Steps from Bangtao Beach, Twinpalms Tented Camp Phuket blends safari-style canvas suites with barefoot luxury, delivering one of the island’s most romantic, adults-only escapes.
Of all the resorts I’ve slept in on Thailand’s favourite holiday island, nothing has quite matched the novelty of Twinpalms Tented Camp Phuket, a slice of glorious glamping tucked just steps from one of Bangtao Beach’s finest stretches of sand. After years of sprawling resorts and condo towers creeping up the west coast, this safari-style tented camp feels like a proper change of pace.
Intimate, refined and unmistakably romantic, this adults-only retreat sets eco-friendly canvas-tented suites — the kind that wouldn’t look out of place in the Okavango Delta — against a backdrop of swaying palms and acacia trees. It’s the sort of place built for couples who want to disappear from the world for a few nights without losing touch with one of Phuket’s most vibrant beach precincts.
The camp is the work of Twinpalms, the group behind several of Phuket’s leading resorts and stand-alone dining destinations, and it taps neatly into travellers’ growing appetite for smaller, experience-led stays. Between its handful of sophisticated tented suites, its thoughtful amenities and a team that channels the very best of Thai hospitality, it’s fast becoming one of the island’s most talked-about places to lay your head — and I hear the group isn’t stopping there. By the end of 2026, Twinpalms is set to unveil Twinpalms Treehouses Phuket, a new adults-only sister property, also on Bangtao Beach, where 30 elevated treehouse villas and lagoon rooms will bring a similarly nature-immersed concept to guests who fancy their canopy views a little higher off the ground.
Location
Like most popular tourist destinations, Phuket has a traffic problem, which makes your choice of hotel location more important than ever — unless of course, you enjoy spending your holiday in the back of a Grab taxi.
Bangtao, in the Choeng Thale area of Thalang district on Phuket’s southwest coast, remains one of the island’s best beaches, with white sand, safe swimming, and a run of excellent dining and beach club options along the shore, as well as popular tour operators and activities all close at hand.
Twinpalms Tented Camp sits a minute’s walk from the beach and about 20 kilometres from Phuket International Airport. From here, on the west coast, Surin Beach is an easy trip without having to brave the island’s notorious cross-island traffic, while shops, dining, pharmacies, bars and boutiques all sit within walking distance, with the rest of the island a quick ride-hailing app away.
Its beachfront address and adults-only policy make the Tented Camp a natural draw for honeymooners and couples after a little fun in the sun, along with travellers keen to soak up the coast’s energy and rub shoulders with fellow guests from around the world. Families and groups needn’t feel left out, either as Twinpalms operates more conventional luxury resorts nearby built with them in mind.
Rooms & Suites
You know you’re in for something different from the moment you arrive. Reception is housed in a main tented building with a safari-esque bar and lounge that looks out across a broad sun deck to a man-made lake, around which many of the resort’s tented suites are clustered.
These elegant, canvas-roofed tents favour seamless indoor-outdoor living, their cavernous interiors dressed in neutral tones, antique-style wooden furniture, rattan and leather for a feel that’s equal parts sophisticated and nature-blended.
There are 28 tented suites in total, each air-conditioned, with king-size beds dressed in luxurious linens, outdoor patios with swing seats for early morning coffee, dedicated workspaces, minibars stocked with local delights, and private bathrooms with walk-in showers and double vanities.
Categories range from entry-level Lagoon Tents through to Lagoon Pool Tents with a private plunge pool, Beach Tents just steps from the sands of Bangtao, Beach Pool Tents (a firm favourite with honeymooners), and Lagoon Pool Tented Suites set in manicured gardens with their own pools.
Couples or multi-generational groups travelling together might prefer the two-bedroom Lagoon Pool Tented Suite (above), complete with a living area and private pool to help beat the Phuket heat.
Our 50-square-metre Lagoon Tent, with its careful attention to detail and eco-conscious construction, feels like a proper detour to the timeless safaris of Africa. Looking out over the freeform lagoon, with its shimmering koi and curious catfish, the suite was escapism at its very best. A late-night downpour drumming on the canvas roof only makes it feel cosier.
Dining & Drinks
The Tented Camp doesn’t run its own restaurant, but you’re only steps from two of Bangtao’s most popular dining destinations, both also operated by Twinpalms.
Catch Beach Club, where breakfasts are served overlooking the water, functions as a lively extension of the camp itself. The venue shifts shape through the day: in the morning it’s a serene spot for an extensive à la carte breakfast built on locally sourced ingredients, including Phuket’s famed pineapples.
By midday it becomes one of the island’s favourite beach clubs, its open-air layout, panoramic ocean views, infinity-edge pool, oversized daybeds and plush cabanas drawing guests from across Phuket, especially when a visiting DJ takes over the decks.
Come nightfall, it turns into one of the island’s more elegant dining rooms, where guests dress up, sip cocktails at the central bar and work through a menu of seasonal Mediterranean-Asian fusion — think bouchot mussels marinière with thyme, shallots and capers; fettuccine with white truffle paste, scallops and Parmigiano Reggiano; and a blue swimmer crab salad with asparagus, mango and tobiko roe. The energy carries on well into the night with regular club sessions, celebrity DJs and the occasional fire dancer, making it something of a one-stop shop for Tented Camp guests chasing Phuket’s party scene.
