We stayed three nights at Island Escape by Burasari to begin our 1-week Phuket itinerary. After spending three days in Bangkok, this island resort proved to be the perfect setting to start off a relaxing Phuket family vacation.
In this Island Escape by Burasari review, we’re sharing our honest experience staying in a one-bedroom pool-access villa with our 7-year-old daughter. We’ll review our room, the pools, the beach, kids activities, and of course the restaurants, and whether we’d stay here again.
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Island Escape by Burasari Review
When researching where to stay as a family in Phuket, we were overwhelmed with the sheer amount of choices, but Island Escape by Burasari kept popping up in my searches. The reviews, however, were mixed so I was a bit hesitant to book it.
The real selling point for us was the fact that we could get an entire villa that walked right out onto the pool for a very affordable price. And it was not just any villa – it had its own kids climbing wall, monkey bars and play area!! We were sold. Despite the bad reviews, we knew our daughter was going to fall in love with that room.
So, if you made it to our blog because you also read the bad reviews like we did, we are here to share our completely honest experience with you – the good and the bad!
Location
Island Escape by Burasari is located on Koh Maphrao, aka Coconut Island, just a 10-minute complimentary boat ride from the mainland. While some may feel the location is too far removed from Phuket, others will enjoy the seclusion.
There is not much on the island outside of the resort, other than a handful of road-side shops and restaurants, and a few other resorts. Perfect for guests seeking a relaxing stay, but for those looking for more action, you will need to take the boat back and forth to the mainland.
Island Escape by Burasari Address: 94/4 Moo 6, Tambon Koh Kaew, Amphoe Muang,
Phuket 83200
How to Get to Island Escape by Burasari
Island Escape by Burasari offers complimentary boat transfers from two different piers.
The main location is the Boat Lagoon Pier where they have a nice welcome lounge to complete your check-in and check-out. From there, they operate a large speedboat to transport guests to and from Coconut Island in just 10 minutes.
The second location is Laem Hin Pier, located closer to Phuket Town. This pier is only served by a longtail boat shuttle. It’s a more authentic experience but not as convenient with luggage.
Which pier you use depends on time of day and where you are going. Each location has a different schedule that is dependent on the tides. The Boat Lagoon is closer to the airport (24km away) whereas Laem Hin Pier is closer to Phuket Town (8km away).
- Island Escape Office/ Lounge – Boat Lagoon Pier Address: 20/72 Ko Kaeo, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
- Laem Hin Pier Address: Island Escape/Laem Hin Pier, Ko Kaeo, Phuket 83000
By Grab/Taxi
Unless you have a rental car, the easiest option is to order a Grab from the airport to the Boat Lagoon. Make sure you put your destination as “Island Escape Burasari Office” so drivers can find the exact location for where to drop you off as it’s a bit confusing to find once you are in the boat lagoon area.
We arrived at the airport in the morning and our Grab SUV only took 32 minutes to get to the boat lagoon office. The ride cost us 549 THB ($17 USD).
Getting to and from Laem Hin Pier to Phuket Town cost us about 200 THB ($6 USD) each way.
Booking Island Escape by Burasari
We often use points to book our accommodations, but since Island Escape by Burasari is not an international chain we booked the best cash rate we could find.
Cash rates start at $70 USD/night for an entry level room or $129 USD/night for a villa. You can check rates for Island Escape by Burasari for your dates using our Booking.com link.
For our stay, we paid a total of $647.16 USD for three nights in a One-Bedroom Pool Access Villa.
- Island Escape by Burasari Phone Number: +66 (0) 76643643
- Island Escape by Burasari Email Address: rsvn@isescape.com
Check-In at Island Escape Arrival Lounge
We arrived at the Island Escape Arrival Lounge at the Boat Lagoon just after 10:00am. There were resort staff inside the office who warmly greeted us and invited us to complete the check-in process.
After confirming our reservation details and checking our passports, we were invited to have a seat in the lounge and help ourselves to some refreshments while we waited for the next speedboat.
We appreciated the comfortable seating, magazines and brochures to read, and, most importantly, the air conditioning. There were some basic refreshments: cold water, hot water to make tea or instant coffee, and cookies.
There were also some shops next to the arrival lounge that we could have explored if we weren’t so tired. We saw souvenir shops, smoothie and snack shops, and tour operators.
