Big Buddha

Rising above the jungle on Nakkerd Hill, the Big Buddha is a 45-metre statue clad in pale marble, looking out over Phuket Town, Chalong Bay, Kata and Karon. On clear days the views stretch far across the Andaman Sea. Built with public donations over the 2000s, the site became a symbol of quiet reflection as much as a viewpoint, with prayer bells in the wind and a small hillside sanctuary below. It has been closed since September 2024 following the 23 August 2024 landslide, yet the jungle trail from the Karon side still makes a rewarding hike for the exercise and viewpoints even though access to the statue platform remains restricted.