What’s the Score?
Ask a child to sketch their dream beach, and there’s a fair chance it would look something like Phang Nga. This stretch of coastline, just north of Phuket airport, is almost eerily perfect. Cross the Sarasin Bridge, and coconut and casuarina trees sway and whisper in the breeze. The sand is just the right shade of ecru, scattered with opalescent shells, creeping crabs and couples illuminated by equatorial light. Cyan-blue breakers unfurl with such force that they feel as if they’re in your mind, their rumble a resonant ‘Om’. They say Thailand has something for everyone. If your idea of a core memory involves barefoot luxury and deep chilling, Phang Nga might be for you.
Imagine hopping on a bicycle and pedalling along a flawless ribbon of black tarmac through terraced rice paddies so green that they look like billiards baize – the only sounds the wind in your hair and the steady drone of cicadas – until you reach an empty teak temple on the shoulder of an endless, powder-blonde beach. There aren’t many places in Thailand, or in the world for that matter, that feel quite so pristine. Head a little further south, and you’ll encounter some of the filming locations for The White Lotus. Venture beyond that, and things get a bit mad in Phuket Town, Patong and Kamala Beach. Up here, it’s all faultless coastline, jungle waterfalls and hushed temples. If peacefulness is the priority, this is the place to circle the wagons.
Where to Stay
Iniala Beach House
Iniala Beach House
Luxury resorts often blur into one another; not so with Iniala Beach House, perched on the virginal sands of Natai Beach, 30 minutes north of Phuket airport. Here, thoughtful traditional Thai service meets avant-garde design, quietly erasing the line between hotel and private residence. From the moment you arrive, it’s clear this isn’t just another beachfront retreat. The Michelin Key-awarded service is forensic in its attention to detail. Each villa comes with its own personal butler, spa therapist and private chef – so the only decision left is whether to dine by the pool, on the beach or in the comfort of your absurdly oversized suite. It’s not just hospitality; it’s telepathy.
A different designer has crafted each villa in the property, and no two are remotely alike, but they all feel of a piece with each other. Rooms might include bamboo structures, floating beds, pod chairs and even, in one suite, ubiquitous shag carpeting where every surface is designed to, erm, shag on. The gym looks like something out of a Bond lair (more on that guy in a minute) and guests are invited to do Muay Thai classes and yoga on the swept sands in front of the hotel. You can eat wherever you like, whether that’s a hidden terrace on top of your suite complete with a jacuzzi; oceanside next to the waves; or at The Campana Launch overlooking the infinity pool. Iniala Beach House isn’t just a retreat; it’s a temporary surrender to a world where everything is possible.
Suites from £505 per night. Khok Kloi, Amphoe Takua Thung, Phang Nga 82140; inialathailand.com
Aleenta Phuket – Phang Nga Resort & Spa
Aleenta Phuket
AndoShah+LightWorx
Prefer your hotels with a hearty serving of awards? Aleenta Phuket is a boutique resort with a Michelin Key and a proud member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Comprised solely of private suites, each offers at least 80 square metres of living space, floor-to-ceiling windows, a private pool and beach access just minutes away. Breakfast is best enjoyed at The Edge – a beachfront bolthole arranged around the swimming pool – where you can indulge in everything from Thai classics like khao tom to plant-based super bowls such as rice berry congee, omelettes or shakshuka, all while watching the Andaman Sea glow in the early light.
Wellness bunnies rejoice – Aleenta boasts a spa worth its soaking salts. The Ayurah Spa & Wellness Centre stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of The White Lotus. From classic Thai massages to modern therapeutic rituals, meditation classes, yoga sessions and detox retreats, you’ll leave feeling restored and rejuvenated. Sustainability lies at the heart of the resort, with eco-initiatives ranging from a no-plastic policy and energy-efficiency systems to locally sourced produce and community support. Luxury here intertwines with nature like a liana up a banyan tree.
Suites from £262 per night. 33, Khok Kloi, Takua Thung District, Phang Nga 82140; aleenta.com/phuket
What to Do
James Bond Island
Koh Tapu – a small limestone karst islet shaped like an exclamation point – is better known as James Bond Island after being featured in The Man with the Golden Gun. It served as the location for Scaramanga’s lair in the Roger Moore film and has since become one of the region’s most popular attractions. Hire a traditional teak long-tail motorboat for a bit of privacy and a chance to see amazing rock formations, honeycombed with caves, ascending into needled peaks. James Bond Island can get quite crowded, which feels perverse when the others are deserted, so it’s often more fun to stop along the way at unfrequented beaches or to snorkel and kayak among the mangroves of Ao Phang Nga National Park and the emerald waters of Phang Nga Bay. If you’ve watched season three of The White Lotus, it’s where they cruise on Greg’s superyacht in episode four.
