Island Escape Burasari Phuket Review: Is It Worth Staying Here?

I would definitely stay at Island Escape Burasari again because I had a fantastic long weekend there from Bangkok. I’ve lived in Thailand for 9+ years but this was my first time visiting Coconut Island in Phuket and we had a fabulous time at Island Escape.

We stayed for 3 nights in May 2026, and we paid $212 USD total, which is around ฿6,840 / £156 GBP, for the deluxe room. That worked out at about $71 USD per night, which is around ฿2,280 / £52 GBP, and I thought it was really good value for the quality of the room, pools, breakfast and overall resort setup.

I would not book Island Escape Burasari if you care about having one of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches. I am a bit of a beach snob after living in the Maldives, and this is not one of those powder-white-sand, perfect-turquoise-water beach resorts.

But I would absolutely book it if you want lovely rooms, great food, a peaceful resort atmosphere, and two different pool areas surrounded by nature. One of the pools even had some great slides.

I think this is an ideal place for peace and quiet, to spend time as a couple.

Quick Review of Island Escape

Yes, I would definitely stay at Island Escape Burasari again.

I think it is best for people who want a peaceful resort stay, good food, lovely pools, comfortable rooms, and a quieter island experience near Phuket. It is also a great option if you live in Bangkok and want a long weekend away without having to travel somewhere complicated.

I visited as a couple, and I think it worked really well for that kind of trip. I did see some solo travellers there, but I do not think Coconut Island is the best choice if you are hoping for a sociable island where you can easily meet people. This is the kind of resort where you mostly stay in the resort the whole time.

I also think it would suit luxury travellers because there are some lovely pool villas around the property. I stayed in the cheapest room available, which was the deluxe room, but next time I would probably spring for one of the poolside rooms. The only thing I would say is that there is not a lot of privacy when the curtains are open, so that is something to bear in mind if you are eyeing up a pool access room.

I would not book this hotel if you want nightlife, a busy island atmosphere, or a beach that looks like the Maldives. I would book it if you want peace, pools, resort food, good service, and a place to properly switch off.

Who Is Island Escape Burasari Best For?

I think Island Escape Burasari is best for couples, people who want a relaxing resort stay, Bangkok expats looking for a long weekend away, and travellers who want to end their Thailand trip somewhere peaceful.

It would also be good for families because of the pools and slides, although I visited as a couple, so I am reviewing it from that perspective.

This is not the place I would choose if you want to go bar-hopping, explore loads of restaurants outside the hotel, or meet lots of other travellers. Coconut Island felt peaceful and resort-focused, which is exactly what I wanted, but it would not suit everyone.

If you are someone who gets bored staying in one resort, I would probably choose somewhere else in Phuket instead.

If you want to read by the pool, have cocktails at a swim-up bar, eat good food, listen to birds and cicadas, and not make many decisions for a few days, I think you will probably love it. Having said that there are still many activities the resorts puts on like yoga, stretching, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and they really make an effort to provide options for entertainment and activities.

Where Is Island Escape Burasari?

Island Escape Burasari is on Coconut Island, known locally as Koh Maprao, which is just off Phuket.

One of the reasons I think this works so well for a long weekend is that it is very easy to reach from Phuket Airport. It took us about 40 minutes by taxi from Phuket Airport to the pier, and then we took the complimentary boat across to Coconut Island.

Depending on the timing, the transfer may be by longtail boat or speedboat. I was told all boat transfer were free but once I picked a timing they told me I had to pay. So I did have to push a little bit before arrival to make sure we had the complimentary longtail boat, but once I pushed for it, everything was fine.

There are boats almost hourly. Once you book the resort they will send you the timings. I was glad to see even after a late flight I could still get a complimentary boat at 9pm when I arrived on a Friday after work.

The resort itself is quite large, so staff drive electric golf carts around to take guests between areas. That said, we were able to walk to all of the pools from our room, and we usually did. It is not a tiny resort where everything is on one flat path, so if you have mobility issues, I would definitely think carefully about which room type and location you book.

The beach area is down quite a lot of steps because parts of the resort are set up on a hill. You can use the golf carts to get down there, so it is definitely feasible, but it is not as simple as stepping straight out of your room and onto the sand. Most of the resort is up a steep hill so it’s good for getting steps in!

Our Room at Island Escape Burasari

We booked the cheapest room available, which was the deluxe room.

The room size was more than enough for us, and I would guess it was at least around 28 square metres, which is about 301 square feet. We had a little balcony or terrace area with chairs outside, plus a drying area for swimwear, which I always appreciate at a resort because there is nothing more annoying than trying to dry bikinis in a bathroom.

The bed was huge and really comfortable, and the bathroom was great. The shower was powerful, which is one of those things I care about much more than I probably should, but I really appreciate a good hotel shower.

The AC worked well, and the room was very quiet. As I said before, Coconut Island is peaceful, and we did not have any noise issues during our stay.

The room was also really clean, and they provided reusable water bottles every day. I always appreciate this because I try to be more eco-friendly where I can, and I much prefer hotels that reduce single-use plastic without making it annoying for guests.

Next time, I think I would book one of the poolside rooms because I liked that pool area so much. However, I would only do that knowing that there is not much privacy when the curtains are open. If you are someone who likes to wander around your room in complete privacy, that is worth considering before booking a pool access room.

The Pools Were the Main Highlight

One of the main perks of Island Escape Burasari is definitely the facilities, especially the pools.

There are two main swimming pool areas, although I would almost describe it as three pools because one of the big areas is divided into different sections.

One pool is right by the beach and has a swim-up pool bar, which we definitely enjoyed during happy hour. I love a swim-up bar anyway, but there is something especially nice about having a cocktail in the pool when you have absolutely nowhere else to be.

