it is east facing, there are probably some beautiful sunrises here.

12. Restaurants with vantage points

On many islands, I began to notice very interesting restaurants (sometimes just cafeterias with a variety of drinks), which are located, it would seem, in the middle of Nowhere: along the roads outside the cities.

At first glance, it seems that placing a restaurant here was a very bad idea. But if you take a closer look, the idea becomes clear: stunning views open up from here!

I have come across such point-of-view restaurants on various islands in Thailand. They have common features:

Stunning view and relaxing atmosphere
Inhospitable places (usually a mountain road, sometimes with a slope), but there is always parking.
Prices are slightly higher than in a similar cafeteria or restaurant without a sea view, but the quality of drinks and food is always high.

In general, if you are a hunter of beautiful views, then I recommend taking a closer look at such restaurants near the roads. You can have a snack, cool off, take a break from the mountain serpentine and take beautiful photos, or simply enjoy views that are different from the tired tourist places.

Obviously, these places are not free (you pay for food or drinks), but I have never been disappointed.

12.1 Pan Yaah Seaview Cafe Restaurant & Bar

A very beautiful, but not at all cheap place. We really enjoyed the food and drinks (the salmon and smoothies were excellent).

It offers views of Patong Beach.

What appear to be islands opposite are actually Phuket too.

We stopped here in the afternoon to rest and have something to eat. I really liked the view and thought it was cool to come here from my hotel in the evening (it's opposite the Indochine Resort & Villas) and slowly sip a beer or wine with views of the sea. But then I thought that it was dangerous to return home drunk – the hotel was located across the road (a narrow mountain road with bends and heavy traffic).

In general, guests of the Indochine Resort & Villas most likely eat and drink wine in the restaurant on site – the view is even better from there, since the entire hotel complex is at an altitude.

The restaurant is quite large – there are tables right next to the water.

View from Pan Yaah Seaview Cafe Restaurant & Bar on Patong Beach:

12.2 Rak Khun Bar

In this area I searched for “Kata Noi Viewpoint”. But I didn’t find a separate viewpoint as such, but I did find several cafes with beautiful views.

Rak Khun Bar focuses on various unusual non-alcoholic drinks (something like a pumpkin latte – I’m not good at that and don’t remember their menu). But I was also able to order regular lemon juice.

It offers views of Kata Noi Beach.

A short video – view from Rak Khun Bar on Kata Noi Beach:

12.3 Kata Beach Viewpoint

Restaurant by the road. The views are beautiful, the food is delicious.

13. Video of the beach and sea to relax

The following videos show the beach and the sea, waves hitting the shore. And nothing else happens.

I hope you can feel the atmosphere of serenity and enjoy the beauty.

This video was shot with a wide angle lens:

And this video with 8K resolution:

End of the first part

Phuket is amazing and multifaceted. I ended up with a long article with a lot of photos, but I barely covered even half of what I planned.

Therefore, I will take a break at this point, and all the rest of the material will be in the second part.

I do this so that your vacation is as effective as possible, so that you choose the right area and do not miss interesting places.

Preparing such an array of information requires effort and time. If you liked this article and want more in-depth content, you can contribute to this. It's not difficult at all: just share the link to this article with your friends, for example on social media or on your blog. Thank you in advance!

Continued in the second part: Attractions of Phuket (map and top interesting places)