Keemala, Phuket, Thailand

Kamala · Phuket, Thailand: thirty eight private pool villas on a rainforest hillside above Kamala village and the sea

Keemala

Thirty eight private pool villas on a rainforest hillside above Kamala, on Phuket’s west coast, each inspired by the mythical clans of the island’s first inhabitants: cottages of clay, villas beneath canvas, houses in the treetops and woven bird’s nests.

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The house

In stills

A first reading of the stay: rooms, light, and the quiet between them. Each still is a note, not a catalogue.

Keemala's villas and the woven towers of its restaurant rising from the rainforest on Phuket's west coast — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A Bird's Nest Pool Villa at Keemala, its woven shell and private pool held in the rainforest canopy — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The bathroom of a Bird's Nest Pool Villa at Keemala, timber walls and a pebbled floor, the forest through the window — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The view from the bed of a Tent Pool Villa at Keemala out to its pool and the trees — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A canopy bed hung with drapes in a Clay Pool Cottage at Keemala — Photo courtesy of Keemala

Deep blue sofas in the open lobby lounge at Keemala, looking out over the forested hills of Phuket — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The villas of Keemala spread through the rainforest canopy on a hillside in Phuket — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A curtain of water falling over the pool at the meditation cave at Keemala — Photo courtesy of Keemala

Guests seated in meditation behind a curtain of falling water at Keemala's meditation cave — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The woven spa pods of Mala Holistic Spa at Keemala beside a pool among the trees — Photo courtesy of Keemala

Mala Holistic Spa at Keemala lit in the evening, its woven pods glowing above the pool — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A singing bowl ritual for two guests in a treatment room at Mala Holistic Spa, Keemala — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A treatment room for two at Mala Holistic Spa, Keemala, beneath a domed woven ceiling — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A therapist giving a massage beneath a carved mural at Mala Holistic Spa, Keemala — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A spa suite at Mala Holistic Spa, Keemala, with a carved mural behind the treatment bed — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The bar counter at Mala Bar, Keemala, open to the terrace and the hills — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A woven lounge high in a tower at Keemala, set with cushions and flowers above the view — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A woven pavilion on the rooftop terrace at Keemala under strings of lights at dusk — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A table set for dinner on the lawn beneath the woven tree tower at Keemala, lit by torches — Photo courtesy of Keemala

Breakfast set on a terrace table at Keemala with a view over the hills of Phuket — Photo courtesy of Keemala

An in-villa dining pinto set out on a lounger on a villa terrace at Keemala, the forest and hills beyond — Photo courtesy of Keemala

A chef at the Culinary Academy at Keemala with fresh herbs and produce, the forest behind — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The Experience

How the days feel

On Phuket’s west coast, above the village of Kamala, a wooded hillside looks out to the Andaman Sea. Keemala is hidden within it, well away from the crowds: close enough to the liveliness of Patong, yet far enough apart for the quiet of the rainforest to take over.

Its thirty eight villas are inspired by the mythical cultures of Phuket’s first inhabitants. The Clay Pool Cottages honor the clan of the earth, who built their homes from soil and clay; the Tent Pool Villas the wanderers, who built so they could move on; the Tree Pool Houses the clan of the sky, who lived high in the treetops; and the Bird’s Nest Pool Villas the artists and poets who wove their homes like nests and bathed by moonlight. Every villa has a private pool and an outdoor terrace, and jungle walkways link them through the trees.

Keemala is conceived as a holistic sanctuary. At Mala Holistic Spa the treatments draw on traditional healing rituals, and each of the eight treatment rooms has its own sauna, steam room, aromatherapy bath and rain showers. Two Spa Sanctuary Villas add a retreat room of their own, for private massage, yoga or meditation.

At the table, Mala Restaurant serves wholesome southern Thai and world cuisine from breakfast to dinner, Mala Bar stays open until the last guest leaves, and the Culinary Academy cooks with herbs and vegetables grown on the grounds. It suits couples, and anyone who wants Phuket at its most enchanting, with the sea in view and the forest all around.

Keemala is one of seven houses in our Southeast Asia guide, from the Andaman to the Sulu Sea.

The film

The Keemala film

Keemala’s own short film, shown as they made it. Sound on.