The other pool area is set between some of the villas. This is where you can have a pool view or poolside villa, and there are two slides as well as a deeper swimming area that is better for actually swimming.

I loved this area. There is a little bridge going over the pool, and the whole setting feels lush and green. At the time of year we visited, there were tons of cicadas calling, and there were lots of interesting birds around as well.

This was one of the reasons I thought the resort worked so well. Even though the beach was not the main selling point for me, the pools gave us plenty of places to relax, swim, read, and drink cocktails without feeling like we were missing out.

There were also enough sunbeds when we visited. We had lots of choices for where to sit, either by the beach, near the beach pool, or around the other pool area.

The Beach Is Fine, But It Is Not the Reason I Would Book

The main downside of Island Escape Burasari is the beach.

It is not ugly, and the water did look really turquoise in places, but it is more rugged than dreamy. If you are imagining soft white sand and that perfect postcard Thailand beach, this is probably not the resort I would choose.

That said, I have lived in the Maldives, so I fully admit that my beach standards are ridiculous.

We visited during rainy season, so we were also a little wary of jellyfish because there was a warning there. It did not stop us from swimming, but Jason is always a bit more cautious about ocean swimming when there are jellyfish warnings.

I actually think this is one of those things that is fine as long as you know before you book. If you are booking Island Escape Burasari for the pools, rooms, food and peaceful resort feeling, I think you will be happy. If you are booking purely for the beach, I think you may be disappointed.

Food and Restaurants

Because Coconut Island is not the kind of place where you are wandering out to different restaurants every night, the food at the resort really matters.

Luckily, we ate well.

There are multiple restaurants at Island Escape Burasari, and we particularly enjoyed the Italian restaurant. The pizza was really delicious, which is not always easy to find in Thailand. I say that as someone who has eaten a lot of disappointing pizza here, so when I find a good one, I remember it.

We also liked that there was enough choice across the resort, because if you are staying mainly on property, you do not want to feel stuck eating the same thing every day, especially as we are vegetarian.

Breakfast at Island Escape Burasari

Breakfast was fantastic and was included in our room rate.

There were loads of options, including bread, banana bread, eggs, cheese, Thai food, yoghurt, tea, coffee and some of the best mango because we visited in May, and April to May is generally mango season.

This was also pretty good for vegetarians, which I always notice because I do not eat meat. Hotel breakfasts can be very hit or miss for vegetarians, but I had plenty to choose from here.

They also had multiple types of tea, including jasmine green tea, which is something I always look for. Jason said the coffee was pretty decent too, and he is much more of a coffee person than I am.

I would definitely try to book a rate with breakfast included if the price difference is reasonable, because I thought it added a lot to the stay.

Service and Communication

The staff were excellent.

As usual in Thailand, the service was lovely and welcoming, and the English level was very good. We also noticed quite a few Filipino managers during our stay, and communication was smooth overall.

Before we arrived, the communication was good, although I did have to push a little to make sure the complimentary longtail boat transfer was properly arranged. It was fine once I pushed for it, but I would definitely recommend confirming your transfer details before arrival so you are not figuring it out after a flight.

Once we were at the resort, everything felt easy. Staff were friendly, golf carts were available if needed, and the whole place felt well run.

What I Loved About Island Escape Burasari

The thing I loved most was how easy it was to relax.

We were close enough to Phuket that it was not a complicated trip from Bangkok, but once we arrived on Coconut Island, it felt peaceful and separate from everything.

I loved the pool areas, especially the villa pool area with the slides, bridge and greenery. I loved that the room was quiet and comfortable, and I loved that breakfast had good vegetarian options and proper mango.

I also liked that the resort felt like something a bit different. Coconut Island is not one of those Thai islands everyone talks about constantly, and that made the stay feel more interesting.

This is exactly the kind of place I would recommend to someone who wants a relaxed long weekend from Bangkok without needing to plan a full itinerary.

What I Did Not Love

The main thing I did not love was the beach.

Again, it was not terrible, but it was not the beach I would choose if the beach was my main priority. It was more rugged, and because we visited in rainy season, the jellyfish warning made us a little more cautious.

I also think the stairs and hilliness are worth mentioning. You can use golf carts, so it is not impossible if you do not want to walk, but if you have mobility issues, you may want to think carefully about the room location and how often you want to go down to the beach.

The resort is also not somewhere I would book if I wanted nightlife or a sociable island experience. It is peaceful, quiet and resort-based. That was perfect for us, but it is not for everyone.

Is Island Escape Burasari Worth the Price?

For what we paid, I thought Island Escape Burasari was very good value.

We paid $212 USD total, which is around ฿6,840 / £156 GBP, for 3 nights in the deluxe room in May 2026. For a peaceful island resort with a comfortable room, great breakfast, multiple pool areas and good service, I was really happy with that.

I would book the deluxe room again if I wanted the best value, but next time I would also consider paying more for a poolside room. I loved that pool area, and I think it would be fun to have easier access to it, although I would keep the privacy issue in mind because the curtains would need to stay closed if you did not want people seeing straight in.

If you are choosing between spending more on a pool villa or staying in a cheaper room, I would decide based on how much time you actually want to spend in your room. We were very happy in the cheapest room because the shared pools were so good.

Final Verdict

Yes, I would recommend Island Escape Burasari, and I would definitely book it again.

I have already recommended it to one of my friends who is planning to go there for her next long weekend from Bangkok, which is always the best sign that I actually liked somewhere.

I would book it for peace, pools, food, comfort and a resort stay that feels easy from Phuket Airport. I would not book it if your main priority is a perfect beach, nightlife, or being somewhere with lots going on outside the hotel.

For a couple, a relaxed Bangkok escape, or a peaceful end to a Thailand trip, I think Island Escape Burasari is a really lovely choice.