5 Best Places in Phuket to See a Sunset

If you are visiting to Phuket or planning a trip to see the island at some point you are probably going to see a sunset. No matter where you view it is normally a very impressive sight, beautiful color mixed in the sky with fluffy clouds created from the ocean surrounding the island. Most people when visiting at some point even make an effort to go see a sunset. We all have our reasons. For some it's romance, the idea of taking a special someone for a romantic view or to add that extra bit of wow to a first date. For others it's to enjoy the show in a different place than they usually see it. For me it's normally to get a clean photograph with some interesting silhouettes or some other point of interest in the shot. I do love it when the sun reflects off the water and creates some depth to an image as it stretches out from the horizon.

Whatever your reason is for wanting to take in a sunset on Phuket, you will more than likely wonder where is it you can get the best views. So here is my list of five favorite places to photograph a sunset while visiting. They all have their own reason for why I like them and in all fairness number 1 and number 2 are equally great so it was really hard to decide which location for me is actually #1.

Almost each location includes a link to a full review I have written on the area as well as sample images of what the views are like. If you prefer to watch a video rather than read a lengthy article the video below gives similar information with a little less detail of each location. The video description also contains links to each location on Google Maps as well as any reviews that I have published for them.

5 Nai Harn Beach

Full Review of Nai Harn Beach

Nai Harn Beach is located in Rawai in Southern Phuket. It offers a nice clean beach with waters that tend to be very calm even in low season (compared to other locations). There are often yachts and other boats out in the water during the evening hours and this gives opportunity for some great silhouettes as the sun drops to the ocean.

One of the nice features of Nai Harn is it has an abundance of restaurants and shops around it's village style location. This makes it very easy to arrive early and grab a bite to eat before you take a walk on the beach and enjoy the sunset. You can even enjoy the sunset from your table if you sit in the right place, most of the restaurants offer a view with little obstruction. If you are coming to take photographs this also provides a great way to relax after scoping out a location to setup your gear.

One of the spots often overlooked at Nai Harn is the rocks down at the South end. These rocks would be to your left if you were looking straight out to the ocean. From here you can get an interesting perspective of a sunset as well as a different view of the beach all together. You can also catch some interesting aquatic life scurrying about and I even managed to find a waterfall that cascades down over rocks every time the a wave rolls in (visible in the video above).

Although Nai Harn Beach is nice it is often crowded in tourist season and it is fairly expensive to dine there. It can be hard to get a clear shot of the sunset if you want to take it dead on off the beach. For reason Nai Harn Beach, although beautiful, ranks lowest on this list.

For a full review of Nai Harn Beach take a look at my article here: Nai Harn Beach Phuket, Full Review.

4 After Beach Bar and Restaurant

The After Beach is a restaurant and bar serving up European, Thai and Western foods with great cocktails, domestic and imported beers. It sits on a mountain side overlooking Kata Beach and gives a great unobstructed view over the ocean.

The vantage point from the After Beach is perfect for enjoying a sunset while dining or relaxing over drinks. It is a great place for taking a date or spending some time with friends.

The only drawback about After Beach is the fact that it is not a public place but a restaurant. This means to sit there you need to order food or drinks. Although the food is great and the service is among the best in Phuket, that along with the view comes at a price. After beach prices are about 30% more for Thai Food than anywhere else you may be used to eating. So if you do plan to go, be prepared for a fair sized bill before you leave.

For a full review of After Beach take a look at my profile. I have been having a problem with the embedded maps lately so it is still waiting to be published at the time of writing of this article.

3 Karon Viewpoint

Full Review of Karon Viewpoint

Karon Viewpoint is one of the places you would expect to see a great sunset from. Located on the top portion of the mountains leaving Karon, Karon Viewpoint offers a view from a degree of altitude and overlooks Karon and Karon Beach.

At the top of Karon Viewpoint is a gazebo style building that is perfect for sitting and watching or setting up a tripod on the edge of. If you are taking photos you may need to use a longer range lens to avoid getting plant growth in your shot if you want a clear view. If you want silhouettes of branches and leaves framing your images this is a great location.

The only drawback I ever found about Karon Viewpoint both for sitting and for photographing from is it can get quite busy. That being said, most people are pretty polite about staying out of frame when you are taking images. Finding a seat however can be a task when there are busloads of people showing up to end their day of tours by watching the sunset from the viewpoint.

Some of my most interesting twilight photos are from this location because there are many opportunities to capture the changes in lighting on the city of Karon below as well as the way they sunlight and shadows effects the trees and other vegetation in the area.

For a full review of Karon Viewpoint take a look at my article here: Karon Viewpoint Phuket, Full Review.

2 Windmill Viewpoint

Full Review of Windmill Viewpoint, Phuket

Windmill Viewpoint is located a bit farther South than Karon Viewpoint and in my opinion is one of the greatest vantage points to take sunset photographs and sit and watch a sunset on the island from a higher altitude.

Windmill Viewpoint offers ample room so it is rare you wont be able to find a place to sit or setup your gear. The view is completely unobstructed unless someone is flying a drone about and the sun is always perfectly framed between the point on the coast to the North and Koh Man Island to the South.

I have never been regretted heading to this location to take photographs morning, day or night. There are some refreshment stands located here but you will not find any restaurants so don't go expecting to have dinner.

For a full review of Windmill Viewpoint check out my article here: Windmill Viewpoint Phuket, Full Review.

1 Karon Beach

Full Review of Karon Beach

Karon beach is a massive beach that runs down the coast outside Karon City. If you are trying to get that classic sunset photo that we all have seen in brochures or postcards you can get it here. It is also a great place to take a 20 minute walk along the beach as the sun drops below the horizon.

If you watch the companion video for this article you will see that I have Karon Beach ranked as number two and Windmill Viewpoint as Number One. This is because the two locations to me are easily interchangeable depending on the experience you are looking for. Where the Windmill Viewpoint gives you an open view from high above the ocean, Karon Beach gives you an amazing experience with rolling surf and people playing in the water. You can go for a swim and even parasail at this time of day giving you the options for several types of experiences at the same location.

For a full review of Karon Beach take a look at my article here: Karon Beach Phuket, Full Review.

For a full review of Parasailing at Karon Beach take a look at my article here: Parasailing in Phuket, Full Review.

For more great videos and images check out the Lovin' it on Phuket YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and Instagram Account. If you are a blog writer you can find images available on Adobe Stock, Getty iStock and Shutterstock by following these links.

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Happy travelling to Phuket and beyond! There are more interesting articles to come. Thanks for reading and showing your support.