Panoramic views from the Big Buddha Phuket

Posted On March 28, 2022

The Big Buddha is very impressive, its the third tallest structure in Thailand at 46m tall and 25m wide. It is made of concrete and covered with Burmese white marble. You can sponsor a piece of white marble for 300 baht and write your wishes on the back. Your piece of marble then gets added to the project which is nice. This project has cost over a million dollars (US) and been funded by donations.

Getting to the Big Buddha

We scooted out to the Big Buddha, its about a 20 minute ride from our hotel. Laws’ Dad knew the way so we followed him out there. The road on the way to the Big Buddha is really windy. Its a fun ride but take caution cause people drive on every side of the road in Thailand. When you get to the top, there is a big car park and heaps of parking.

What to wear to the Big Buddha

You have to wear clothes covering your shoulders and past your knees. I was in a singlet and shorts, so I had to purchase a couple of sarongs to cover myself. They sell sarongs at the entry for 150 baht.

What to do at the Big Buddha

There is a large staircase leading up to the Buddha, you can only walk up these stairs. There are another set of stairs to exit down, they run around the side to where the monks are. These stairs provide a great spot for a photo with a great view out to the ocean and city for the background. You can see how beautiful the turquoise water and coast line is from here.

At the base of the Big Buddha you can see the monks and purchase an offering to take to them. Offerings start from 100 baht, they bless you with some holy water and sometimes chant some blessings for you. Its nice. Inside the Buddha itself, you can read some quotes from famous people who have visited and admire the work. There are some big gong bells around the grounds, you can rub them and make them rings. The bells echo through you once they get going, Laws and his Dad were loving them. At the base of the stairs there is a large look out over the beaches and Phuket. You can get some nice photos out to the ocean, or just admire the view.

What’s it cost to enter the Big Buddha

Its free to go to the Big Buddha. You can leave a donation as a nice gesture, sponsor a piece of marble, give to the monks etc. Its nice to support them building such a beautiful statue.

Cheeky monkeys

There are a few monkeys around the Big Buddha. If you look down beside the toilets you will see the monkeys home, there were a crazy lot of them going wild when we visited. One monkey was strolling around the people, he went up to a man who had a bottle of juice in a plastic bag and ripped a hole in the bag and stole the juice. He sat there and bit open the juice and drank it in front of us all. So the monkeys are still as cheeky and thieving as they always were.

Can I fly my drone at the Big Buddha?

You can’t fly your drone at the Big Buddha as it is part of a National Park so I didn’t take it up there or even ask as they are pretty strict about National Parks. Would have been cool to fly it somewhere close but we got busy doing other things.

Whats nearby?

There were a lot of cafes and restaurants along the road on the way to the Big Buddha, they all had beautiful views out to the ocean. We stopped at one called Nak-Kerd Seaview Cafe for a drink on the way back down. It was a beautiful little spot to stop, funky wooden furniture and stunning views with no interruptions. There were a couple of cute little cats around, so many cats in Thailand, literally everywhere you look! Definitely worth a stop for a beverage on the way back to town.

We then stopped at Phuket Racing Kart and the boys went go carting. It was a pretty cool track and their carts went pretty fast from what I could see. You can check out the Phuket Racing Kart | Facebook if you want more info, according to Laws’ Dad this is the best go-carting spot as the other ones don’t go as fast.

If you want to read more about what we did for our week in Phuket, check out my other posts on Thailand below.

Muay Thai at Patong Stadium

Cruising to James Bond Island

Exploring Phuket beaches by scooter

From day drinking to Ping Pong Shows – Phuket Night life