At 10:30, the staff came to inform us that the boat was ready and to proceed down to the docks. They took care of bringing our luggage down and loading it onto the boat.
Boat Transfer to Coconut Island
The boat used for transfers between the Boat Lagoon and Island Escape is a large speedboat that runs on a set schedule throughout the day. During check-in and checkout times, the boat can get quite busy so you should book your transfer in advance by emailing rsvn@isescape.com.
Since we were arriving early before the official check-in time, we were luckily the only ones on the boat. It was our daughter’s first time on a speedboat and she thought it was so fun!
The journey was quick, taking only 10 minutes to reach the dock at Coconut Island.
Once at the dock, a buggy was there to pick us up and bring us to the hotel lobby to complete the check-in process.
Boat Transfer Schedule
The boat transfer schedules change from time to time so it’s best to check the hotel’s website to confirm the most up-to-date schedule, but as of September 2026, the current schedule is as follows:
Speedboat:
| Departs Boat Lagoon | Departs Island Escape |
|---|---|
| 10:00am | 11:30am |
| 12:00pm | 12:30pm |
| 2:00pm | 3:30pm |
| 5:00pm | 5:30pm |
Longtail Boat:
| Departs Laem Hin Pier | Departs Island Escape |
|---|---|
| 3:00pm | 8:00am |
| 6:00pm | 9:00am |
| 7:00pm | 10:00am |
| 8:00pm | 1:30pm |
| 10:00pm | 6:30pm |
| 11:00pm | 8:30pm |
If the times don’t work for you, you can contact the hotel and arrange for a private transfer but that of course comes with a large price tag.
Arrival at Island Escape Resort
Our buggy dropped us off at the resort’s main building where a staff member directed us downstairs to the lobby.
The lobby was quite busy but we eventually found a place to sit while we waited. We were brought some lovely welcome drinks and scented cool towels – a nice touch.
Once it was our turn, we were called up to one of the desks. Since we had already completed most of the check-in process at the boat lagoon, they just handed us our keys and quickly went over the resort basics, the restaurants, and activity schedules.
We were pleasantly surprised that our room was already ready since we had arrived a few hours before check-in time.
A buggy drove us to our villa along with our luggage.
- Standard Check-In Time: 3:00pm
- Standard Check-out Time: 12:00pm
Island Escape by Burasari Rooms & Villas
With 250 rooms and villas, the resort has a variety of options to meet your needs:
- Deluxe Room (377 sq. ft., sleeps two)
- Deluxe Pool View Room (377 sq. ft., sleeps two)
- Deluxe Pool Access (377 sq. ft., sleeps two)
- One-Bedroom Garden Access Villa (1119 sq. ft., sleeps three)
- One-Bedroom Lagoon Villa (1119 sq. ft., sleeps three)
- One-Bedroom Pool Access Villa (1119 sq. ft., sleeps three)
- Two-Bedroom Garden Access Villa (1744 sq. ft., sleeps six)
- Two-Bedroom Pool Access Villa (1744 sq. ft., sleeps six)
- One-Bedroom Pool Villa (1345 sq. ft., sleeps three)
- One-Bedroom Reserve Pool Villa (3305 sq. ft., sleeps three)
- Two-Bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa (4467 sq. ft., sleeps four)
- Three-Bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa (5554 sq. ft., sleeps six)
- Four-Bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa (9688 sq. ft., sleeps eight)
Room Review: One-Bedroom Villa Pool Access
We were originally going to book a One-Bedroom Pool Villa as having our own private pool to use with our daughter sounded lovely. However, we ultimately went with the One-Bedroom Pool Access Villa because these villas come with their own kids play area and climbing wall inside which our daughter was going to love!
The pool access villas surround the large splash pool located in the main resort area. We were assigned Villa #2012 which was perfectly located in the middle area of the pool.
The villas close to the waterslides seemed less private so we were very happy with our villa’s location.
Entryway
From the main path, there was a short pathway leading to the villa’s entrance. Once inside, we immediately noticed how cold it was – the AC worked very well! The controls were on the wall right by the front door.
The bedroom and sitting area were to the right, and closet, play area and bathroom to the left.
Bedroom
The villa is an open-concept design with the comfy king-sized bed right in the middle of the room.
