Monkey Hill

The basics

Visitors often encounter monkeys along the road leading to the summit. While some bring fruit to feed them, caution is advised as the monkeys can become aggressive. Visitors will find a scenic viewpoint at the summit, which offers coastline views, as well as a Buddhist shrine and small exercise park on the way up. Many Phuket tour operators include a visit to Monkey Hill on sightseeing tours around Phuket—as the monkeys can be unpredictable, visiting in the company of an experienced guide is recommended.

Things to know before you go

• Don’t feed the monkeys by hand as they can bite and scratch.

• Take care not to have anything hanging out of pockets or bags that may attract monkeys.

• As the summit is covered in telecommunications equipment, you may find better views on the way up to Monkey Hill.

How to get there

You can walk or drive a car or motorbike up to the Monkey Hill viewpoint. The road to the summit is closed to vehicles from 5 p.m to 8 p.m as this is a popular time to walk up to watch the sunset from the viewpoint. It’s a short but steep road to the top and typically takes around two hours round-trip on foot.

When to get there

Most days at around noon a local man arrives in a pickup truck to hand out fruit to the monkeys and play with them. This is a popular time to visit and see the monkeys gathered, as is sunset when visitors arrive to watch the sun sink into the Andaman Sea.

Find beauty at Koh Sirey

If you’d like to see more monkeys around Phuket, you can go to Koh Sirey, a small, less-visited island on the east side of Phuket Town. The island is connected to the town by a bridge and also home to a golden hilltop temple offering stunning views of Phuket.