Phuket by ATV, Through Rubber Plantations to the Big Buddha

Ride red-earth tracks up Nakkerd Hill through rubber trees and jungle, then climb the last steps to Phuket's white marble Big Buddha.

Phuket Beyond the Beaches

Most people know Phuket from its coast of beaches, boats and wide horizons. Inland it’s another island, roads narrowing, greenery thickening and the land rising steeply to a wooded ridge that dominates the southern skyline. Your ride starts low on Nakkerd Hill, engines idling beneath Para rubber trees on red-stained earth, and from there the climb is gentle but relentless, the sound of the sea fading as the track winds up through plantation paths and dirt trails cut into the slope. It’s a fun, adventurous half-day for a couple or a group of friends.

Working Roads to a Marble Buddha

Near the top of Nakkerd Hill sits Phuket’s Big Buddha, visible from much of the southern coast. Made of white Burmese marble and more than forty meters tall, it’s both a sacred symbol and a landmark by which people find their bearings. The site is calm and contemplative, but getting there has never been ceremonial: the hill has always been reached by working tracks used by locals, farmers and service vehicles, with rubber plantations still lining much of the way, a reminder of the island’s farming life before tourism. The ATV routes grew along these existing tracks, less as a direct road to the statue than a way to see the island’s interior honestly, a mix of dirt, height and shared roads rather than unbroken wilderness.

Why a Small Group

Riding Phuket’s interior takes concentration, with the terrain switching quickly from loose soil to exposed roots, shady jungle to open road. In a small group, the pace adapts naturally, steady without pressure, and with no big group setting the speed, the ride feels controlled rather than rushed, giving you time to get used to the ATV, read the ground and enjoy the climb. Space between riders keeps the dust down and your eyes on the track.

Up to the Summit

The route climbs steadily through rubber plantations, their straight trunks repeating in rows beside the trail, the ground shifting from packed earth to looser red soil. Higher up the forest thins, gaps opening to glimpses of the coast far below, Chalong Bay’s curve growing more pronounced at every turn. The last stretch is on foot, up the final steps to the statue, which dominates not through ornament but through sheer size and restraint, white marble against the sky, the island spread out far below. Modest dress covering shoulders and knees is expected at the Big Buddha. Your Out Of Office LGBTQ+ travel specialist can add the ride to your Phuket stay, and our Thailand guide covers LGBTQ+ rights and travel advice.