Canvas couture at Twinpalms’ new tented resort

It’s Phuket’s ‘Out of Africa’ moment: a new luxe tented resort that thinks outside the box

As first impressions go, the new tented resort on Phuket’s west coast looks as if it’s just been through a tropical car wash and opted for the gleaming magic wand finish.

With check-in at nightfall, the Twinpalms Bangtao Phuket Tented Resort is lit up like a Christmas tree, giving the promise of time out with a sexy, rustic vibe.

The constellation of glamping tents comprises five on Bangtao Beach, which opened December 2023, and a new site of 24 tents a stone’s throw away, fronting waterways and lush lagoons designed by landscape architect Martin Palleros, the founder of Bangkok-based Tierra Design.

It’s a collection that thinks outside the box. The 2.5-metre canvas walls – let’s call the colour khaki-meets-latte – unhook, roll up and unzip to customise the view, opening your lodgings to be at one with nature, hammock or plunge pool.

The tents were designed by Dutch interior designer Anneke van Waesberghe, of Escape Nomad in Indonesia. Her quest was a house without walls.

“I have always been a believer in luxury being more than just opulence; it’s about experiencing the world in a way that leaves a positive impact on it,” says Waesberghe. “With that in mind, we embarked on a journey to design a tent that combines elegance, comfort, and sustainability.”

Her tents range in size from 50 square metres for a one-bedroom tent to 150 square metres for two bedrooms separated by a spacious living area with a serious desk, cabinets of refreshments, and a flourish of white orchids. Each tent has electricity, plumbing, ceiling fans, air-conditioning and an imposing king bed swathed in Out of Africa mosquito netting. Finishes add safari sizzle: caramel wood, rattan, and leather belts that secure the rolled-up wall sections and decorate bolster cushions.

There is a spa tent for single or couple massages, facials and scrubs. Treat yourself, too, to sunrise meditation and yoga, the art of folding lotus petals, a mango tasting session, and – what everyone needs – some lessons on how to hang chimes.

“Luxury is as much about the experience as the materials. It’s about timeless spaces and creating a strong relationship between architecture and nature,” Palleros says over dinner at nearby restaurant Wagyu Steak House –  an opportunity to try highly marbled beef from several countries. “The abundance of nature is becoming a rarity in our lives, and being able to live in close contact with nature is a form of luxury in itself.”

Luxury, medium rare

There’s plenty to experience on this chilled “safari”. Other destination restaurants in the hotelier’s orbit are Shimmer and Kalido, where Chef Tommasak, once an Iron Chef Thailand regular, presides over a Mediterranean menu. Phuket has two Michelin green starred restaurants – Jampa and PRU.

Hunt out real deal street food at the Friday night markets off Boat Avenue; the Sino-Portuguese architecture, food treats and crafts at the Sunday night markets in Phuket City; cooking classes at the Catch Beach Club, where you’ll learn to make Phuket prawns, spicy Thai beef salad and traditional tom yum talay (spicy seafood soup). Learn to make a killer negroni and a tomartini (tomato martini) with a cocktail class at the Wagyu Steak House.

Spend a few hours at the organic Little Bukit Farm, where Melinda Briend-Marchal raises horses, chickens and the cutest, silkiest goats, and grows an abundance of fruit and vegetables that supply the top end of town – and our lunch.

Stop by the recently opened shop, Say Cheese, which specialises in – believe it or not – some 100 types of cheeses made in Thailand.

You can’t visit Phuket without stocking up on lotions and potions at Lemongrass House, which produces more than 1,200 spa and body care products, hand-blended a kilo at a time. The products are sulphate- and paraben-free and have not been tested on animals. White mud-based body mask and black orchid or fig tea essential oil are a must.

Wellness on a roll

The new tented resort is part of the Twinpalms portfolio in Phuket which includes Twinpalms Surin Beach and MontAzure Kamala Beach as well as two beach clubs, Catch Beach Club and The Lazy Coconut. The idea for the tented camp came from Olivier Gibaud, who has been the general manager of Twinpalms Hotel and Resorts since the Surin Beach property opened in 2004.

“About 10 years ago, I travelled to South Africa and India, stayed in luxury camps and I just loved it,” he says. “I ordered one tent from Escape Nomad and had it mounted in my back garden. I added another four. That’s what occupied me during Covid. It became Aladdin Luxury Camp, run by my son, Sebastian. It was too good not to do something bigger.”

Phuket, too, is on a roll. Construction is in overdrive. What used to be a seven-bedroom villa, says Gibaud, is now a 700-unit condominium targeting retirees and cashed up foreigners wanting a second home.

On top of that, Phuket has been evolving into a global wellness destination, tapping into the trend for Longevity Tourism, a holistic approach integrating physical, mental, medical, nutritional and lifestyle health.

According to Bill Barnett, MD of the C9Hotelworks hospitality consultancy, in 2022 wellness tourism expenditure in Thailand reached the equivalent of AU$12bn.

We join Twinpalm’s CEO Carl Langenskiold for some guaranteed wellness on the 23-metre MY Olympia, one of a fleet of motor yachts guests can hire. Langenskiold didn’t pitch tents during Covid, he worked out how to build a light plane. Next he’ll try a helicopter. The entrepreneur also has his sights set on treehouse accommodation in 2025.

The Andaman Cruises yachts are a magnet for guests seeking solitude and recalibration. Hopping on board for a daytrip also proves an incomparable introduction to the Andaman Sea as, champagne in hand, we soak up stunning landscape, secret beaches and romantic caves.

One member of our party captures the day’s joie de vivre with handstands on her paddleboard.

Hotel Notes

Tents at the Twinpalms Bangtao Phuket Tented Resort range from $350 to $880 per night.

twinpalmshotelsresorts.com