When we arrived, we found the bed decorated with towel art and a birthday note for our daughter. 🙂
On both sides of the bed were reading lights, light controls, a universal outlet and USB outlets. However, the outlets by the bed did not work throughout our stay so we had to charge all our electronics elsewhere in the villa.
Behind the headboard was what looked like a single-size bed or seat, but there were no sheets or pillows. We assumed that it was supposed to be the bed for our daughter so we called the front desk to ask for bedding.
Housekeeping came and were so apologetic for not having made up the bed for her. They brought fresh sheets and pillows and transformed it into a cozy bed for her.
Kids Play Area and Climbing Wall
As soon as we walked into the room, our daughter was ecstatic to see the colorful monkey bars and climbing equipment. She immediately got to climbing and totally forgot about the pool.
There are climbing ladders on both sides of the closet area with large monkey bars above connecting the two sides. We weren’t sure if these monkey bars were meant to be used by kids as they are very high and spaced out – our daughter needed our help. Ryan couldn’t help but give them a try himself 🙂
The wall by the door was a colorful peg game wall. We weren’t sure how to play with it so we didn’t use it much.
The opposite wall is half climbing wall and half chalkboard wall. However, no chalk was provided.
There was also a fun, brightly colored swivel chair that our daughter loved.
Closet
The open-concept closet was located behind the monkey bars.
A number of good quality wooden shirt and pants hangers were provided. There were also some lovely satin his and her robes which I loved.
We were also provided with a nice large beachbag, with pool towels already inside, slippers, and some his and her flip flops down below. These came in handy throughout our stay – we used the beachbag and flip flops a lot! I asked if I could keep the flip flops but they said no, which I found a bit strange. Are they re-using them between guests? Hmm…
Inside the closet drawers were a hair dryer and laundry bag with price list.
If you’re looking for the safe, it’s on the opposite wall, with the minibar.
Bathroom
Behind sliding wooden doors was the spacious bathroom.
Upon walking in there was the wide sink area with large lighted mirror.
On the left of the counter were some complimentary amenities: two large bottles of water, tissues, lotion, vanity kit, dental kits, shower cap and soap. Rolled towels and beautiful fresh birds of paradise flowers were on the right side of the counter.
The left side of the bathroom was a spacious enclosed toilet stall with hand-held bidet.
On the right side of the bathroom was the spacious shower with both a rainfall shower head and handheld shower hose. Individual shampoo, conditioner and body wash were provided along the wall.
I really loved the tropical and airy vibe of the bathroom. The entire bathroom wall is glass and looks into the private outdoor villa garden. I often spotted pretty birds in the garden while getting ready in the mornings which were nice to see.
It took me a day to realize that there were controls to lower the blinds on the bathroom walls. So, if you would like more privacy, use the controls on the wall 🙂
Minibar
The minibar was opposite the closet and contained a number of local and international snacks.
Inside the mini fridge below were some cold sodas, water and beer.
Prices were thankfully very reasonable. We normally don’t eat anything from the minibar in hotels but we enjoyed a few of the snacks here. For example, the instant noodles were only 30THB (less than $1 USD), so we ate those while our daughter enjoyed the Pocky (50 THB/$1.50 USD).
A note about the water: the glass bottled water is complimentary and housekeeping replenishes it often. However, the plastic bottled water in the fridge is 85 THB so make sure you don’t accidentally drink it if you don’t want to pay for mineral water.
Pool Terrace
A major highlight of the pool access villa is obviously that it is right on the pool.
The large sliding glass doors open right up to the terrace overlooking the pool. Thanks to the lazy river design of the pool where our villa was located, it still felt fairly private, with other guests only floating by occasionally.
Our villa’s terrace had a large comfy lounge chair big enough to fit all three of us. To the side was a towel drying rack – very handy to have!
There was also a dining table with two chairs (and an ashtray – I guess smoking is allowed?).
I was particularly enamored by the lovely little garden that separated the villas. The flowering shrubs and birds of paradise were so beautiful. Sitting out there made me feel like I was on a truly relaxing tropical holiday.
On the left side of the terrace were our own private steps to enter the pool. This was a game-changer with a child. It was so nice to have immediate access to the pool anytime we wanted! And if we got tired, we could quickly get back to our room for a snack, or just lounge on the terrace while still watching our daughter float in the pool in front of us. It was honestly so perfect.
