Phuket has more photogenic spots than most people expect from a beach island. Beyond the obvious sunset shots, there are colourful streets, hilltop viewpoints, jungle backdrops, and temple details that work well on camera. This page organises the best spots by area so you can plan a shooting route without crisscrossing the island.
Old Phuket Town
The old town is the most concentrated area for photography in Phuket. Soi Romanee is the most photographed street, with its pastel-coloured shophouse facades and narrow lane. Thalang Road runs longer and has more variety, including restored Sino-Portuguese buildings, small cafes, and street art. The Chartered Bank Intersection is where four decorated corners meet, and it photographs well from the middle of the crossing (quiet enough during the day). Early morning gives you empty streets and soft light. The Sunday Walking Street Market on Thalang Road adds colour and energy if you prefer a livelier backdrop.
Viewpoints
Karon Viewpoint shows three bays in a single frame and is the classic Phuket postcard shot. Promthep Cape at the island’s southern tip is the go-to sunset spot, though it gets crowded. For something less visited, the Windmill Viewpoint above Ya Nui Beach offers a wide coastal panorama with fewer people. Off the island, Samet Nangshe Viewpoint in Phang Nga is worth the early morning drive for sunrise over the bay and limestone karsts.
Temples and Landmarks
Wat Chalong is the most photogenic temple in Phuket, with detailed roof lines, golden chedi, and quiet morning light. The Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hills is currently closed to visitors, but the approach road and surrounding area still offer wide views of the coast. In Old Town, Chinese shrines like Jui Tui have ornate facades with red and gold detailing.
Beaches
Not all Phuket beaches photograph the same way. Nai Thon and Mai Khao are long, quiet stretches that give you clean compositions without crowds. Freedom Beach has the whitest sand and clearest water, but requires a longtail boat to reach. For dramatic scenery beyond Phuket, Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh is iconic, though you will share the frame with other visitors.
Planning Your Route
The most efficient approach is to group spots by area. Start with Old Town in the early morning for empty streets and good light. Head south for viewpoints and Wat Chalong around midday (harsh light suits the colourful temple details). Finish at Promthep Cape or a west coast beach for sunset. Samet Nangshe requires a separate early morning trip, as it is across the bridge in Phang Nga.
The famous Maya Bay has reopened after a long and much-needed break from the increasing herds of tourists who were travelling all the way to see with their own eyes what this bay of Phi Phi Islands seen in the old Movie ‘The Beach looked like ... Read More
James Bond Island, locally known as Khao Ping Kan, is located about 25 kilometres northeast of Phuket Island, in the bay of Phang Nga. This unusual limestone rock formation is one of the many places in Phang Nga people have on their Phuket must-see list ... Read More
Plane spotting in Phuket just moved to our growing list of Best Things to Do in Phuket. Watching planes landing in Phuket has become a top-rated attraction in recent years ... Read More
Malika Sky Bar is an unexpected gem at the popular Kalima Resort located between Patong Beach and Kamala Beach. The rooftop is surprisingly large and well-designed to accommodate visitors according to their sitting preferences ... Read More
Akoya Star Lounge is an upmarket rooftop bar and tapas at V Villas Phuket by MGallery in Ao Yon Beach, a secluded cove in the southeast of Phuket. The place is new and packed every evening with Instagram and selfie lovers, so you need to book before going ... Read More
Samet Nangshe is a superb panoramic viewpoint in Phang Nga Bay. It's a little far outside Phuket island, but if you have a car or a big bike, it is worth the drive. From up there, you can admire the fantastic limestone formations of Phang Nga Bay, ... Read More
Phang Nga Road is another historical street that runs parallel to the famous Thalang Road, in Old Phuket Town. Phang Nga Road maybe is less known, but it has a lot of charms, a few local restaurants, and several important historical landmarks and museum ... Read More
Thalang Road is the most famous street in Old Phuket Town — lined with restored Sino-Portuguese shophouses, street art and the tiny Soi Romanee, voted one of the world's most beautiful streets ... Read More
Soi Romanee, in the historical centre of old Phuket town, is a short street with a long and colourful history. Today it is home to souvenir shops, fancy ice cream parlours and small but posh guesthouses ... Read More
The partly hidden wooden staircases of Naithon Beach are a popular Instagram spot in Phuket. They have been around for a long time, but as usual, people would drive by too fast to even notice them ... Read More
