# Samet Nangshe Viewpoint from Phuket by Car Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/guide/samet-nangshe-viewpoint-by-car/ You can drive a rental car from Phuket to the foot of Samet Nangshe, the hill viewpoint over Phang Nga bay, but the last steep, broken climb is hard on a low car, so most people park below and ride up in local transport. For the dawn view you leave the island in the middle of the night, which only works if leaving the island is agreed with the rental in writing first. ## In short - 1 road off — every trip to the mainland starts at the Sarasin bridge, there is no other way - About 90 km — from the bridge to Phang Nga town, for scale; not the time to the viewpoint - Steep top — the final section to the viewpoint is a broken climb that low cars take reluctantly - Written consent — without it the insurance does not apply once you are off the island ## Short answer Yes, you can get to Samet Nangshe in a rental car, and most of the way is ordinary sealed highway. The viewpoint sits on a hill above Phang Nga bay, in the direction of Phang Nga town, and the approach starts as normal tarmac before turning into a steep, broken climb near the top. ### Can you drive all the way up? Not comfortably. A low sedan takes the final stretch reluctantly, and scraping the underside in the dark is a poor start to the morning. At the foot of the hill there is an area where people leave their cars and continue up in local transport. That is the sensible plan for most drivers. The view is a dawn view. To catch it you set off from Phuket in the middle of the night, cross the Sarasin bridge while the island is still asleep and drive the mainland highway in the dark. We have not measured the drive from the island to the viewpoint, so plan it with a map app on the night; for scale, Phang Nga town is about 90 km from the bridge. ## What that means for the car Ground clearance matters more here than engine size. A crossover handles broken tarmac near the top better than a low hatchback, and it sits higher on a dark highway, which helps you read the road over the car in front. Check the lights and the glass before you leave the hotel. A night run on unlit roads needs both headlights working, a clean windscreen and wipers that clear properly, because lorry spray on a wet mainland highway blanks the glass in a second. Switch the air conditioning to demist if the inside fogs up in the cool hill air. Fill the tank on Phuket before the bridge and keep small notes in the car. Toll gates and the small kitchens you pass at dawn want cash, and on the mainland at night you do not want to be hunting for fuel. If you want to see Samet Nangshe at sunrise, tell us in chat before the rental starts: we agree leaving the island in writing, and the car arrives at your hotel or villa at any hour. Automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates on WhatsApp or through the booking form. ## Step by step: a dawn trip Most of the preparation happens the day before. The night itself should be about driving, not about paperwork or looking for an open petrol station. - Get written consent to leave the island — without it the insurance stops at the bridge - Fill the tank before the Sarasin bridge — fuel is harder to find on the mainland at night - Carry small cash — toll gates and roadside kitchens do not take cards - Set off in the middle of the night — sunrise is the whole point of the trip - Leave the car at the foot of the hill — the last climb is steep and broken - Keep nothing on the seats — the car stands alone while you are up top ## The night drive out and the morning drive back The mainland highway is a working road at any hour. Lorries and pickups loaded above the cab share it with you, slower traffic drifts onto the shoulder to let you pass, and scooters ride on that same shoulder, often without a rear light. On the winding stretches through the limestone hills the sightlines are short: sit behind the lorry and wait for the straight. In the cooler months the mainland hills fill with mist before dawn, and on bends you may see only a few dozen metres. Use dipped beam, drop your speed and keep more distance than feels necessary. Our notes on driving at night cover the rest: blind bends, no verge, oncoming main beam on the climbs. The drive back is the harder half. You slept little, the sun is up and the traffic has woken with it. Stop for coffee in Phang Nga town rather than pushing through, and if you are sharing the trip, swap drivers there, provided the second driver is on the contract. > Only drivers named in the rental agreement may drive. An unlisted driver at the wheel, a driver without a licence or anyone who has been drinking voids the insurance completely, and off the island that means you pay for everything yourself. ## Pairing it with Phang Nga Once you have the sunrise, the rest of the morning is close by. The cave temple Wat Suwan Kuha stands almost at the roadside on the way; monkeys come right up to the cars, so fold the mirrors and close the windows completely before you get out. The town market in Phang Nga works as a technical pause: breakfast, a toilet, a coffee before the drive back. Boats into the bay leave from the pier just outside town, and there is a proper car park there. Our page on Phang Nga from Phuket by car describes the province, and the stops on the drive to Krabi cover the same stretch if you want to continue east. ## Related questions Crossing to the mainland for the first time? Read about the Sarasin bridge and about leaving Phuket in a rental car before you book. Planning more than one outing? Our guide to day trips from Phuket by car keeps each one inside a sensible limit of about two hours per direction. ## FAQ ### Can I drive a rental car up to Samet Nangshe viewpoint? Partly. The approach is ordinary tarmac until the final section, which becomes a steep, broken climb that a low car takes reluctantly. Most drivers leave the car at the foot of the hill and go up in local transport. ### What time do I need to leave Phuket for sunrise at Samet Nangshe? In the middle of the night. We have not measured the exact drive, so check it in a map app the evening before and add time for mist in the hills. For scale, Phang Nga town is about 90 km from the Sarasin bridge. ### Do I need permission to take a rental car to Phang Nga? Yes. Many rentals limit the territory, and without written consent the insurance does not apply beyond Phuket. We agree the trip in chat before the rental starts, so the car is covered on the mainland. ### Where do I leave the car at Samet Nangshe? At the foot of the hill. There is an area there where people park and continue up in local transport. Leave nothing on the seats, because the car stands unattended while you watch the sunrise. ### What else can I see in Phang Nga on the same trip? The cave temple Wat Suwan Kuha, almost at the roadside, and the town market for breakfast. Boats into Phang Nga bay leave from the pier just outside town, where there is a proper car park. ### How much extra time should I allow for Samet Nangshe viewpoint on the drive from Phuket to Krabi? About an hour of extra driving, plus the time you spend at the top. The OSRM route planner gives about 146 km and 2 h 12 min from Phuket Airport to Krabi Town direct, and about 181 km and 3 h 6 min with the detour to the viewpoint, before stops. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/guide/samet-nangshe-viewpoint-by-car/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.