Phuket: ATV Ride to Big Buddha with Hotel Pickup & Views

4.67

(138 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t think I’d end up covered in red dust before lunch, but that’s how our morning in Phuket started. The driver picked us up right on time—he had this easy smile, didn’t say much but nodded a lot—and we wound along the coast with the windows cracked open. You could smell the sea even before you saw it. At the safari camp, they handed out helmets and gave us a quick rundown on the Polaris ATVs. I was nervous at first—my hands actually shook a bit when I gripped the handlebars—but the instructor just winked and said, “slow is okay.” Made me laugh.

The ride itself was bumpier than I expected (my teeth still remember that one rut), but honestly, it felt good to be out there. We followed our guide through patches of jungle and then suddenly—there it was—the Big Buddha, gleaming against this weirdly blue sky. There were other people around but it never felt crowded; maybe because everyone fell quiet for a minute just looking up at that statue. Our guide told us about how locals come here to make offerings, and pointed out some little gold leaves fluttering in the breeze. I tried to say “Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri” like he did—Li laughed at my attempt, which was fair.

We couldn’t go inside (something about renovations), but honestly? Standing outside with that view over Phuket and the Andaman Sea was enough. It’s loud up there—windy too—but somehow peaceful. On the way back down, I caught myself grinning for no reason except maybe relief that I hadn’t crashed into anything. The ride ended too soon; there’s something about being on those trails that makes you forget what time it is.