Phuket Travel Guide: Best Luxury Resorts & Beaches

2025-09-17 · By Splendid

Phuket reveals itself in layers. The first is the one everyone expects: white sand, turquoise water, the Andaman stretching out to a horizon that looks painted. The second is quieter and takes longer to find. Limestone karsts rising from jade-green bays at dawn. Sino-Portuguese shophouses crumbling beautifully on backstreets. The scent of lemongrass and charcoal from a kitchen you would never have found without getting lost. V Villas sits on the quieter southeastern coast, above Ao Yon Bay, where the island keeps its best secrets.

V VILLAS PHUKET

Perched high above the bay, V Villas is the kind of retreat that rewires your sense of time. Each private pool villa is a masterclass in restrained luxury: clean lines, natural stone, floor-to-ceiling glass that frames the Andaman like a living painting. You wake to birdsong and nothing else, slip into your infinity pool before breakfast, and let the hours unspool at their own pace.

The spa draws on traditional Thai healing with the kind of seriousness that the best Thai wellness has always deserved. In-villa dining, especially at sunset, is nothing short of cinematic. The kitchen understands southern Thai flavours and applies them with precision. It is a place that does not shout. It simply lets the landscape do the talking.

WHAT TO DO

Charter a private longtail through the towering limestone karsts and jade-green waters of Phang Nga Bay. Stop at hidden lagoons, kayak through sea caves, and anchor off a quiet beach for lunch. Go early to beat the crowds. The light at dawn is extraordinary.

Set within the lush grounds of Anantara Layan, Zuma delivers its signature contemporary Japanese cuisine with a tropical edge. The robata-grilled black cod is essential, and the cocktail list is among the best on the island. Book a terrace table at golden hour and stay longer than you planned.

The pastel-hued Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, where crumbling facades now house specialty coffee roasters, independent galleries, and vintage boutiques. Sunday evening brings a bustling walking street market that feels as much about community as commerce.

Skip the busier stretches and head to Surin for golden sand, calm water, and some of the island’s most photogenic sunsets. The beach clubs here strike the right balance between relaxed and refined.

Housed in a restored Sino-colonial mansion, Blue Elephant offers half-day classes that take you from market to plate. The southern Thai curries here are bolder and spicier than their northern counterparts, and learning to balance those flavours is one of the most rewarding things you can do on the island.

The Verdict

Phuket is an island that rewards the visitor who looks past its reputation. Beyond the crowds, beyond the familiar stretches of sand, there is a place of extraordinary beauty and quiet sophistication. V Villas gives you the elevation to see it clearly and the stillness to appreciate what you are seeing.

PhotographyAll photography by Splendid Magazine, captured on the Leica M Series and Apple iPhone 17 Pro.