Why EVC loves it

Why we would send you here

Four clans, four ways to live Clay cottages, canvas villas, houses in the treetops and woven nests, each inspired by a mythical clan of Phuket's first inhabitants.
A pool for every villa All thirty eight villas have a private pool and an outdoor terrace, joined to the rest of Keemala by jungle walkways.
Healing as a ritual Eight treatment rooms at Mala Holistic Spa, each with a private sauna, steam room and aromatherapy bath, and signature VOYA seaweed treatments.
A forest above the sea Woodland on Phuket's west coast, high above Kamala village and well away from the crowds, with the Andaman Sea in view.
From the garden to the table Cook with the chef at the Culinary Academy, using the herbs and vegetables grown in Keemala's own gardens.

Accommodations

Four clans, thirty eight pool villas

Thirty eight one bedroom villas, each with a private pool and an outdoor terrace, in designs inspired by the clans of Phuket's first inhabitants. Two Spa Sanctuary Villas, in the clay architecture of the cottages, add a retreat room for private massage, yoga or meditation.

Room 01

Clay Pool Cottages

14 cottages · 126 sq m (1,356 sq ft) · One bedroom · 21 sq m private pool

Inspired by the Pa-Ta-Pea clan of the earth, the farmers, fishermen, gardeners and craftsmen who believed a connection to the earth brought good health. They built their homes at ground level and carried earth into their walls, roofs and furniture, even the beds they slept on, and the cottages follow them in soil and clay.
Room 02

Tent Pool Villas

7 villas · 140 sq m (1,507 sq ft) · One bedroom · 30 sq m private pool

Inspired by the Khon-Jorn clan, the wanderers: foragers, herders, performers, traders and explorers who built semi permanent homes so they could easily move on. The villas celebrate them beneath sweeping canvas roofs, each opening onto its own pool.
Room 03

Tree Pool Houses

7 houses · 169 sq m (1,819 sq ft) · One bedroom · 25 sq m private pool

Inspired by the We-Ha clan of the sky, the creators, architects, inventors, healers and geologists who built their homes high in the treetops for creativity and liberty. The houses seem suspended from the trees, and some of the furniture hangs too.
Room 04

Bird's Nest Pool Villas

8 villas · 185 sq m (1,991 sq ft) · One bedroom · 30 sq m private pool

Inspired by the Rung-Nok clan, the artists, musicians, poets, philosophers and astrologers whose craving for exclusivity shaped the woven tangle of a bird’s nest. They bathed under the moonlight to replenish the soul. These are the largest of Keemala’s villa designs.

Photo courtesy of Keemala

Inside the stay

The house, in notes

Where you sleep, what you eat, and how you arrive: the essentials, in brief.

Keemala villas of clay, canvas and woven rattan rising among the trees of a forested hillside in Phuket — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The villas

Thirty eight pool villas in the forest

Thirty eight private pool villas blend into the hillside, connected by jungle walkways, each with a private pool and an outdoor terrace.

Clay Pool Cottages. Fourteen one bedroom cottages of 126 square meters (1,356 square feet), each with a pool of 21 square meters, with earth carried into their walls, roofs and furniture.

Tent Pool Villas. Seven one bedroom villas of 140 square meters (1,507 square feet) beneath sweeping canvas roofs, each with a pool of 30 square meters.

Tree Pool Houses. Seven one bedroom houses of 169 square meters (1,819 square feet) that seem to hang from the trees, each with a pool of 25 square meters.

Bird’s Nest Pool Villas. Eight one bedroom villas of 185 square meters (1,991 square feet), woven like a bird’s nest, each with a pool of 30 square meters.

Mala Restaurant at Keemala, Phuket: rattan chairs and timber tables beneath a timber ceiling, the terrace and hills beyond the windows — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The table

Mala Restaurant, Mala Bar and the Culinary Academy

Mala, meaning hat or crown in Thai, gives its name to the restaurant and bar at the heart of Keemala.

Mala Restaurant. Breakfast every morning, then lunch and dinner: wholesome southern Thai and world cuisine in a splendid setting, with thirty seats inside and fourteen outside.