Baba Nest at Sri Panwa Hotel is the ultimate rooftop bar in Phuket. It is built high above Phuket Aquarium on the remote Cape Panwa, southeast of Phuket Island. It’s far, hard to find, and hard to book, as you can expect a two-week waiting list to get a reservation, but it’s worth it ... Read More
The Commune Resto Bar is a popular seaside terrace bar perched above the rocks between Karon and Kata Beach. Despite being tucked away at the end of a narrow street, this hidden spot has gained significant traction with travellers, especially selfie enthusiasts ... Read More
Aungku Phuket is a cafe that literally popped up in a couple of months at the intersection of two famous streets of the Old Phuket Town: Thalang Road Soi Romanee ... Read More
Cafe Phuket Viewpoint is a really hard-to-spot Instagram gem hidden on the curvy roadside that connects Patong Beach to Kamala Beach. The place has been around for a long time but never was popular until someone realized that Instagram was a magnet for the young generation ... Read More
The Black Rock viewpoint, in the south of Phuket, has been known for a while, but it’s among the most challenging ones to reach if you are not familiar with the area. It also requires a car or, even better, a motorbike to get there. You will need to be in a decent physical condition as it involves some steep walking ... Read More
Nui Beach is an unusual beach in Phuket. It’s not the most magnificent beach as the sand is quite coarse, but people seem to love secret and hidden beaches ... Read More
The Upside Down House Museum is one of the most surprising attractions in Phuket. Once you see it with your own eyes, there will be no need for any explanation as this pink house is standing upside down on its roof in a garden, as if some giant kid had casually dropped it after playing with it ... Read More
A Blanket & A Pillow is another little gem hidden in the trees above the rocky shores of Kata Beach. A Blanket & A Pillow consists of several bamboo terraces connected by uneven staircases. Customers sit in colourful bean bags or the Thai way: around a small round table on a small woven carpet ... Read More
Three Monkeys restaurant is set in the Jungle somewhere between Phuket Town and Chalong, part of the popular Hanuman World Zipline attraction ... Read More
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Secret Bay Phuket is a hidden bar built on a hillside overlooking the Andaman Sea, located between Patong Beach and Kamala Beach. A long wooden path leads visitors to several lower decks below, some with chairs and tables and some others with colourful bean bags ... Read More
Iron Bot Cafe is hard to miss. Two massive robot statues guard the entrance on the coastal road between Patong Beach and Kamala Beach. We stopped here on a late afternoon drive and ended up staying for sunset ... Read More
Wat Kanan is Phuket's striking white Buddhist temple, often referred to as the island's answer to the famousWhite Temple in Chiang Rai. Located in the Thalang area of Phuket, this relatively new and lesser-known temple has recently gained attention as a stunning spiritual and architectural destination ... Read More
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Step inside Kor Ra Kang on Thalang Road, a massive pink-flower café in Phuket Old Town. Great for photos, mixed food reviews, and iconic selfie spots ... Read More
Cafe Phuket Viewpoint is a hard-to-spot Instagram gem hidden on the curvy roadside that connects Patong Beach to Kamala Beach. The place has been around for a long time, carried different names, and never really was popular until someone realized that Instagram was an irresistible magnet for the young generation ... Read More
Secret Bay Phuket is a hidden bar built on a hillside overlooking the Andaman Sea, located between Patong Beach and Kamala Beach. A long wooden path leads visitors to several lower decks below, some with chairs and tables and some others with colourful bean bags ... Read More
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Laem Sai Cup is another little cafe hidden on the hills of Kata Beach, overlooking the Andaman Sea. The cafe consists of several terraces made of bamboo connected by narrow staircases leading all the way to boulders in the sea ... Read More
The Selfie Experience is a new photo playground in Phuket, covering 3,000 m2 indoors with more than 40 backgrounds to play with, a fun way for families, friends and selfie lovers to spend a fun day away from the heat or an occasional rainy day ... Read More
I arrived in Phuket in 1994 and have never left. After travelling through 40+ countries and working with Club Med and Expedia, where I created the Hotels.com Go Guides international travel guide with my team, I launched Phuket 101 in 2011 to share what I've explored, discovered and learned. Everything here comes from personal experience, with my own photography and videos from across Thailand.View Author posts
