Christmas at the Banyan Tree Phuket is an absolute delight. After two years of domestic travel, my boyfriend and I happily our week of island quarantine here as part of the Phuket Sandbox program.
Each and every ‘room’ in the resort is actually a villa and is modeled around the idea of a traditional village setting. Although we had booked the most basic of the villas on offer, it was still beyond glamorous – complete with our own private pool and palm shaded courtyard.
The highlight of each day was strolling over to the lagoon, where we would grab a waterside table and stuff ourselves full of fresh cut fruit and thai iced tea. Without a doubt, it was the best hotel breakfast either of us has ever had.
There were half a dozen fresh squeezed juices, free flowing sparkling wine, a full espresso bar, an omelette station, a noodle station, dim sum, continental breakfast specials, a sushi bar, heartier lunch dishes, a charcuterie station, and salads prepared fresh from the on-site farm – literally anything your heart could desire!
Once the afternoon sun came creeping in, we’d grab one of the complimentary bicycles lent to us by the resort and cruise through the manicured grounds. Sometimes we’d head to the little adjacent beach, sheltered from the sun by towering pine trees, head over to the spa, or simply grab a book and dip our toes in the pool.
Every day the Banyan Tree hosts either yoga or pilates in the fitness studio, which was really a treat. By late afternoon we’d take one last dip in our villa’s little pool before changing for whatever dinner plans we’d made.
Let me tell you, it was the life.
I was also pleasantly surprised with how many Christmas activities there were considering Thailand is a historically Buddhist country.
We woke up on Christmas morning to a group of local carolers in the lobby, and the festivities continued all the way through the seafood buffet at night (which concluded with a grand display of fireworks over the lagoon!) and a relaxed jazz brunch for boxing day.
Overall, our stay at Banyan Tree Phuket could not have been better. It’s become the standard that we compare everything else to. The only problem (if you can even call it that) is that the resort was so nice that we seldom wanted to venture further!
Given both the nightly room rate and sheer scope of amenities, this is a resort better suited to families and couples looking to relax rather than exploring the rest of Phuket. We found ourselves ditching previously made plans to continue lounging around more than once – but isn’t that the point of a holiday anyways?
Despite never wanting to leave, Banyan Tree Phuket was actually perfectly centrally located for most activities and dining. There are lots of great restaurants and services within a short driving distance – most notably a cluster of rising chefs in Cherngtalay represented through Nitan and Suay.
We also really loved Banyan Tree’s evident commitment to sustainability. During our stay, we didn’t encounter any single use plastics or use of pesticides in their lush landscaping.
They also financially support community initiatives for tree plantings, beach clean ups, sea turtle conservation, and youth scholarships. Sustainability for both the local community and environment are huge priorities for us when choosing where to book, and the Banyan Tree certainly went above and beyond in this.
Banyan Tree also had a really great variety of vegan and non-alcoholic options integrated into their menus. We decided to start our new years resolutions a little early with a health kick, and having such high quality mocktails and plant based mains available throughout the resort made a huge difference.
I did not receive compensation for this review – we booked our villa at our own expense and all opinions expressed here are my own.
