Paradise in Phuket: Trisara and the Art of Luxury

The villas offer luxury and seclusion. (Courtesy of Trisara)

I am midway up a tropical hillside, up to my neck at the far edge of my private infinity pool and staring out into the Andaman Sea. A light breeze rises up to me over the palm trees below, and the only other sign of humanity I see from this angle are a couple of red-tiled villa rooftops farther below me. An island lies a mile offshore, and beyond it the late afternoon sun is heading for the horizon as I wait in anticipation for its final show for the day. But everything surrounding my private villa is glowing green. I hear nothing but birds and the rising and falling buzz of cicadas.

I’ve been to fine resorts where grounds crews parade through with loud leaf blowers and spend an abundant time watering lawns as crisply cut and contrived as any golf course. Lovely to some, but something I’ve found so unnatural and, frankly, repetitive. Give me the specificity of local natural beauty, particularly in a lush exotic destination. Why fly halfway round the world to stay at what resembles a country club down the road back home? And why dine on a buffet of foods no locals could find in the grocery store? What a joy it was, then, to find a lush hideaway that not only nestles into the natural environment but also employs eco-conscious practices, grows much of its own produce, and sources most of the rest of the food from its home nation. Such is the case with Trisara, a luxury resort on Thailand’s often over-touristed island of Phuket.

While two of the resort's restaurants have nods from Michelin, the more casual Seafood at Trisara keeps up very well with fresh-catch ingredients and local “mama recipes.” (Courtesy of Trisara)

Named for a garden in the third heaven of Buddhist tradition, Trisara occupies its own small headland along the northwestern coast of the island overlooking a private cove. The property is divided into a collection of villas and suites and another residence section with larger accommodations. These privately-owned properties enter the rental pool when the owners are away and can offer as many as eight bedrooms. So while to me this space suggests romantic seclusion, I can imagine large families or groups of friends renting a private enclave for a week’s retreat in paradise. In fact, during my stay a wedding party stayed somewhere on property.

A private infinity pool at Trisara, a luxury resort on Phuket Island, Thailand. (Kevin Revolinski)

Trisara, a luxury resort on Phuket Island, Thailand. (Kevin Revolinski)

Trisala is surrounded by beautiful, refreshing nature. (Kevin Revolinski)

Seclusion

The first impression is peace and solitude. A short walk behind a charming wooden door opens to my spacious villa and pool terrace. The mechanicals are set below the pool so I never heard the air-con come on or a pump humming. Screen doors allowed an evening air option, for those inclined, and would trigger a shut down of the air-con to prevent energy waste.

No plastic in the amenities; drinking water glass-bottled on site; signature nature-based snacks in jars; a small statue to leave outside the villa gate to ask not to be disturbed. And while the next villa wasn’t more than 40 feet away, the thick foliage made it all but invisible.

Wooden doors leading to one of the private villas at Trisara resort. (Kevin Revolinski)

Interior of a villa at Trisara resort, Phuket, Thailand. (Kevin Revolinski)

Luxury for the Palate

But the food itself is a centerpiece here. The first Michelin-starred restaurant on Phuket, Pru is a fine-dining venue that offers a tasting menu of carefully plated dishes that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Servers explain the compositions, from the ingredients primarily sourced locally—or at least in Thailand—to their unusual preparations. To go with each tasting menu are a couple series of five to seven wine pairings. It is extraordinarily unrushed; my friends and I spent four hours working our way through 10 small plates and fine wines from around the world (plus some pleasant surprises from Thailand).

The following night, we took the resort shuttle off-property to have a short walking tour of the resort’s farm. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices grow here in what is typically not good soil for agriculture. But part of the resort’s zero-waste philosophy is to compost food waste and enrich the growing plots. Chickens wandering freely are the source of the eggs we had with breakfast. Who knew mulberries grew in Thailand? (In fact, the bushes originated in China and India and the leaves have been historically used to feed silkworms. At Trisara it’s the berries they’re after.)

From the farm we took the resort shuttle a short distance to Jampa, another dinner option. Jampa presents a tasting menu no less impressive than Pru’s and with an exceptional menu of wines, drinks, and notable non-alcoholic mocktails. The establishment’s commitment to local sourcing may even surpass Pru’s, and it enjoys a Michelin green star (though I’d expect a star to match Pru’s in the near future). The menu had some seafood but was otherwise vegetarian that evening. This night the dining adventure lasted “only” three hours.

As if these two stellar dining options weren’t enough, the terrace restaurant sets out a breakfast buffet with abundant Asian selections and fresh local fruits, but rather than an egg station or steam trays, several dishes are made to order a la carte. And Seafood at Trisara for lunch or dinner is downright heavenly and doesn’t require reservations as the two Michelin venues do.

But if you don’t want to leave your villa, you can get a delectable collection of sweets for afternoon tea, or servers can leave your morning meal floating on a tray in the infinity pool.

One of the offerings at Jampa, a green-Michelin-star venue on Phuket Island. (Kevin Revolinski)

Jampa serves a number of non-alcoholic cocktails. (Kevin Revolinski)

Getting Active

A fitness center, tennis courts, spa, and even a Muay Thai boxing ring are onsite, and the beach loans out water sport equipment next to the property’s beachside pool.

The beach is sandy and a good spot for sunning and getting your toes in the sand, but beneath the waves is old coral and rock gardens. At high tide, you can venture in for a swim; low tide reveals an abundance of tide pools where you can observe crabs, fish, sea slugs, and even the occasional moray eel sheltering until the waters return.

A long floating dock connects the beach out to deeper waters, which are perfect for snorkeling and swimming in a roped-off protected area and swimming platform. But at the end of the day, retire to your personal slice of heaven.

Thanks to very natural landscaping, each villa gives the illusion of being all by itself in a tropical paradise. (Courtesy of Trisara)

If You Go

Fly: Phuket’s airport (HKT), about 20 minutes from the resort, takes some international flights. Travelers may find better deals coming through Bangkok’s airports Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) and taking a one-hour connecting flight.

Beach Access: Banana Beach is a local sandy swimming beach a short walk outside the resort gate. A small rocky island, just offshore and 10 minutes away by boat, offers some decent snorkeling and attracts scuba divers as well.

Tours: Day trips by boat can get you as far as the famous James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay or the Phi Phi Islands to the southeast. Trisara offers abundant tours off property, whether it’s a ride into the historic Phuket Town or to one of the many popular public beaches of white sand.