PUBG Sanhok map: best places for loot, where to drop

Sanhok is the tiniest map in Playerunknown's Battlegrounds. As a result, it's a very different experience compared to the other maps in the game. That said, it's still a deserted island location where death is a constant peril. Therefore Sanhok is far deadlier in many ways, as deep within the lush jungles, ancient ruins, and the extensive river system, there's plenty of places for others to hide and kill you without a second thought! It can be tough to get a footing, but not to worry; help is at hand! In this Sanhok map guide, I will take you through what to look out, the best places to drop, and how to survive the onslaught that's happening all around you.

Playerunknown's Battlegrounds Sanhok map guide

Welcome to Sanhok. This Pacific island inspired territory is crammed full of ruins, military complexes, and agricultural areas. It's also a deathtrap: at roughly 4km each way, it's around a quarter of the size of Miramar and the smallest of Plunkbat's maps by a considerable margin. So in this guide, we'll be giving you some hints and tips to get started, and not get annihilated as soon as your boots touch the ground. While this guide is going to focus on the map itself, there's a bunch of hints and tips that are universal across the entire list of PUBG's maps. Go have a gander at our PUBG guide hub for more on how to improve your skills.

Where to drop in PUBG's Sanhok map

The short answer is that unlike other Plunkbat maps, there isn't really a place that's completely safe. Chances are that wherever you drop, someone else will be there too. Named locations tend to be where the big firefights are, particularly any of the camps and the Bootcamp in the centre of the map, but even the more rural locations can be a hotbed for activity.

Generally speaking, dropping in clusters of unnamed buildings of around three or four in total tends to reap the most benefits while at the same time not a popular tourist destination. It's a general rule of thumb that this works on most maps, but here it's also important to be aware of those jumping out of the plane at the beginning of the game may end up where you're going, even if they jumped much earlier than you.

One other thing to note is that with the smaller map size, the range at which people can drop from the beginning is much wider. Therefore just because you're far away from a position, doesn't mean you can't make it there, especially if you have the parachute. If you're playing in Duos or Teams and your teammate jumps seemingly early, it may be that they're still heading for a position they may have highlighted.

Best locations for loot in PUBG's Sanhok map

Sanhok has a lot of named locations for such a small map, but they all contain some fairly decent stuff. Named places generally have the highest concentration of loot available in the map, so I wanted to highlight some of the key areas you should consider dropping down into, while at the same time being wary of other players.

• Ruins - located on the south-western island, this area has multiple floors full of items, but is also really popular in the early game. Expect stiff competition early on.
• Bootcamp - has a ridiculous amount of weapons in the centre of the main building, which naturally attracts other players like gun-crazed moths.
• Paradise Resort and the three camps are also relatively popular for good reason as they're full of loot to obtain. Not as popular as Ruins or Bootcamp, but Paradise Resort offers similar elevation, while the centre of Camp Charlie can have highly concentrated spawn of gear.
• The Docks towards the south-eastern corner is a little less popular, but can reap some great loot, including the QBZ95 assault rifle that's exclusive to this map; provided you can also escape with a degree of haste.
• Mount Tyna - This unmarked location is east of Camp Alpha. You may not find a lot of loot here, but it won't be widely contested either. Getting down from the mountain is actually straightforward, but it can be a good vantage point for later on if the circle ends up close to that location.
• Pai Nan - This central location can be hotly contested early on, but the geometry and loot potential makes it one of the most attractive areas. The raised structures enable players to hide underneath for some sneaky kills, provided they have picked up some of the many weapons lying around.

As for particularly good places to find loot that are out of the way, the small dock area towards the north-west of Tat Mok tends to have a decent amount of attachments and guns for a small area. It's far north of the main island, so the only real caveat here is that you're likely to be outside of the first safe zone and need to move on rather sharpish. Those particularly daring players may consider parachuting into the cave on the southern part of the main island, looting the temple hidden within.

Dealing with Sanhok weather in PUBG

Another of Sanhok's unique traits is its dynamic weather. During the course of every match, the weather has a chance to turn from a sunny paradise, to a damp and dingy day, and even have fog so dense you can't see more than a couple of feet in front of you.

This can be used to your advantage, or perhaps work against you too. By sticking to the trees where possible, you can move around with a reduced chance of giving away your position to any snipers or anyone else moving around. They can still hear your footsteps over the rain though, so dashing should only be reserved for those times where the blue zone is looming on you.

