Christmas on a Private Island: The Naka Island Unveils Its Festive Season in Phuket

Swap winter weather for the Andaman Sea as The Naka Island celebrates Christmas and New Year with beachfront festivities, festive dining and midnight fireworks on its secluded Phuket island

Christmas trees and tropical islands might not be the most traditional pairing, but spending the festive season barefoot by the Andaman Sea certainly has its appeal.

This December, The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket is turning its secluded island setting into a festive escape, with celebrations running from a Christmas tree lighting through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners to a Phuket-inspired New Year's Eve party and fireworks.

The MICHELIN Key resort is the only resort on Naka Yai Island, just off Phuket, giving couples and families an opportunity to step away from the island's busier resort areas while still celebrating Christmas and New Year in full festive fashion.

With 90 rooms, suites and pool villas, plus restaurants, wellness facilities and the beach just steps away, this is the kind of holiday where checking in can also mean staying put.

Christmas Begins by the Beach

The festivities start on 17 December 2026 with the resort's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Beach Lawn.

From 5:30–6:30 PM, guests and resort associates will gather for canapés, themed cocktails and live music before the General Manager officially lights the Christmas tree.

It is a relatively intimate beginning to the season, swapping a city hotel lobby for an open lawn and tropical sky.

Christmas Eve Comes With Seafood, Roasts and Sea Views

Christmas Eve brings the first big feast. On 24 December, Veranda hosts an international festive buffet from 6:30–10:30 PM, with imported cold cuts and cheeses, prime carved meats, local seafood and desserts.

The restaurant's sea views and alfresco terrace provide the tropical backdrop, while a live trio, Christmas carols and an elf show bring some traditional festive spirit back into the equation.

Christmas Eve Dinner is THB 7,800++ per adult, including selected beverages, and THB 3,800++ for children aged 6–12, including selected soft drinks. Children aged 5 and under dine complimentary.

Slow Things Down on Christmas Day

After the abundance of Christmas Eve, 25 December takes a more composed approach.

Veranda will serve a signature Christmas Day set menu from 6:30–10:30 PM, accompanied by live trio performances.

The setting is part of the experience. Reclaimed driftwood, an alfresco terrace and views toward the water create a dining room that feels connected to the island rather than removed from it.

The Christmas Day Dinner is THB 4,800++ per adult, including selected beverages, and THB 2,500++ per child aged 6–12, including selected soft drinks. Children aged 5 and under dine complimentary.

For families staying several nights, the different formats also mean Christmas Eve and Christmas Day don't simply feel like repeats of the same hotel buffet.

The biggest celebration arrives on 31 December with the resort's “Phuketian” New Year's Eve. Rather than keeping the party inside a ballroom, the evening spreads across Veranda, Aiyara and the Beach Lawn.

Welcome cocktails and canapés kick things off from 6:30–8:00 PM, followed by an international buffet from 8:00 PM incorporating flavors inspired by Phuket.

Live music, DJ sets and a fire show take the celebration toward midnight, when fireworks over the Andaman Sea welcome the new year. The party wraps up at 12:15 AM.

The New Year's Eve Gala Dinner is THB 22,000++ per adult, including selected beverages, and THB 8,000++ for children aged 6–12, including selected soft drinks. Children aged 5 and under join complimentary.

Marriott Bonvoy members receive a 10% discount on the Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve celebrations.

Why Make a Holiday of It?

The appeal of celebrating here goes beyond dinner. As the only resort on Naka Yai Island, The Naka Island offers something increasingly valuable during one of Thailand's busiest travel periods: separation from the crowds.

Instead of commuting to Christmas dinner or navigating Phuket traffic after a New Year's Eve party, guests can build the celebrations into an island stay. The resort's 90 rooms, suites and pool villas make it suitable for couples looking for a quiet festive escape as well as families wanting to turn Christmas into a proper beach holiday.

And while the calendar says Christmas, the surroundings remain unmistakably southern Thailand: sea views, tropical greenery, alfresco dining and the Andaman Sea replacing anything resembling a wintry landscape.

For international visitors already planning to spend the holidays in Thailand, it offers another interpretation of the traditional festive escape. You still get the Christmas tree, festive dinner, music and midnight fireworks. You just won't need the winter coat.

The Naka Island Festive Season 2026: At a Glance

• Christmas Tree Lighting: 17 December 2026, 5:30–6:30 PM | Beach Lawn | Canapés, themed cocktails, live music and tree-lighting ceremony

• Christmas Eve Dinner: 24 December 2026, 6:30–10:30 PM | Veranda | International buffet, local seafood, carved meats, cold cuts, cheeses and desserts | THB 7,800++ per adult; THB 3,800++ per child aged 6–12

• Christmas Day Dinner: 25 December 2026, 6:30–10:30 PM | Veranda | Signature set menu and live music | THB 4,800++ per adult; THB 2,500++ per child aged 6–12

• “Phuketian” New Year's Eve: 31 December 2026, from 6:30 PM–12:15 AM | Veranda, Aiyara and Beach Lawn | Welcome cocktails, Phuket-inspired international buffet, live music, fire show, DJs and midnight fireworks | THB 22,000++ per adult; THB 8,000++ per child aged 6–12

• Children: All three dining celebrations are complimentary for children aged 5 and under

• Marriott Bonvoy: Members receive 10% off the three festive dining celebrations

• Location: The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket, Naka Yai Island, Phuket

• Reservations: naka.reservations@luxurycollection.com | (+66) 076 371 400

• Hotel information: The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket

[PHOTO: Courtesy of The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket]