KICK BACK AND RELAX

Southern Thailand makes for the perfect restorative break

- CHRISTABEL SMITH 

Close your eyes for a moment. Think of yourself in a clear, calm sea, so warm, you’ll want to stay in it for hours. Imagine the sound of lapping water as you lie back on a bamboo raft, watching monkeys playing as the sun rises over the mangroves. If it sounds dreamy, it’s because it pretty much is.

PARADISE CALLING

Ninety kilometres from the bustle of Phuket, on smooth roads, is the mountainous Phang Nga region, with its long stretches of soft, white sand. If inspired to practise yoga on the beach, your breathing will be boosted by knowing you’re surrounded by lush, tropical rainforest, aka ‘the planet’s lungs’.

Avani+ Khao Lak Resort is large and luxurious, and depending on when you want to travel, the cost may come as a pleasant surprise. The rooms, some with their own pool for a private dip, are modern and air-conditioned, and a quick call to reception will send a buggy to your door.

This comes in particularly handy in a cloudburst which, outside of the rainy season, is likely to be dramatic, but short-lived.