If you really want to confuse your enemies, consider throwing a smoke grenade while it's foggy as a diversion. It may fool them into thinking you're where the smoke is densest, when in actuality you could be sneaking up on them without them knowing.

Using vehicles in PUBG's Sanhok map

As good as vehicles can be in both Erangel and Miramar, the same can't really be said for Sanhok. You make far too much noise when driving around that by the time you're speeding away, half the map know exactly where you are and may have an idea of where you are going. It's far from ideal, but there are ways of making it work. Here are the vehicles that are available in Sanhok:

Watch on YouTube

• Motorcycle- fits two people. Speedy, but leaves both passengers exposed.
• Tukshai -  fits three people and provides limited cover. Not very good.
• Scooter - fits two people exposed, not as quick as the motorcycle but has an increased turning circle.
• Buggy - fits two people. Offers a tiny bit more protection and is better suited to the terrain.
• Rony (Pickup) - fits four people. This 4x4 offers a lot more protection, but is noisy and slow.
• Van - fits six people at the cost of manoeuvrability off-road. Don't use them if you can.
• PG-117 - fits five people on the water. Still noisy, but at least offers a bit of protection from oncoming fire.
• Aquarail - fits two people. Speedy on water and easy to control, but offers zero protection.

If you're feeling particularly adventurous and like an air of subterfuge, drive a vehicle into a complex of a few buildings, making sure that no-one else is there first. Then abandon your vehicle in the middle of it and hide by going prone on a nearby hill.

Chances are, some particularly bloodthirsty player heard you cruising by, maybe with a horn blaring as you do so, and will shortly be arriving to investigate. Provided you have a particularly decent aim and a rifle to take that shot, you should have successfully dispatched at least would-be pursuer. On a map this small, it's certainly viable.

However, if you still need some half-decent gear, it's perhaps best to avoid driving around as you'll only draw unnecessary attention to yourself and likely end up slumped over the steering wheel and without that delicious chicken dinner.

The importance of not being seen

Weather may mask your whereabouts, but there's things you can do and objects to equip that also help not to be seen or heard. Among the big guns and healing kits scattered around, it's also worth to be on the lookout for items like flash hiders, silencers, and suppressors for your various guns (you can find out more about the different equipment in our PUBG guns & weapons guide). It'll keep your whereabouts more hidden when engaging far-away players, but also may confuse nearer enemies into thinking you're further away than you are.

Cover is important in all maps in any given shooter, but in such a small map it's perhaps more vital to be aware of your surroundings. Trees are littered around in abundance, so can provide vital cover. Despite being generally frowned upon as a tactic, going prone on a slope in some foliage and picking off unsuspecting passersby, is a surprisingly effective way to net a few kills. That is of course before the blue wall of impending doom looms behind you.

Perhaps the most crucial thing you need is to use your ears. If you hear gunshots in the distance and are absolutely sure they're not being aimed at you, the person firing that gun has given their position away to an extent. If you're particularly stealthy, you could get the jump on them instead.

Loot with extreme caution

In the previous two PUBG maps, you could often loot your fallen enemies in relative safety. Sanhok's small size means you might want to take more time surveying the land, and perhaps lay a trap for a few pesky vultures. If you're lucky, you might get a bunch of loot rather than end up dead yourself.

Air drops are another big thing to be wary of. Chances are, if you're nearby and have seen the air drop coming in, so has half the map. Take the opportunity to take a vantage point if need be, then watch as some sap wanders into the open and begins taking stuff. Provided your aim is true and gun powerful enough, they should be defeated before they know what hit them. If your gear isn't good enough, chances are someone else has them in their sights and will be more than willing to do the job for you.

Of course, if that's the case, you should be on the lookout for where that fateful shot came from, as it's valuable information to surviving. Who knows, they might come running in, thinking the location is clear, only to find them meeting the same fate, by your hand.

If you follow these tips, you may stand a good chance of surviving until the final moments of the game. From then on, it's like playing any other PUBG map, so a lot of the general hints apply. Do be sure to check out our guide on PUBG Erangel map as well for tips and tricks on that map too. There's also tips for the other maps such as the PUBG Vikendi map or PUBG Miramar map guides respectively.