Sunset Photography in Koh Phangan: My Honest Take (After Way Too Many Attempts)

Okay so… sunset photography. Everyone thinks they can do it, right? Point camera at pretty sky, click button, instant masterpiece. Except it’s not that simple and I learned this the hard way after spending like three weeks chasing sunsets around Koh Phangan with varying degrees of success and failure.

Actually, let me back up. Why am I even writing about this? Because I got tired of all those photography blogs that make everything sound so easy and perfect. Like, “just arrive at golden hour with your tripod and voila!” Reality check – sometimes you show up and the sunset sucks. Sometimes your camera dies. Sometimes it’s perfect but your SD card is full.

Anyway, here are the spots that actually worked for me. Most of the time.

Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach – The Accidental Discovery

I wasn’t even planning to photograph sunsets here. Was just riding around on a scooter because… well, that’s what you do in Koh Phangan, and stumbled onto this beach right as the light was getting interesting.

It’s on the northeastern side – which sounds wrong for sunsets but trust me on this – and it faces this perfect direction where the sun doesn’t disappear behind mountains or anything annoying like that.

The best part? Hardly anyone goes there for sunsets because everyone assumes you need to be on the western beaches. Wrong assumption, but I’m not complaining about having space to myself.

There are usually some longtail boats floating around which… okay, this sounds super touristy but they make great silhouettes. And the shoreline has this natural curve that does something good for compositions. I don’t know the technical term but it looks right in photos.

**Things I learned the hard way:**
Show up early. Like 45 minutes early. Not because you need that much time to set up (though you might) but because the pre-sunset light is often more interesting than the actual sunset moment. Plus you need time to figure out where you want to be without rushing around like an idiot.

Stay after the sun disappears! This is huge. Everyone packs up their cameras the second the sun touches the horizon but the sky often does its best color show afterwards. Some of my favorite shots happened 15 minutes after “sunset” when the sky went completely crazy with colors.

Secret Mountain – The View That Makes You Feel Smug

Secret Mountain isn’t actually secret anymore but whatever, it’s still called that. You need a scooter or motorbike to get there because it’s up this hill and… okay full disclosure, I got lost trying to find it the first time. And the second time. GPS doesn’t always work great on these back roads.

But when you finally get there – and you will, eventually – the view is insane. You’re looking down at layers of forest and coastline and ocean and it’s like someone designed the perfect photography composition.

Height changes everything in photography. Instead of being at beach level shooting straight across, you get this elevated perspective that creates natural depth. Makes even phone photos look more professional.

Plus it’s usually empty. While everyone’s crowding Haad Rin Beach (more on that later), you’re up here by yourself feeling very pleased with your superior location choice.

**Random observations:**
Colors seem more intense from up here. Maybe it’s cleaner air, maybe it’s psychological because you worked to get there. Either way, the sky pops.

Bring water and maybe a snack. Not because it’s a difficult hike but because you might want to hang out for a while once you see the view.

Phone users: tap to expose for the sky or you’ll lose all that color detail. Actually, everyone should do this regardless of camera type.

Haad Rin Beach – Embracing the Chaos

Haad Rin is where the Full Moon Party happens, so it’s usually crowded and loud and not exactly peaceful sunset vibes. But – and this might sound counterintuitive – sometimes the crowds actually make better photos.

People watching sunsets make great silhouettes if you know how to use them. Instead of fighting the crowds, work with them. A few people in your frame adds scale and emotion to landscape shots.

The beach faces west so you get that classic sun-hitting-water shot, but it’s trickier to photograph than it looks. The light can be really harsh and contrasty.

**Crowd survival strategies:**
Go to the north end where it’s slightly less insane. You still get the great view but with room to actually move around.

Use the wet sand for reflections. When waves pull back, that shiny sand acts like a natural mirror and doubles your color impact.

Don’t bail out if it gets cloudy. Some of my best sunset shots happened when it looked like the sunset was going to suck but then the clouds created this dramatic lighting that was way better than clear skies.

During full moon times… actually, during full moon the whole place is crazy but if you’re quick you can catch sunset on one side and moonrise on the other which is pretty cool if you can pull it off.

Koh Ma Viewpoint – The Instagram Spot

Koh Ma is this little island connected by a sandbar that appears and disappears with tides. The viewpoint overlooking it is… well, it’s really photogenic. Almost too photogenic, if that makes sense.

Getting there means hiking up a hill for 15-20 minutes. Not difficult but wear real shoes, not flip-flops, because the trail gets rocky and you don’t want to be that person who shows up to the viewpoint bleeding from stubbed toes.

The payoff is this elevated view over the sandbar and water and horizon that creates these perfect leading lines and layers. It’s like a photography textbook example except it’s real.

This is definitely drone territory if you have one and know the rules about flying them. The sandbar from above makes this amazing S-curve that… okay I’m starting to sound like those photography blogs I was complaining about earlier.

**Practical stuff:**
Check tide schedules if you want the sandbar visible. High tide covers it completely and changes the whole composition.

It’s usually quiet up there except for wind and birds, which is nice if you want to actually experience the sunset instead of just photograph it.

Bring something to steady your camera. The rocks are stable but uneven and you’ll want stability for lower light shots.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You About Sunset Photography

Timing is weird in the tropics. Sunset happens fast – like, really fast compared to northern latitudes. You might have 45 minutes of good light or you might have 10 minutes of incredible light followed by darkness. There’s no gradual twilight like you get in other places.

Weather makes or breaks everything. A dramatic cloudy sunset with your phone beats a boring clear sunset with expensive camera gear. I’ve learned to hope for some clouds because they make the light more interesting.

August timing is actually great for this. You’re past the worst of rainy season but skies can still be dramatic. Sunset happens around 6:30 which gives you time for afternoon stuff before heading to your chosen spot.

**Reality check:**
Don’t get so obsessed with getting the perfect shot that you forget to actually look at the sunset with your eyes. Some of the best sunsets are ones you experience rather than photograph.

Sometimes the “perfect” shot doesn’t happen. Weather doesn’t cooperate, your camera settings are wrong, someone walks into your frame at the crucial moment. That’s just how it goes.

The most important thing is picking a spot where you’ll enjoy being even if the photography doesn’t work out. Because sunsets in Koh Phangan are pretty spectacular regardless of whether you capture them perfectly.

Want to discover more amazing spots in Koh Phangan? Koh Tours knows the island better than GPS and can show you places that aren’t on the typical tourist trail. Sometimes the best shots come from unexpected locations.