Thavorn Beach Village Resort and Spa

Reached by road from Kamala or by a short cable car up its own hillside, Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa spreads across grounds set back from Nakalay Beach on Phuket's west coast. More than half the land is kept as garden, with orchids and tropical planting threading between three room zones: Beach, Pool, and Hillside Ocean-View. It sits between Kamala and Patong, ten minutes by car from the latter and half an hour from the airport. Beachfront Cottages sit closest to the sand, with private terraces facing Patong Beach in the distance. The hillside suites are the property's oddity: reached by cable car through the tree canopy, they open onto private balconies with jacuzzis and sea views. It is worth booking the ride alone. Dining runs from Old Siam, a teakwood house serving Thai classics by the beach, to Marisa Terrace for breakfast by the pool and Crocodile Pool Bar for seafood pizza and cocktails. A private beachfront dinner, set up as its own candle-lit cabana on the sand, is arranged separately. Guests can canoe, snorkel, or take a cooking course on site, with elephant experiences arranged off it.