The pool closes at 7pm so it’s very quiet in the evenings around the Pool Access Villas.
Air Conditioning
The air conditioning worked amazingly. Even though the villa was fairly large, the air conditioning had no trouble keeping the entire villa cool.
I also liked that there were separate AC controls for the front and back of the villa. So, if we didn’t want it to be so cold in the bathroom while showering, we could turn it off.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping seemed to come by twice a day while we were out of our room. They brought us new bath towels (but not new pool towels), made our bed, swept the room, replenished the toiletries, and tidied everything. However, they didn’t replenish the minibar – only the complimentary water.
A Note on Insects & Critters
We didn’t have any issue with mosquitoes, thankfully. However, during our stay (in April), I guess it was cicada season and they were extremely loud throughout the day. Like, extremely loud! But luckily not throughout the night. So, if you are looking for utter relaxation, maybe avoid that time of year.
Also, this is a tropical destination, so there are going to be lizards around, and we did find some in our room. I saw one running from under the bed and our daughter spotted one on the ceiling. They avoided us but they did surprise us once in a while when we’d suddenly see one running across the wall.
There was a sign inside our room regarding critters that we might encounter throughout the resort.
Island Escape by Burasari Restaurants
There are three main restaurants to choose from, plus two bars and in-room dining. The breakfast buffet is complimentary for all guests but the other restaurants are an additional charge unless you add on a half-board or all-inclusive package.
It’s Everything – Breakfast Buffet
It’s Everything Restaurant is the first thing you see when you arrive at the hotel’s main building.
This open-air restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with different daily themed international menus. You can see the upcoming themes posted on the board outside the restaurant.
We ate breakfast here each day and it was honestly a highlight. There’s no one manning the front desk – you just walk in, pick any table and help yourself. You can choose from tables on the patio with umbrellas, covered tables in the main restaurant with overhead fans, or the far covered area with beautiful ocean views. The latter was our favourite place to sit (the patio tables get quite hot with the sun).
The buffet is quite vast with an impressive array of options.
Cereals, yogurt, deli items, and fresh fruits were at the start of the buffet, followed by a number of hot Western and Asian options. Eggs, sausage, noodles, stir-fry, curry, to name a few.
Then there was a specialty made-to-order area in the back with a cook making noodle soup, dim sum and omelettes.
In this area, there was also a specialty Thai option that changed each day – my favourite section of the buffet!
Around the corner in the outside area are a variety of juices and water. Followed by breakfast staples like waffles, pancakes, toast, and some gluten-free and vegan options.
In the next covered area is the bakery section with breads, muffins, cakes and various pastries. All throughout the buffet are coffee machines where you can get espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, etc.
The busiest time seemed to be around 9am. Go early or later to avoid the breakfast rush.
- Breakfast Hours: 6:30am-11:00am
- Lunch/Dinner Hours: 11:30am-12:00am
Eat
In our opinion, this is the best restaurant at the hotel. It is on the beach at the very far right end, and it’s worth the walk (…or you can just call a buggy to drive you). And when we say it’s on the beach, we mean your table is literally on the sand, but there’s a roof over your head. It’s not a dress up in your best outfit and wear heels kind of place.
They only serve Thai food here and it was absolutely delicious! You can see the chefs hard at work as it’s all open-concept, and they present all the dishes beautifully.
We were really impressed with the taste, presentation, and spice level.
Our only gripe was that the service could be a bit friendlier, but the food was so outstanding that we were able to overlook that. In fact, we booked a cooking lesson here on our second day (more on that below).
- Hours: 1:00pm-10:00pm
Eat Restaurant Dinner Menu
Eat Restaurant Drink Menu
Da Beppe
The third and final restaurant is Da Beppe, an Italian restaurant located next to It’s Everything. We didn’t dine here at all during our stay, because, well, we’re in Thailand after all and Thai food is the best! However, if you are tired of Thai food or have picky kids, or just really love Italian, then this could be a good choice.
- Hours: 11:30am-12:00am
Pool Bar
This swim-up bar was pretty popular. Located at the main beachfront pool, it serves up drinks and snacks while pumping out the tunes.
