{"id":17309,"date":"2024-12-24T06:47:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T06:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limittrip.com\/?p=17309"},"modified":"2024-12-24T06:47:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T06:47:45","slug":"best-sunrise-spot-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/24\/best-sunrise-spot-in-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Sunrise Spot In Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Samet Nangshe viewpoint in Thailand is one of the most beautiful places I\u2019ve ever seen in my travels. It\u2019s also fairly easy to get there by driving from the tourist island of Phuket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This viewpoint overlooks the spectacular Phang Nga Bay, a Thai national park with dozens of small islands. The sunrise at Samet Nangshe is especially nice because the sun rises directly over the bay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can visit Samet Nangshe viewpoint on a day trip from Phuket and go back in the same day, or you can stay a night or two at the\u00a0Samet Nangshe Boutique hotel, which has a pool and rooms that overlook the same wonderful scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This travel guide will explain how to get to Samet Nangshe viewpoint with or without a tour, where to stay, and everything else you need to know before you go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incredible sunrise at Samet Nangshe viewpoint<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samet Nangshe Viewpoint: What To Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two different places in Phang Nga province where you can enjoy the stunning view of the bay: you can go to Samet Nangshe viewpoint, or you can see a nearly identical view from the Samet Nangshe Boutique hotel<\/a>, which has multiple vantage points at different levels on the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the pictures in this blog post were taken at the boutique hotel, but the view is essentially the same in either place. It\u2019s a marvelous view, with lots of small islands in the bay, and one big karst island that towers above the rest. It looks like a fairytale landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drones are allowed at the viewpoint, and you can take some pretty amazing photos of the bay from above. They also allow drones at the hotel, but they asked us to do it at the parking lot so we wouldn\u2019t disturb anyone at the hotel, which is fair and to be expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Phang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An aerial view of Phang Nga Bay in Thailand<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samet Nangshe Viewpoint<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you first arrive at Samet Nangshe and park your vehicle, there\u2019s a bit of climbing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viewpoint is on top of a steep 800 meter hill, and they have a 4\u00d74 truck shuttle to take you up there, or you can hike up there yourself in about 15-20 minutes if you\u2019re fit and you want to save a little bit of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not possible to take your own vehicle to the top, so these are your two choices. Personally, I\u2019d recommend the shuttle, especially if you\u2019re coming in the dark for sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hilltop has a cafe and some touristy swings and bird nests for taking Instagram photos, which will be fun for kids and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are little primitive bungalows you can rent for 700 Baht (~$20 USD) per night, or you can even camp up there in a tent for 200 Baht. I\u2019m sure the prices will go up as this place becomes more and more popular!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jurassic Park vibes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you go to the\u00a0Samet Nangshe Boutique hotel, there\u2019s a similar setup for reaching the viewpoint: a shuttle can take you up there, or you can hike it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple vantage points at the hotel, but the very best one in our experience was the Bay View Cafe, which is the highest point at the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the sunrise, you can buy food or drinks at the cafe while enjoying the scenery. It\u2019s an amazing view, and we felt like we could\u2019ve stayed there a week just relaxing and taking pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somewhere out there in the bay is Thailand\u2019s famous\u00a0James Bond Island, although you can\u2019t quite see it from the viewpoint. It\u2019s easy to go there on a day trip from Samet Nangshe, and if you stay at the boutique hotel they can arrange that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Phang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another aerial pic of Phang Nga Bay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samet Nangshe sunrise \u2014 breathtaking<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrance Fee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Samet Nangshe viewpoint has an entrance fee of 30 Baht (~$1 USD) per person, plus a shuttle fee of 90 Baht roundtrip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no entrance fee at the hotel. It has a shuttle fee of 50 Baht, and you\u2019re welcome to visit and eat at the restaurant and cafe even if you aren\u2019t staying in one of the hotel rooms.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Time To Visit Samet Nangshe Viewpoint: Sunrise!