Three Viewpoints in Phuket

My first post about Thailand isn’t about Bangkok as a capital city. But I will make you curious by presenting Phuket.

Imagining beauty of Phuket since 2013, I could really see it by naked eyes in 2019. For six years I could only see Phuket from a photo which was posted on my desk. Many reasons of course, why I must wait very long. Because of time, bustle and of course about budget….hihihi, I think the last one is my problem.

OK, by the way….

PHUKET….is an island-area province in south of Bangkok. If it is measured, its length is along Jakarta-Cikampek (about 70 km) and its width is only along East Jakarta to West Jakarta (about 36 km).

Phuket is indeed famous with its beach tourism. But for your information, 70% of its area are hills. That’s way, you can see the beauty of downtown and its beaches from above.

Based on this, before enjoying all beaches in Phuket, I did one thing that other tourists rarely do.…Yeah, I started to climb its hills to do ” Phuket helicopter view “.

That afternoon, Nok Air airline landed me at Phuket International Airport. Connected by airport bus, I was really dropped off in center of downtown. After checking in at Fulfill Phuket Hostel and lunch around it, I immediately rushed to rent a motorbike and went to a hill in northwest of hotel.

1.Khao Rang Viewpoint.

Khao Rang or Rang Hill is a viewpoint which located in north of Phuket. According to Khao Rang officer who I asked, Khao Rang usually visited by Phuket residents at night after work or on weekend to celebrate their holiday after 5 busy days at work.

Very lucky that I was there on Sunday afternoon, so it was very easy to find Phuket residents who were going back and forth

Needed about 10 minutes from Fulfill Phuket Hostel to actually get into Khao Rang through its south gate (there are two gates to go to Khao Rang, one in south and other one in north).

Parking my motorbike in a hurry because of my impatience to saw how Phuket face, I don’t care about many young couples who are seen sitting in every corner of Khao Rang.

I immediately looked around to determine from which point I will see Phuket. Yes.…that was the viewpoint that I was looking for:

Oh God….Phuket which is bordered by coastline and insulated by small hills on each view sides makes me stunned for a long time and beat the sun heat.

If you want to stay longer in Khao Rang, You can enjoy Phuket view while eating Thailand foods in Tunk Ka Cafe. If you don’t want to enter cafe because of expensive price, You can enjoy some snacks or coconut water in some food stalls outside restaurant.

Then what did I?….I didn’t buy anything….I prefered to go to next viewpoint.

2. Phuket’s Big Buddha

Out of Khao Rang parking area, I directed my motorbike to southwest. I would explore as far as 20 km towards Big Buddha statue by motorbike.

Through heat of Phuket’s streets, I stopped by in a traditional market in middle of trip. Sightseeing market to see local people trade, slowly I heard faint sound of Sundanese language (Sunda is other name of West Java, Indonesia) among boisterous tone of market.

“I have to find this person”, I thought. Approaching sound until I found two teenagers from Sukabumi (a district in West Java province) who are undergoing students exchange which become their Tourism Vocational School program. They were assigned in a resort at Phuket and were shopping at behest of resort’s head chef.

Leaving the market, I resumed my journey up winding hill to its summit.

I saw Chinese tourists rejoice on ATV to same place, even some European tourists could be seen heading to top of hill by jogging and walking.…It was crazy, that’s really far away.

I can say that it’is “combo venue”. Because besides getting a higher viewpoint, you will also enjoy beauty and sacredness of this statue.

Finally I arrived in Big Buddha.

Walk to end of giant statue plaza !, this is what you will get:

Big Buddha became a closing trip of all my climbing on that Sunday.

I had to be patient to climb again next day.

3. Kao Khad View Point

Next day….

I would longer sit in Kao Khad, so I decided to enter Family Mart across my hotel to prepare some packed beans and soft drinks to enjoy beauty of Phuket.

Heading to south, I went through Phuket’s streets. I would cover a distance about 8 km now. Passing through traffic jams at several points of road which were being renovated and also through underpass project, I enjoyed local faces who were moving towards their respective livelihoods.

Viewpoint which isn’t so high made my motorbike easy to run faster and reached my destination in just 12 minutes.

Here is it, Kao Khad viewpoint :

So….after seeing some little scenery that I gave….Will you go to Phuket?