- Hours: 10:00am-7:00pm
Beach Bar
Located next door to Eat, this beach bar offers drinks and light dishes in a fun, casual open-air setting right on the sand. It seemed to be popular with some families as kids could play soccer and other games on the sand while parents lounged with some food and drinks.
In-Room Dining
There are QR codes in your room by the minibar that you can scan to bring up the in-room dining menu.
Honestly, the options were pretty decent and reasonably priced. We were planning to order it for dinner, but then eventually convinced our daughter to come eat at Eat (lol).
They have a few popular Thai options plus Western staples like burgers, pasta and chicken nuggets for the kids.
Eating Outside Island Escape by Burasari
If you walk down the road out of the resort, you will come across a few roadside Thai restaurants and eventually the tiny village.
We ventured out on our first evening and ate at Pa Yoi restaurant. Prices were a lot cheaper than the resort and we enjoyed the laidback local experience.
If you want a more affordable and authentic meal, take a short walk outside of the resort and try one of these stalls. Just remember to bring cash.
Island Escape by Burasari Pools
Main Beachfront Pool
This large infinity pool is located down by the beach. It was definitely the busiest pool during our stay where most of the adults hung out.
Lounge chairs surround the pool but were usually all taken. Inside the pool were some seats by the bar where you could enjoy a drink while staying cool in the water.
For the kids, there was a shallow section below the infinity ledge where they could swim comfortably.
- Hours: 7:00am-7:00pm
Splash Pool
This large, wrap-around pool has many different fun areas to explore. It is located by the pool access villas, in the family-oriented area of the resort. We expected it to be busier than it was, so it was a nice surprise that it wasn’t overrun with kids.
You can float around in the lazy river section or make a stop at the center island where you’ll find a small toddler-size water slide. Note that there are no floaties provided at the pools – you have to bring your own.
Buy floaties elsewhere in Thailand or pack them in your bags from home so that you can use them at the resort.
Further down is a larger water slide for bigger kids (or adults young at heart). You’ll also notice that there is a lower section of the pool, below a ledge. There are stairs on the right side where you can walk down, or you can jump off the ledge into the water.
This section of the pool is mostly used by the deluxe pool-access rooms. We ventured throughout it but ultimately decided the upper section was the best.
If you are not staying in one of the pool-access rooms or villas, there are some lounge chairs on the center island that you can use. There are also bathrooms by the bridge. There’s a little hut on the center island where you can find towels in the morning but we found by later in the day there were none left.
- Hours: 7:00am-7:00pm
Lagoon Pool
This pool is located up in the lagoon area of the resort but we didn’t venture up that far. It’s quite a walk from the main area of the resort so I’d assume it’s probably the quietest pool of the three.
Island Escape by Burasari Beach
The resort has a large beachfront area with enough room for guests to find their own little relaxing spot.
We were advised not to swim due to jellyfish in the water, but we did see a handful of guests swimming anyway.
Even without swimming, the beach is a nice area to relax and quieter than the pool areas. We appreciated the cool beach swings and lounging areas. The further right we walked, the less busy it was.
On the opposite end, to the left of the beach pool, is a rocky area. There were lots of lounge chairs around this part and we imagined it would be a nice spot to watch the sunrise.
If you are looking for a true tropical beach resort, you may be a bit disappointed in Island Escape’s beach since it’s not a stereotypical tropical swimming beach.
Resort Activities
The resort hosts complimentary activities throughout the day for guests to enjoy. You can find the activity schedule posted on the beach by the Activities Hut, or by scanning the QR code on your key card holder.
Activities range from yoga and dance, muay thai and water activities, to cooking and bonfires, and of course kids games and crafts. They are one-hour long and run hourly from 8am until 6pm. You can join as many as you’d like and they’re all included (with the exception of the cooking activities which require an extra fee).
Reservations aren’t required – you just show up at the appropriate time and place, except for the paid activities which require booking one day in advance.
Thai Cooking Class
We ended up booking a private cooking class which was a highlight of our trip! These private cooking classes take place at Eat restaurant in the afternoons. You have to book at least one day in advance at reception. The cost is 1990 THB per person.
At the time of booking, you are given a sheet with the available dishes to choose from and you select one from each category: appetizer, main dish, soup/curry, and dessert.