For something more laid-back, guests also have access to The Lazy Coconut next door, a relaxed beach bar and restaurant spilling onto the sands of Bangtao. The mood here is barefoot, family-friendly luxury with a tropical, rustic-chic cocktail bar, an ocean-view infinity pool and a row of sun loungers facing the water.
The menu leans into local produce with Mediterranean-inspired tapas, grilled meats and seafood, and the odd Greek flourish — the mezze plate, piled with hummus, olives, crudités, oven-fresh pita and silky baba ghanoush is a highlight, as are the giant river prawns with their fiery dipping sauces. Like Catch, it runs all day, so once breakfast is done, it’s an easy stroll next door for a dip, a sunset, and a round of inventive tropical cocktails — I’d point you towards the Aloha, a blend of Havana Club rum, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup and lime juice served in a whole pineapple.
Guests can also arrange, through the front desk, a booking at Wagyu Steakhouse at nearby Twinpalms Surin Beach Phuket, a short complimentary shuttle ride away. Arguably the island’s best steakhouse, it’s where you go to mark the moments that matter, with dry-aged cuts sourced from the US, Spain and Australia’s coveted Darling Downs region, alongside lamb and pork from New Zealand and fish and seafood from across Asia, all finished in either a Josper or Beech Grill oven for maximum flavour.
Dishes worth seeking out include the classic beef tartare with egg crème, fried capers and sriracha, grilled Hokkaido scallops with caviar, and the Darling Downs grain-fed Wagyu tomahawk — quite possibly the best steak you’ll eat in Thailand. Wagyu also hosts the island’s best seasonal Sunday brunch (book ahead, it sells out), a monthly showcase from chef Tammasak ‘Noi’ Chootong that runs through blinis with Oscietra caviar, Gillardeau oysters, truffled beef tartare and a Caesar salad topped with Taraba king crab, paired with free-flowing cocktails and wine.
Back at camp, the nightly happy hour by the fire pit — hand-crafted cocktails in hand, a musician working a traditional khim, or hammered dulcimer — is reason enough to stick around after dinner.
Facilities & Services
Despite its safari styling, the Tented Camp has more on offer for wellness-minded guests than you’d expect. There’s a cold plunge pool beside the communal main pool, and just a few steps away, a small sauna and a traditional hot tub, the perfect vantage point for admiring Phuket’s night sky after a day of exploring.
A small air-conditioned fitness centre caters to those keen to work off the excesses of Catch, and while the property has no spa of its own, therapists come directly to your tented suite. The massage I have, delivered on a table the therapist brought along, ranks among the best I’ve had in years, and there’s something to be said for rolling straight from the massage table into bed.
The front desk can also arrange snorkelling safaris, island hopping, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing and arts and culture tours, and rented us one of the resort’s stylish little scooters for exploring further afield.
Guests also have full access to the wellness offerings at nearby Twinpalms Surin Beach, including the 250-square-metre Palms Fitness gym and the indulgent Surin Spa, home to a menu of soothing treatments delivered in dedicated wellness cottages, all a short, free shuttle ride away.
Value
Twinpalms Tented Camp Phuket delivers an elevated, romantic take on luxury glamping, pairing genuine nature immersion with high-end comforts in one of Phuket’s most desirable beach settings. As a unique, adults-only (16+) retreat built for escapism and a more sophisticated tropical stay, expect to pay accordingly.
Rates typically run from US$250–400 during low season (May–October) and US$400–700 a night in high season (December–February) for entry-level Lagoon and Beach tents. The shoulder season (November–April) tends to offer the best value while still delivering Phuket’s best tropical weather.
These rates usually include breakfast at Catch Beach Club, Wi-Fi and access to shared facilities such as the pool and fitness pavilion, with spa treatments, in-tent massages and premium activities charged separately.
Bangtao Beach is home to a wide range of luxury and upper-mid-range resorts, many with larger room counts, on-site restaurants and family-friendly policies. Twinpalms Tented Camp sits toward the mid-to-upper tier of the local luxury market — pricier than standard beach hotels, but often more accessible than the island’s ultra-high-end private-pool villa resorts. A couple of nights glamping by the beach is likely all you’ll want, but it’s a genuinely unique experience, and one that pairs easily with a stay at one of Twin Palms’ other properties on the island.
Verdict
Twinpalms Tented Camp Phuket offers a tantalising glamping experience just steps from one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. Its serene ambience, boutique styling and eco-conscious tented suites make it a fantastic escape for couples looking to step away from the island’s busier tourist strips without marooning themselves up a mountain.
That said, you’re still on Bangtao Beach, so expect the odd firework at night, and when Catch or a neighbouring beach club has a club night on, some residual bass may find its way past those canvas walls. This resort suits couples who aren’t too precious about noise and want to be close to the action while still having a retreat to retire to.
Afterall, it’s a lot cheaper than an actual safari.
