‘I’m not leaving’ I declared to myself as I finally managed to form words after exploring my sprawling villa at the five-star resort, Trisara, thoroughly agape. The 240 square metre detached villa with infinity pool was to be mine for the next two days and it was one of the most luxurious accommodations I’ve stayed in anywhere in the world. I couldn’t see or hear any of my neighbours in the surrounding suites or villas, and the location among the trees with sprawling views of the Andaman Sea topped it all off perfectly.
Decadence is order of the day at Trisara Phuket – the spa and food-focused beachside retreat that invites you in to indulge on local delicacies and supremely sumptuous spa treatments all while residing in the most plush of surroundings – private infinity pool anyone?
If you’re heading to Phuket and are trying to decide where to stay, here’s what you need to know about the exclusive Trisara resort.
Hotel
Meaning ‘the garden in the third heaven’ in Sanskrit, Trisara sits on a secluded cove in north-western Phuket offering guests a private beach, the chance to take part in various water-based activities, slow down with a range of impressive spa treatments, reside in gorgeous accommodations and dine on Michelin starred fare.
Public and private spaces alike all boast open plan layouts and natural elements galore to immerse you fully into your natural surroundings. Wood, floor to ceiling windows, warming natural tones and sumptuous furnishings help to relax you even further, while the outdoor area by the restaurants is a design dream with its multi-level water feature and open-air dining among the palms offering a welcoming ambience.
The hillside location offers a serene retreat for guests in nature sitting among 14 hectares of protected nature reserve with exotic orchids, coconut and fishtails palms, Ficus trees and the like to provide the utmost in privacy – I couldn’t hear or see my neighbouring guests and I felt utterly transported. What’s more, all accommodation faces to the west and straight out to the Andaman Sea resulting in some stunning sunsets, best enjoyed from your villa’s infinity pool, of course.
With villas, restaurants and the spa pavilion being spread out, guests can expect to be transported around the resort via golf buggy whenever they need to – just pick up the phone, dial reception and within a few minutes your transport is waiting outside. It certainly makes you lazy, but you’re on holiday, so why not indulge a little further?
Rooms and suites
It’s hard not to fall in love with a place when the accommodation is this spectacular. Inside my spacious ocean view pool villa rich dark woods, decorative elements and neutral tones reigned supreme, but it’s the outside areas that truly impressed.
Completely secluded, these detached properties are nestled in the trees offering uninterrupted views of the sea, sunsets and bountiful nature that surrounds. The large infinity pool made for a welcome spot to luxuriate, while loungers and a table and chairs provide ample space to relax in your own private paradise, which is generously decorated with beautiful floral arrangements. When you’ve taken your twice or thrice (or more) daily dip in the pool, you have a number of options when it comes to washing – an outdoor rainfall shower, indoor shower and large bath – with the resort’s own toiletries.
As well as two sinks, the bathroom boasts a spacious seating area and if you don’t want to miss out on those dreamy views, you don’t have to with sliding doors that open up behind the bed to allow light to flow in. Though that’s not really an issue here as the villas benefit from windows on all sides.
In the living area, a huge bed faces down towards the sea and if you need to take a seat you’ll have plenty of options with benches, armchairs, and a sofa to accommodate. If you find yourself with time on your hands (I could easily book this place for a month or six) there’s a TV tucked away behind a screen, ideal for grabbing some treats from the minibar and making a movie night a reality, and a rather inviting desk which almost wanted me to sit down at and check my work emails, but they could wait, my private infinity pool was calling…
Food
Thai cuisine is known for varying vastly from region to region and offering up a range of scents and flavours to delight the senses, becoming one of the most loved cuisines in the world. At Trisara, food lovers will be in heaven with its range of dining experiences from Phuket’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, PRU, to farm-to-fork restaurant JAMPA – both of which hold a Michelin Green Star for sustainability; flavour heaven, Cielo with its Mediterranean focus; and the new Seafood at Trisara (SaT), which is inspired by authentic southern Thai recipes.
Wherever you dine, expect to find very local ingredients on each dish, whether it’s lobster caught nearby or vegetables grown at PRU JAMPA – the resort’s working farm and home of JAMPA.
My first foray in food at Trisara was a decadent lunch at Cielo and it made quite the impression on me and my fellow guests. Mouth-watering dish after mouth-watering dish arrived at the table, some of which were up there with the best I’ve eaten, from a super tasty and perfectly cooked spatchcock chicken to juicy rack of lamb and salt baked fish which was filleted at the table. A baked vegetable tian, octopus, prawns, and desserts including a delightful tiramisu and a fruit-topped vanilla panna cotta were also devoured with gusto.
That same evening I had dinner booked at Phuket’s first and only Michelin-starred restaurant, PRU (it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!). Sitting at the counter of the open kitchen sipping rose champagne and watching the chefs prepare our food with the sun setting over the water in the background was a pretty special moment. Our canapes were served, which included the ‘king of the fruits’ durian fruit, which can be so potent that Bangkok’s underground bans passengers from bringing it on the trains. It has a negative reputation for its smell, but it’s actually a delicacy in Thailand and head chef Jimmy Ophorst serves his version creamy and with caviar.
