How to Visit Samet Nangshe Viewpoint for Sunrise

If we had to choose one place in Thailand worthy of a 4am wakeup and a long drive in the dark, it would be Samet Nangshe Viewpoint. Right in the heart of Southern Thailand, it emerges as a gem for sunrise seekers, and even for those who much prefer to squeeze in extra hours of sleep—like myself.

After exploring the region extensively over the past two years, this breathtaking spot remains our top pick for capturing the perfect sunrise in Thailand. Phang Nga Bay is a glorious place to be amidst, but to stand on the edge and towering above it, looking down out to all the ancient limestone mountain islands and the serpentine curves of rivers around mangroves leading into sea, is an experience that cannot be replicated.

In this post, I’ll be sharing the details of how we reached Samet Nangshe Viewpoint in time for sunrise from where we stayed in northern Phuket, and where you can stay to enjoy your own private view of Phang Nga Bay, so you don’t have to leave your balcony for a sunrise like this one.

If it’s your first time visiting Thailand, or you haven’t been in a while, make sure to read up on my top 10 travel tips before visiting Thailand!

Where We Stayed in Northern Phuket

After our adventurous couple days exploring the Khao Sok National Park, we honestly just needed to wind down for a week by the beach. We spent a few days in Khao Lak at Le Méridien before making our way down to the Anantara Phuket Villas in Mai Khao.

Mai Khao is located at the northwestern edge of Phuket Island, just 15-20 minutes from the international airport of Phuket (HKT). It’s far and out of reach from the hustle and bustle of Phuket city, and serves as a quiet escape along the long stretch of beach overlooking the Andaman Sea.

It’s really vacation club central, with Marriott—including the JW Marriott—and Anantara resort properties taking up estate. There’s an outdoor mall around the corner, near the main road, with a few restaurant options outside of the resorts, but we loved eating at the local restaurant shacks that were situated right on the beach, and cooking up some light meals that we picked up from the 7-Eleven right at the Anantara entrance.

There wasn’t too much going on here apart from resort amenities, beach and the lake around which we biked. But it is the hotel zone nearest the Sarasin Bridge, which connects Phuket to mainland Thailand. This was the ultimate location advantage, as it was not only a gateway to Phuket and Phang Nga Bay, but connected us to Samet Nangshe Viewpoint without the worry of city driving.

How to Get to Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

Unless you’re staying in the Samet Nangshe area, it’ll take a bit of a drive to get there. We couldn’t find any shared tours to take people up to the viewpoint for sunrise—usually, just a rest stop at the viewpoint during midday and a part of a larger adventure day tour.

So your only options to catch sunrise at Samet Nangshe are the private transportation route: either by hiring a driver to take you, renting a car or renting a motorbike.

For just the two of us, and with Jason’s motorbiking experience, we chose the latter. With where we were located, it was only going to take about a 35-45 minute ride going at a leisure speed. The only thing daunting was driving in the dark at 5 in the morning on a road we weren’t familiar with. And with the moisture in the pre-dawn air, we opted to dress warmly, at least covering our arms and legs, for the ride.

Thankfully, it turned out to be a very peaceful drive. It was a quiet, short stretch of freeway on Highway 402 before we crossed the Sarasin Bridge. After a quick U-turn on the 402, we headed east on Highway 1004, a single lane road through the countryside.

It was super well paved with zero traffic at that time in the morning, but we went nice and slow given how dark it was with no street lights.

Later on, as we drove back along the road after the viewpoint, we marvelled at how gorgeous the Thai fields and woods were, stopping every now and then to greet the animals and traipse through the open plantations of rubber trees.

We stopped at this turnoff on the right where we parked our motorbike. There were already attendants waiting in the dirt parking lot, ready to direct us for where we could leave our bike.

In the lot, a small booth awaited us to pay for our entrance fees: either 30 THB to go up to the viewpoint by foot, or 90 THB to take the roundtrip transfer. If you’re walking, keep in mind that it is a fairly steep dirt road but only about 700m. Give yourself about 15-20 minutes to reach the top.

The 90 THB is actually well worth it, given that it covers you roundtrip, and you can leave the top whenever you’re ready, there’s no time restriction on how long you spend up there. They take you up in a 4×4 pickup truck with built-out benches to sit on in the truck bed.

Since we were a little bit rushed on wanting to make it up to the viewpoint well before sunrise, we opted for the pickup truck transfer, allowing us to be one of the first to be up there, and saving us from getting sweaty in the April morning humidity.

What You’ll Find at the Top of Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

The drive up was quick and a little bumpy, and we made it up there with plenty of time before the sun broke through the horizon. We spotted the main wooden viewing platform that is truly the best spot for photo taking.

But that wasn’t the only spot for photos through the viewing area.

