Phuket

Phuket's luxury landscape begins and ends with Amanpuri. The original Aman resort — opened in 1988 on Pansea Beach, designed by Ed Tuttle — established the aesthetic that every subsequent luxury resort in Southeast Asia has attempted to replicate: pavilion architecture, private pools, teak and stone, a staff ratio that borders on the theatrical. Thirty-five years later, it remains the island's defining address and the benchmark against which every competitor is measured.

The competition has grown considerably. Trisara in the northwest — a collection of pool villas cascading down a private bay — is the closest rival in terms of seclusion and service. Keemala in the hills above Kamala is the most architecturally inventive: tree-house villas, bird-nest pools, and a wellness programme that draws guests from across Asia. Rosewood Phuket on Emerald Bay is the most dramatic: a clifftop property above one of the island's most beautiful beaches.

The island divides geographically into distinct zones. The west coast (Surin, Kamala, Pansea) is where the island's finest hotels are concentrated — calm Andaman seas, long beaches, and relative seclusion. Patong is the entertainment district: loud, crowded, and best avoided by guests seeking luxury. The east coast faces the Phang Nga Bay — dramatic limestone karsts, mangroves, and the Six Senses Yao Noi on the adjacent island.

Phuket's best hotels are best treated as destinations in themselves. The island's traffic is notoriously difficult; the distances between zones are significant; and the finest properties offer enough within their own boundaries — private beaches, multiple restaurants, spa programmes, water sports — to fill a week without leaving the grounds.

November to April is Phuket's dry season — calm seas, clear skies, and the best beach conditions. December and January are peak season with the highest rates and most visitors. May to October is the southwest monsoon season: rough seas, heavy rain, and some beach closures, but dramatically lower hotel rates.