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best time to visit Samet Nangshe viewpoint and take photos is at sunrise. It\u2019s amazing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the day and month, the sunrise time in Phang Nga province can be anywhere from 6:00 to 6:45 AM. You can check it on your weather app. Remember to get there at least 30-45 minutes before sunrise so you can see the first show of colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sun actually rises directly over the islands of Phang Nga Bay, making a scene that is just stunning. It\u2019s probably the best sunrise spot I\u2019ve seen anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunrise colors \u2014 waking up to this view is really special<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from sunrise, another great time to take photos at the viewpoint is in the late afternoon or evening, when the rocks are well lit and the sun is at your back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst time for photos is in the late morning or around noon, when the bay is backlit and the sun is usually too harsh behind the islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, the viewpoint was never very busy with tourists at any time we were there, and most people left right after sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure the popularity will change over time since it\u2019s such a magnificent place, but thankfully the hilltop is pretty big, so it should be able to accommodate plenty of visitors without getting too crowded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such an unreal landscape<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Get To Samet Nangshe From Phuket<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Samet Nangshe viewpoint is located in the Phang Nga province of Thailand, about 45 kilometers northeast of the Phuket International Airport (HKT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can get there from Phuket by driving a car or motorbike, hiring a taxi, or taking a tour. Unfortunately there\u2019s no bus option yet.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 By Car \/ Motorbike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re driving from Phuket, you can get to Samet Nangshe by following Route 4031, crossing the Sarasin Bridge, turning onto Highway 1004, and then continuing until you see a clear road sign for Samet Nangshe viewpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use\u00a0this Google Maps location\u00a0to navigate directly to the viewpoint, which has plenty of parking available, or\u00a0this map location\u00a0to navigate to the Samet Nangshe Boutique hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drive takes about 1 hour from the Phuket airport, 1.5 hours from Patong Beach or Old Phuket Town, or a full 2 hours from Karon or Kata Beach in south Phuket.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 By Taxi \/ Private Driver<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have a lot of driving experience in Thailand, it\u2019s safer and easier to hire a taxi or private driver to bring you to the viewpoint. You can ask your hotel in Phuket to arrange a driver for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We stayed at\u00a0Samet Nangshe Boutique, so we booked a driver with them. He picked us up in a big, comfortable air-conditioned van, and when we left the hotel after our stay, they also helped arrange another driver to take us back to Phuket. In both cases, we paid by credit card, which was very convenient!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transport price was 1,800 Baht ($50 USD) from Old Phuket Town, which is reasonable for two people going outside of Phuket island. From the airport, it\u2019s 1,200 Baht ($33 USD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t staying at Samet Nangshe overnight, then you can negotiate with your driver to wait for you while you take pictures, and then bring you back to Phuket.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 By Tour<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another quick and easy way to get to Samet Nangshe is with a tour. Viator has a\u00a0Thai cooking class that includes the Samet Nangshe viewpoint, and they also have a\u00a0full day private tour\u00a0to the viewpoint from Phuket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve always had a good experience with this company, but in this case the tours are unusually pricey. Hopefully shared tours for the viewpoint will be offered soon, that way you can join a group and the prices will be lower per person<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drone view of the mangroves and winding river<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samet Nangshe viewpoint is relatively easy to reach from Phuket<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where To Stay: Samet Nangshe Boutique Hotel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to stay longer and get the best views and photos of the sunrise and sunset, you should stay at the\u00a0Samet Nangshe Boutique hotel. We stayed there 2 nights during the rainy season and absolutely loved it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s definitely on the pricey side, but the whole hotel has views of Phang Nga Bay and the sunrise right outside your door. There\u2019s a public infinity pool, and some of the luxury rooms even have a private pool or bathtub with views of Phang Nga Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We stayed in one of the basic rooms (the Deluxe King room), which didn\u2019t have direct views of the bay and sunrise, but you could walk right outside your door and see it in the morning. We also did the short walk up to the Bay View Cafe to get even higher, and that\u2019s where most of the pictures in this blog post were taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rooms are clean and comfortable, and there\u2019s decent WiFi. But the main reason to come here is to soak up the view for as long as possible. It\u2019s really exceptional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Samet Nangshe viewpoint in Thailand is one of the most beautiful places I\u2019ve ever seen in my travels. It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trip-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}