Chasing Waterfalls
If you’re comfortable on two wheels, rent a scooter and explore the region. The roads are quiet and well-kept and there are dozens of waterfalls in the area to visit, whether it’s Ton Pariwat waterfall in the eponymous wildlife sanctuary, a series of cascading tiers that you can swim in; Ramang waterfall, a picturesque gentle cascade in Ao Phang Nga National Park; Bang Pae, one of the largest cataracts on Phuket island, located near a gibbon rehabilitation area; or Phung Chang Waterfall, nestled in lush rainforest at the end of a trail that passes through multiple caves. Many of these sites are tranquil and serene, ideal for a romantic dip.
Ko Panyi Village
This traditional fishing village is one of a kind – built on stilts above Phang Nga Bay and home to a community of Muslim fishermen and their families. Established in the 18th century, it now offers modern amenities while retaining a fascinating culture. As you stroll through the village, you’ll pass floating restaurants, mosques, schools and even a football pitch, all supported by wooden platforms anchored to the seabed. Songbirds chirp from gilded cages and locals proffer knick-knacks as you stroll above glassy green water, while enormous limestone plateaus ascend toward the sky across the horizon.
Where to Eat
Aulis
Aulis Phuket
Aulis is one of the few restaurants awarded a Michelin star in the region, and it’s for good reason. As part of Simon Rogan’s Aulis portfolio, which boasts restaurants in London, Hong Kong and Cumbria, it offers the same intimate chef’s table experience, with a leading-edge 15-person kitchen counter designed by Studio CKP that introduces you into the action. It’s captained by head chef Charlie Wilson, who originally hails from Norfolk. He spent 13 years learning his craft in fine-dining kitchens in Brazil, Singapore, Ireland and Hong Kong, and greets you in the bar area to get you excited about the 17-course tasting extravaganza that’s to follow. Utilising local producers and a kitchen garden just outside (guests are offered a tour), Wilson and company create some genuinely exceptional flavour combinations, such as aged and cured Khao Yai duck and imperator carrot doughnut with preserved mulberry; day-boat coral trout stuffed with Thai chives, Black Jack fig molasses, roasted fish bone and fermented tea; and 42-day aged Khon Kaen wagyu striploin with hausa potato, smoked marrow and wine sauce. Bring your appetite.
Khok Kloi, Amphoe Takua Thung, Phang Nga 82140; aulis.co.uk/aulis-phuket
The Sea Light
As Anthony Bourdain emphasised, it’s important to ‘Leave the resort.’ The Sea Light is a great place to get a taste of local culture. When we visited, there was a large party with hundreds of local ladies dancing to Thai guitar music over a portable sound system. Leo Lager tastes much better when imbibed next to the surf. You can choose your crab and seabass to be plucked straight out of the tank and thrown on the barbecue, then pair it with five-chilli som tam for that extra eye-opener.
Na Toei, Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga 82120; instagram.com/thesealightcafe.restaurant
Seasons
Seasons
Samatcha Apaisuwan
Spend enough time travelling and you often find your gut plaintively requesting a few more vegetables. Seasons answers that call with a tasting menu underpinned by a plant-based ethos that remixes traditional southern Thai dishes, borrowing from the seasons to create a blend of elements that will pucker, prickle and please your palate. As the sun sets over the sea and the surface of the infinity pool, you’ll be treated to dishes like steamed dumpling with local spirulina and tofu, sea grapes, soy and cider vinegar; jackfruit sandwiched in a steamed sesame and almond crumble bao bun; or butterfly pea and lemongrass granita. It all sums up to a happy belly.
Khok Kloi, Takua Thung District, Phang Nga 82140; aleenta.com/phuket/dining/seasons
Anaalā
Anaalā Thailand
Translating as ‘god of the fire’, Anaalā Thailand is a Thai beach barbecue restaurant helmed by Ian Kittichai, famed from MasterChef Thailand. Here, the setting may well be the star. Guests dine on a meticulously prepared platform of sand, with candlelit tables sheltered beneath temporary pergolas draped in cabana fabric. The menu offers refined Thai dishes from across the country – including soft-shell crab and pomelo salad with coconut sauce; tom yum nahm kon teeming with squid, grouper and mushrooms; and fresh mango with steamed sticky rice and coconut milk. À-ròi jang!
Khok Kloi, Amphoe Takua Thung, Phang Nga 82140; anaalathailand.com