When we arrived at the class, the chefs had already prepared all the ingredients we would need to make our chosen dishes and set up our cooking stations. We were invited to first sit down at a table and enjoy a mocktail (the same one we enjoyed as our welcome drink) and some mineral water.
Then they gave us our chef hats and aprons before we began cooking. Even though we had booked the class for Ryan and I, they prepared a third set of everything for our daughter! We were so surprised (they didn’t even charge extra for her).
One of the Thai chefs from Eat explained everything to us and walked us through step by step how to make each of the dishes.
What We Made
We began with the papaya salad. After making it, they plated it nicely for us and we even got to garnish it to make it all pretty. Then we already got to sit down and enjoy the fruits of our labour! Our daughter was so proud she made her own salad all by herself and ate it all.
Next, we made our green curry soup which they then served with rice. This was our favourite! Absolutely delicious.
After our soup came the phad thai. They plated it for us and even added fried prawns which we were not expecting. By then we were already so full so we couldn’t fully enjoy it as much as we would have liked.
Finally, it was time to make banana fritters for dessert. They served it alongside some ice cream and sauce.
Everything was so tasty but it was honestly too much food, especially for lunch. We didn’t want to waste it so we asked if we could take it back to our room. Thankfully they packed it up for us so we could enjoy it later for dinner.
At the end of the class, they presented us with cooking certificates and a cookbook with all the recipes we had made. We got to keep our aprons and hats, and Ryan has continued making that delicious green curry every few weeks since we got home!
Kayaking
We missed out on the complimentary kayaking so we ended up just renting one to take out on our last morning. It was inexpensive and all three of us were able to fit into one shared kayak.
It was Tahani’s first time kayaking so she was thrilled!
There were also complimentary paddleboards we could have taken out.
Fishing
Another paid activity is fishing. We saw some guests on the pier who had caught some fish – looked like fun! The cost is 800 THB/person.
Bike Riding
You can borrow bikes from the Activities Hut.
Kids Activities
Our daughter was excited for all the kids activities but we ended up only going to one on the first day: the cupcake decorating.
The kids had fun decorating cupcakes on the beach with icing and sprinkles. It was a simple activity but tasty and entertaining for the kids.
After the first day, it was hard to get our daughter out of the pool so we ended up missing the other activities. Honestly, there is so much for kids to do here that they won’t get bored!
Kids Playground and Splash Park
Located by the garden access villas is a fun kids play area. It is somewhat hidden so it seemed like most families didn’t even know it was there. We often had it all to ourselves.
Our daughter had a blast at the splash park. There is a button to press to activate all the water, and then you can shoot water blasters, run through the water tunnel and under sprinklers, and down the water slide. So much fun for kids!
Up behind the splash park is a playground with swings, climbing structures and a slide. It also seemed underused as we only saw one other kid here.
On another note, I can imagine that the garden access villas and rooms that look onto these play areas can get quite loud with the screams of kids so, something to keep in mind when booking your room.
Fitness Center & Spa
The resort does have both a fitness center and spa but we aren’t going to write in detail about either of them since we personally didn’t use them.
Prices for the spa seemed somewhat reasonable as far as resorts go. I noticed they even offered massages for kids, which caught my eye.
The “It’s Fit” fitness center and Sunyata Spa are both located quite far from the main areas of the resort, up past the lagoon. If you are interested in using either, it’s probably best to call a buggy to take you.
- It’s Fit Hours: 7:00am to 10:00pm
- Sunyata Spa Hours:10:00am to 8:00pm
Island Escape by Burasari Video Tour
Coming soon – stay tuned!
Staying at Island Escape by Burasari with Kids
Our three-night stay at Island Escape by Burasari was the highlight for our 7-year-old daughter out of our entire two weeks in Thailand. It’s truly a great place for families with kids looking for a relaxing, affordable, and fun island getaway.
What We Loved as a Family
- The Splash Pool – both us and our daughter enjoyed floating around the lazy river for hours and going down the water slide
- Kids Water Park – lots of fun for kids to run around and splash, probably best for ages 10 and under
- Playground – nice to have when the kids get tired of water play
- Breakfast Buffet – lots of choices that appeal to both kids and adults
- Complimentary activities – enough to keep our daughter entertained without feeling like we needed to leave the resort
- Play Area in our Villa – this was the BEST part, according to our daughter. Having this colorful climbing area in our room that she could use at any time was so exciting for her.