Mala Bar. Adjoining the restaurant, for cocktails, coffee and refreshments, with seats for twenty outside. It stays open until the last guest leaves.

Cha-La Pool Bar. At the pool in the heart of the resort, with nibbles and refreshing drinks through the day.

In-villa dining. At the touch of a button, at any time of day, inside the villa or out on the terrace.

Culinary Academy. Learn to cook fresh cuisine with the chef, among the aromas of the exotic herbs and vegetables grown at Keemala.

Wellness

Mala Holistic Spa

Keemala is a holistic sanctuary, where the days are for relaxing, meditating, exercising and cleansing, so that guests leave renewed in body and spirit.

The treatments. Each is curated around elements of traditional healing rituals. The signature VOYA seaweed treatments use hand harvested, sustainably sourced seaweed, rich in antioxidants and wonderful for detoxifying the skin.

The treatment rooms. Eight of them, each with a private sauna, steam room, aromatherapy bath and rain showers.

The products. Ethical and natural, from Siam Botanicals, VOYA and Spa Ritual.

Spa Sanctuary Villas. Two villas add a dedicated retreat room for private massage, yoga or meditation.

A rope suspension bridge running through the rainforest canopy at Keemala, Phuket — Photo courtesy of Keemala

The setting

A rainforest hillside above Kamala

Keemala lies in the woodlands of Phuket’s west coast, well away from the crowds, on a hill overlooking Kamala village and the sea.

Patong, near and far. The resort is close enough to the liveliness of Patong, yet far enough apart to take time over the tranquil surroundings of the rainforest.

The walkways. Jungle walkways connect the villas through the trees, and each villa blends into the landscape around it.

The clans. The architecture tells the story of the mythical cultures of Phuket’s first inhabitants, each in its own form: clay cottages, canvas tents, houses in the treetops and woven nests.

A table set for a private dinner on the Mala Bar terrace at Keemala at dusk, the hills of Phuket beyond — Photo courtesy of Keemala

Best for

Couples, wellness and celebrations

Two travelers

Couples. Every villa is a one bedroom hideaway with its own pool and terrace, and dinner comes to the villa at any time of day.

Wellness seekers. Mala Holistic Spa and its eight treatment rooms with private sauna and steam, and the Spa Sanctuary Villas with a retreat room for massage, yoga or meditation.

Celebrations. Bespoke wedding packages, Western, Thai or the signature Enchanted Forest wedding, set within the resort.

Food lovers. Classes at the Culinary Academy with herbs and vegetables grown at Keemala, and southern Thai cooking at Mala Restaurant.

Good to know. All thirty eight villas are one bedroom villas; for a family or a group, your advisor asks Keemala for villas close together.

Arrival

Forty five minutes from Phuket International Airport

Keemala lies above Kamala on Phuket’s west coast, about forty five minutes by car from Phuket International Airport.

By air. Phuket International Airport is a gateway to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, with direct flights to Australia, Japan, the UK, the Middle East and Europe. Flights to Bangkok take less than ninety minutes, with connections to all major global destinations.

On arrival. A private airport transfer by Keemala is available on request.

Your advisor arranges the transfer and times it to your flights.

Guests practicing yoga on an open timber deck at Keemala, the forested hills of Phuket behind — Photo courtesy of Keemala

When to go

The dry season and the green

Phuket’s weather follows the monsoon, and each season has its own light on the hillside.

The dry season. The drier, sunnier months usually run from November to April, the busiest time of year on the island.

The green season. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings showers and greener hills, and the forest around the villas is at its fullest.

Your advisor confirms dates, villas and spa time when you inquire.

Pair it with

A natural companion

A second stay that belongs on the same itinerary.

Related stays

Houses we would weigh alongside this one.

Also in these collections

The collections that hold this stay

Each collection gathers houses that share a way of traveling. Open one to see its companion stays and shores.

Plan My Trip

Begin with a conversation.

Tell us the season, the company, and the feeling you want to keep. We will write back with a considered path, not a link to a search.

Write to an advisor

Keemala

In stills

How the days feel

The Keemala film

Why we would send you here

Four clans, thirty eight pool villas

Clay Pool Cottages

Tent Pool Villas

Tree Pool Houses

Bird's Nest Pool Villas