There are a number of hand crafted “Instagrammable” viewpoint photo props set out around the area—a heart-shaped bamboo cocoon seat set on its side, a nest-like crescent moon, a nest egg opening, a star with a seat inside of it… So many different props, even some wooden swings that could make for some cute photos.

A metal guarded platform also stretches out past the cliff, giving people the opportunity to take some shots by themselves with the view of Phang Nga Bay, if the wooden platform is taken up.

We also quickly noticed little colourful houses on stilts were set up on the cliff here, which told us that you could actually stay overnight, as well as camp out on the viewpoint, on a budget. All the other hotel properties in the area, which I’ll get into in a bit, come at a much higher price tag.

So having the option to stay in one of the little bungalows can be a good alternative to driving in the dark to reach the viewpoint for sunrise. Although from the looks of it, the rooms didn’t look air-conditioned. Personally, I don’t think I could do a night in Thailand in April with just a fan, but that’s just me!

Don’t forget the café that sits on the cliff here too! Unfortunately, it wasn’t open so early in the morning, and I believe it opens at 9am. But thankfully, we were welcome to have a seat here and set up our cameras and belongings to snap photos of us on the wooden platform.

If you’re up here for a while, there is a washroom for public use here too. We had a long drive ahead of us, especially after spending a good 2 hours up here at the viewpoint, so there was no way we could hold it!

Visiting the New Beyond Skywalk Nangshi

Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, as you’ll see, truly has a local’s touch. It feels like a lot of love was put into it, albeit with a smaller budget, with hands that spent hours and hours constructing each and every part.

There is a fancier take on providing a stunning view of Phang Nga Bay, with Koh Phra Wat Noi right front and centre, just like at Samet Nangshe. Though it doesn’t have the same sense of authenticity and local workmanship that our beloved viewpoint does, it offers a completely different experience.

A new 4-star boutique hotel recently opened up, boasting one of the most stunning features, a glass skywalk spanning 180 meters in length, 80 meters above the sea. It’s called Beyond Skywalk Nangshi and is one of the most stunning properties in the Samet Nangshe area, offering a gorgeous view from the rooms. But overnight guests aren’t the only ones who can get access to the skywalk, amenities and hotel restaurant.

You can book yourself a day pass and enjoy visiting the glass skywalk between 6am and 7pm by booking an entrance ticket here. Possible upgrades are available, either for food vouchers or all-inclusive meal packages. How cool is that?

Where to Stay in Samet Nangshe with Best Views of Phang Nga Bay

As much as it was still an awesome experience to drive ourselves in the wee hours of the early morning to be enthralled by this postcard view, I can’t deny that waking up to it from hotel room balcony would absolutely be memorable too.

There are fewer than a handful of boutique hotels located on the mountainside of Samet Nangshe facing out to Phang Nga Bay, all offering a distinctive experience with a wide range for budget.

• (3-star) Samet Nangshe Goodview: the budget-friendly option (kind of). It offers basic yet clean and modern rooms within their own bungalows for privacy and inclusive of their own balconies. The view is a little offset as the hotel’s location is further southwest, so you don’t get to see the large mountain of Phra Wat Noi island through the window. The hotel amenities have a more local and casual vibe with the common areas being akin to those of a hostel for young crowds.
• (4-star) Beyond Skywalk Nangshi: the mid-tier luxury hotel that’s still worth the money. Its main feature is the unobstructed glass skywalk overlooking the postcard view. It also offers unique room types, including a glamping-style tent, 2-bedroom villas with their own private pool and modern pavilion rooms. To top it off, it has an infinity pool overlooking the bay view and boasts a spacious outdoor terrace restaurant with what looks like delicious food. The Bay View Café on the property is also a hotspot in its own right. This would honestly be our pick.
• (5-star) Sametnangshe Boutique: the highest tier of luxury hotels in the area. Though most of the interiors appear very basic for the price, some of the rooms are stunning and might just have the best view of any of the hotels in Samet Nangshe. One of its most iconic features are the balcony standalone bathtubs, or the tubs that sit right by the full-height windows. A bit of a gimmick, in our opinion, after we experienced it in China. But truly, one of the most private and Instagrammable shots you can get of this beautiful Thailand view!

Thanks for Reading!

It’s not every day you get to wake up, hop on a quiet motorbike (or car) ride and watch the sun peak through the horizon over one of the world’s most beautiful bays. A landscape that has been a coveted backdrop for the likes of blockbuster films like Jurassic World and James Bond’s The Man With the Golden Gun.

It was definitely one of our highlights of our times in Southern Thailand and I hope you get to experience the marvel of sunrise at Samet Nangshe Viewpoint as well!

Don’t forget to check out everything you need to know before visiting Thailand in my detailed guide. And if you’re staying in the Phuket area, my blog post detailing the best day tour of Phi Phi Islands is just a click away!