- Resort was spread out and didn’t feel too crowded or busy, except for at the breakfast buffet
Things Families Should Know
- Resort is on Coconut Island – you may feel stuck or isolated as there’s not much else to do on the island other than the resort activities
- Any activities you want to do in Phuket will require planning around the boat transfers
- Beach is not the best for swimming with kids – water is not that calm and there are jellyfish warnings
- Resort is spread out and requires a lot of walking, which can be tiresome for young kids. Buggys are available but there’s often a wait for them
- There are only three restaurants, so not a whole lot of variety, but we found there was enough to satisfy picky eaters
- Climbing play areas are only available in the One-Bedroom Pool Access Villas which have a maximum occupancy of three. If you have a larger family, you will need to stay in a two-bedroom villa which unfortunately doesn’t come with the play area,
- Weddings regularly occur at the resort but they aren’t bothersome at all. There was a wedding when we were there and we didn’t even hear it as everything takes place down at the beach by Eat restaurant.
Nearby Attractions
- Coconut Island Village (1km) – local Thai restaurants, massage shops, grocery/convenience store, school, mosque – can also arrange a tricycle tour through the resort
- Floating Seafood Restaurants (3km) – there’s a number of floating restaurants off the shore of Coconut Island (Khru Vit, Bang Mud, Blackcrab by Sea Ped), you can hire a boat to take you from the pier
FAQ
Is Island Escape by Burasari good for families?
Yes, this resort is best suited for families. Kids will love the large splash pool, water slides, splash park, family-oriented villas, beach swings, and free kids activities.
Is Island Escape by Burasari good for couples?
We’d say it’s good for a night or two, but it’s really more geared to families. We didn’t find the resort overly romantic and there are generally just a lot of kids around everywhere you go.
Couples are best off staying in one of the Private Pool Villas. These offer the most relaxation as you can swim in your own private pool and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Does Island Escape by Burasari have a kids’ club?
No, there is no kids’ club, but the activities hut does offer daily kids activities.
Does Island Escape by Burasari have a private beach?
Yes, the resort has a sandy beach that feels very private because there are no other resorts nearby. There are no vendors or locals on the beach – only resort guests.
Is breakfast included at Island Escape by Burasari?
Yes! A lovely buffet breakfast is included for all guests.
How far is Island Escape by Burasari from Phuket Airport?
From the airport, it’s about 30 minutes without traffic (24km) to the Boat Lagoon and then another 10-15 minute boat ride to the resort.
Does Island Escape by Burasari have a free boat transfer?
Yes, the scheduled boat transfers are free between the resort and Boat Lagoon/Laem Hin Pier. If you would like to take a boat transfer outside of the scheduled departure times, you will need to pay for a private transfer.
Is Island Escape by Burasari all-inclusive?
No, but you can purchase an all-inclusive add on. You can choose either half board or full board.
What is the best room at Island Escape by Burasari?
The best rooms for families are the Pool Access Villas. For those who want the play area in their room, choose the One-Bedroom Pool Access Villa. Larger families should go with the Two-Bedroom Pool Access Villa.
For those wanting more privacy, the best rooms are the Private Pool Villas.
How many nights should you stay at Island Escape by Burasari?
We’d say four nights would be perfect as a family. We only stayed three nights and felt like we could have stayed longer. Our daughter just loved the pool so much and wanted to try out more of the complimentary kids activities. However, after four days, I think we would have gotten a bit bored.
For couples, we’d suggest only one or two nights. It’s a great way to experience a Private Pool Villa at a more affordable price, enjoy some complimentary activities or take a cooking class. But you’ll probably want to explore off the island after a few days.
Final Thoughts on Island Escape by Burasari
Even though we read some mixed reviews, I am so glad we booked this resort. It was a really fun place to stay as a family. The villas are very spacious, clean and modern, and come at an affordable price compared to resorts elsewhere.
The laidback, relaxed vibe was just what our family needed, but I can see how those expecting a 5-star experience would be disappointed. It’s not a luxurious place and the service is a bit slow and disorganized, although friendly.
However, we loved the large pools, the complimentary activities, and the breakfast buffet. And most importantly, our daughter absolutely loved it and that’s what matters most.
If you have kids, definitely add Island Escape by Burasari to your list.
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