Samet Nangsee is one of the few places in Thailand which I would consider a ‘Hidden Gem’ its a lookout point on private land, just outside of the Ao Phang-Nga National Park. The views from the top are stunning, and this place is new enough that’s its not really made it onto the tourist radar just yet.
Samet Nangshee: The New Kid on the Block
Samet Nangshee is located on Private Land. Until a few years ago, as recently as post-pandemic, the Samet Nangshee area was inaccessible to tourists, the area on the hillside was covered with dense vegetation. The land owners have carved a dirt track in the hillside and cleared an opening at the top of the mountain, where they ha e consulted a rustic restaurant and a number of small hand built huts which are rented to travellers looking to stay the night. Samet Nangshee is so new, that it hasn’t made it into the guidebooks yet, although I doubt it will take long.
Where Is Samet Nangshee
Samet Nangshee Viewpoint is in Thailands Phang-Nga province, which is in-between Phuket and Krabi. In fact the Viewpoint is located pretty much half way between Phuket and Krabi. It’s a small detour away from Thailand’s Route 4 which runs between the two provinces.
The Viewpoint itself is on the edge of Phang-Nga Bay. The bay is one of the most beautiful areas in Thailand and a lot of tourists know it only as the ‘James Bond Island. Phang-Nga Bay is part of the Ao Phang Nga National Park, and the ‘James Bond Island’ (Koh Tapu) is located in Phang-Nga Bay, although it isn’t visible from the Samet Nangshee Viewpoint. Thankfully the Samet Nangshee Viewpoint is outside of the National Park boundary, so there is no Government fee to pay when you visit the Viewpoint.
How To Get to Samet Nangshee
Getting to Samet Nangshee can be a little bit challenging, there’s no public transport to get there so that means you’ll either need to book a tour which includes a stop there, alternatively rent a car or motorbike to drive there. It’s also possible to hire a private taxi to bring you there and back, but that is the most expensive option.
Samet Nangshee As a Day Tour
Booking a tour to Samet Nangshee is probably to easiest way to visit, although you’ll have to follow the schedule set by the tour provider. Because the viewpoint is located so close to other attractions in Phang-Nga Bay, like the James Bond Island, the Floating Village, Panak Island Sea Kayaking; Samet Nangshee is often included a stop on the Phang-Nga Bay tours, or James Bond Island Tours. These tours can easily be booked online leaving from either Krabi or Ao Nang, there a private tour options and also shared tours which include Samet Nangshee.
When is The Best Time to Visit Samet Nangshee
The top of the Viewpoint is open 24 hours a day for overnight stayers. For day trippers the earliest admission is 5.00am and the Viewpoint ‘closes’ at 7.00pm.
Samet Nangshee has the best views at Sunrise, the Sunset is equally as pretty although the sun sets on the opposite side of the bay.
Climbing To the Summit at Samet Nangshee
In order to reach the top it is required to ride in the back of a pickup truck along the steep dirt road to reach the top. Trucks run all day long between Samet Nangshee Viewpoint and the carpark at ground level. The first truck leaves at 5.00am and the last truck leaves at 7.00pm. You don’t need to book the truck in advance, you can pay when you arrive. It costs 90 Baht per person, each way to reach the top of the viewpoint, although transport is provided for free to those staying overnight at Samet Nangshee. It’s possible to walk to the top although I don’t recommend it. The trail is extremely loose and steep, and those who would rather walk need to pay a 39 Baht admission to access the trail.
Self Driving to Samet Nangshee
If you didn’t want to join a tour that visits Samet Nangshee the only alternative option is to use your own transport to get there. There is a car park at the bottom of Samet Nangshee which is located off Thailand’s Route 4. The turn off is around halfway between Phuket and Krabi and follows a winding path into the mountains, around 7 kilometres away.
It’s approximately one hour to drive from either Phuket or Krabi, the mountainous roads are not recommend for novice riders.
Parking is available for free, including overnight.
Accomodation at Samet Nangshee
Staying Overnight is easily the best way to experience Samet Nangshee, however it does require having your own transportation. The views when you wake up at Sunrise and look out over the bay are simply indescribable.
There is a infux of visitors who turn up around 5.00am to catch the sunrise, which was a bit of a surprise when we crawled out of our bungalow in the morning! The sun comes up over the bay and is the best time to take photos. After sunrise most day visitors leave and there is almost noone after that until around 9.00 or 10.00 am when it starts to have more visitors arrive to admire the views, usually in small groups.
There are two different types of accommodation to choose from at the viewpoint, either a tent, or a basic hut with fan. Initially I had planned to camp there, but sadly the weather didn’t allow for that.
It costs 300 Baht per night to camp (tents are pre-pitched in the hillside) and small huts cost somewhere between 700-900 Baht per night.
I couldn’t find any information online about booking camping at Samet Nangshee, other than a few photos of tents I had seen. So I took the old-school approach and turned up at the viewpoint without a reservation, hoping something would be available.
There are only pitches for around 10 tents, and there are only 3 huts at the viewpoint. So there are few people who can actually stay each night. Thankfully, we were the only ones! And had a pick of whichever hut we wanted, as heavy rain was forecast overnight we decided to skip the camping option.
There are bathrooms and showers at the viewpoint. Although I’d you’re not used to ‘Thai Style’ facilities you might be in for a shock. The shower is not free flowing, but rather it’s a plastic drum filled with cold water which can be splashed around with a paddle. But it wakes you up alright!
And if you’re feeling hungry there is a small restaurant/cafe at the summit of Samet Nangshee too. They serve a full menu of classic Thai dishes and tourist meals too. The prices are higher than elsewhere, but not unresbabke. Higher prices are expected due to the location. The restaurant at Samet Nangshee opens at 8.00am and closes at 7.00pm. So if you want a coffee at sunrise, make sure to order it the night before.
There is also no alcohol sold at the viewpoint, as the owners of the land as Muslim, however the owners were fine when we asked if we could bring our own beers and were kind enough to provide a bucket of ice to keep the cool as we drank into the evening. Its also worth noting that if you plan to stay ivernight and want to drink then uts best to buy alcohol well in advance. The entire area is a muslim population, so even 7-11 stores in the area do not sell alcohol.
The Samet Nangshe Boutique Hotel
I should also mention that a few hundred meters down the hillside is a 5-star resort called the Samet Nangshee Boutique Hotel. If you want to stay overnight at Samet Nangshee with western comforts, and a bit of luxury then you might want to consider this resort. But I should warn you about the prices beforehand, at upwards of 20,000 Thai Baht a night, its easily one of Thailands most expensive hotels.
How to Book Overnight at Samet Nangshee
As I mentioned, I turned up hoping for the best. And luckily there was availability. If you want to book ahead of time you won’t this location on Booking.com or Agoda. They don’t even have a Facebook Page. If you want the Line ID for the owner of the rooms here leave a comment of message and you can contact by messaging app to book a room.
Conclusion
Samet Nangshee is one of the most beautiful locations in Thailand with amazing views across Phang-Nga Bay. It can be visited as part of a tour or you can visit on your own accord. They have a restaurant at the top and overnight stay facilities, which is the best way to experience this spot, in my opinion. Go and see Samet Nangshee while you still can, before it becomes just another location for hoards of Chinese tour groups to visit en-masse. If you can stay overnight go for it. If not try to visit at Sunrise or sunset for the best views.
