The cliff-top palms of Promthep Cape are a Phuket icon, a symbol of a viewing-point that stretches across three points of the compass.
They say all good things come to an end, but in Phuket the ending goes one better. It manages to touch the spectacular. Though the 'ending', in this case, is twofold. First in the location – Promthep Cape, where Phuket's most-southerly peninsular dramatically runs out in a 61-metre drop. And second in the timing – the day's end, when the tropical sun drops equally dramatically below the horizon. Put the two together, and you have a uniquely Phuket event: sunset at Promthep Cape, an experience which never fails to pull the crowds in each evening.
The reason for the rush is all in the geography. Promthep Cape is a narrow strip of palm-dotted rock that juts right out into the Andaman Sea. That gives it an unequalled view out to the horizon, from west to south to east. And Phuket's southerly islands have arranged themselves very prettily around Promthep – the nearby Koh Kiaow and Ko Bon, or (if the visibility is good) the outline of the Phi Phi Islands, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi can all be picked out.
So Promthep has become something of a Phuket icon. Many of the tourists are as likely to be the locals – here to snap the obligatory 'Promthep Sunset' photo – as Americans, Aussies or Kiwis. But is the trek to Promthep Cape worth the candle, once the sun's gone down (or the clouds have arrived)? Well, there are another couple of other points of note. There is a lighthouse, with a museum – illuminating, but hardly a tourist super-nova. And there is the local shrine, which is dedicated the Hindu god Brahma. It houses a wonderfully bizarre collection of brightly coloured elephants, of all shapes and sizes.
These are offered by visitors wanting to make a wish, or thanking the gods for one granted. Its placing here is more than coincidental. 'Prom' is the Thai word for 'Brahma', and 'Thep' means god. So a visit to Promthep Cape doesn't just give you a great view of from Phuket, as its shores slip into darkness – it also gives you a little insight into the ancient web of religious connections threading across its peaks and bays.