We then moved into a private dining room to continue our dinner, but it felt a little like a conference room and had music that didn’t quite suit the vibe. Highlights of the tasting menu included aged duck with Trang pepper – it was deliciously flavourful and rich, while the banana and umebushi dessert was another winner. Everything was so creative and carefully prepared to combine a host of little elements that complemented each other so well.
The next day, it was time to visit Trisara’s working farm nearby and tuck into lunch at JAMPA, which shines with its green credentials. After a farm tour with head chef Rick Dingen, we settled in the modern, light-filled dining space and delved into dishes like black grouper with macadamia, mizuna and taling ping; beetroot with jicama, black garlic and fish bone sauce; and stingless bee honey, sunchoke and quince pear. Many of the courses had an element that had been cooked on a wood fire, while dishes were balanced, nutritious and showcased a zero waste approach, but were ultimately delicious and showed a lot of skill.
SaT – Seafood at Trisara – was the location for our final dinner and topped off the stay in this sumptuous resort perfectly. Using ingredients caught from the nearby waters and land, chef Wit showcases the diversity of Southern Thai cuisine expertly. Between the ‘land’ and ‘sea’ tasting menus I opted for sea and dined on decadent dishes like goong mangkorn phad prik glue – stir-fried lobster with turmeric, chilli, garlic, pepper and coriander – and a delicious dessert of kanom plakpoon – black coconut pudding, coconut charcoal ice cream and sesame crumble. It was a feast like no other and the seven courses that were brought out from the kitchen were utterly delightful and indicative of the high quality of food I’d been served since I set foot in Trisara.
Spa
When you go to a spa the overriding feeling you’ll want to leave with is sublime serenity and whether you fancy a facial, Thai massage or another treatment suited to your desires, Jara Spa is the place to be.
Jara Spa’s reception welcomes you to sit and gaze across the red roofs of the huts below, nestled in the trees, with the sparkling sea beyond as you breathe in the serene scents and await your masseuse to collect you. There are different types of rooms you can enjoy your treatment in – sea view and garden view – both of which are spacious and boast private changing areas and pleasantly wide beds. I was fortunate enough to visit the spa twice during my short stay and it was a true gift.
Though a choice of a traditional Thai, oil or mixture of both massages were proffered for my first treatment, I decided that my injured shoulder could do without any excitement for the day and so I was treated to a foot scrub and foot and lower leg massage, a hand and arm massage and a forehead and scalp rub with their organic products, all of which all left me feeling so utterly relaxed and fulfilled, especially welcome after a week of travelling.
One thing that pleasantly surprised me were the personal touches – when I returned to the spa on the second day it had already been noted that I had a shoulder issue and the receptionist came running out to remind my therapist. Full of smiles everywhere you turn, it’s nice to feel so well cared for and I couldn’t have felt more indulged as I enjoyed a decadent and dreamy rose quartz facial.
As I lay on the bed, my feet were scrubbed, my hands and arms were massaged, which was wonderful – why are hand massages so nice?! An array of gorgeous smelling lotions were gently applied to my face and by this point I was on the brink of sleep I was so relaxed, but then an ice cold rose quartz gua sha tool was used to massage my face which ensured I was awake to enjoy every remaining bit of this treatment. I was left glowing and reluctant to cover my visible glow with makeup for an impending dinner, in fact a fellow guest commented on how much my face glowed during the meal. It’s safe to say that I would visit here again for the facial alone!
To do
Though located on the notoriously vibrant island of Phuket, Trisara is the antithesis of the party vibe that this part of Thailand embodies. Having said that, you certainly won’t be bored here as you can take part in a variety of private wellness activities including exercise classes, meditation and nature walks, while there are a range of luxury motor yachts available to book and explore the waters, bays and beaches.
From culinary foraging experiences to a kids’ clubhouse, a fitness studio to local tours, private cooking classes, snorkelling, windsurfing, fishing and more, Trisara makes for the ideal base for your Phuket adventure.
In a nutshell
Trisara is a place where you come to take some time out from it all and simply indulge, whether it’s in the fantastic food at the award-winning restaurants, the sublime spa treatments, your vast villa with its impressive infinity pool or exploring the locale in a variety of different ways. In short, Trisara is the epitome of luxury travel.
Factbox
Address: 60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110
Tel: +66 (0) 76 310100
Email: reservations@trisara.com
Website: trisara.com
Getting there
I travelled to Bangkok with EVA Air in their plush Royal Laurel Class. EVA Air flies non-stop daily from London Heathrow to Bangkok onwards to Taipei, offering passengers a choice of three classes of cabin service: Royal Laurel Class (business class) with almost two-metre-long flat beds and 82’ seat pitch, award-winning premium economy class and economy class.
Fares start from £728 from London Heathrow to Bangkok. To book visit evaair.com or read more about my experience in Royal Laurel Class here.
Internal flights from Bangkok to Phuket take one hour and 30 minutes and run multiple times throughout the day.
See snippets of my travels on Instagram @tashheard_food_travel and read more about my Thailand trip here and here.
All imagery provided by Trisara Phuket
