Thailand with a twist

I’ve just got back from the most amazing adventure! I flew to Thailand with Thai Airways on their A380 which was a lovely experience; the service and food was excellent. It is an 11 hour flight to Bangkok, but the time passed quickly thanks to good inflight entertainment and a good book! I was due to stay in several places on my trip and I was really looking forward to it.

My first stay was at beautiful Rayavadee; an exquisite 5* property in the resort of Krabi. To get there, you fly from Bangkok to Krabi and take a luxury speedboat to the hotel. If I was to describe my first impression of Rayavadee, I would have to say it was utterly tranquil, with perfect service and the epitome of luxury. I was treated to lunch by the beach and the food was out of this world. I enjoyed a massage at the spa and can safely say I felt completely pampered and fully relaxed afterwards. Rayavadee would be the perfect choice for couples and older families looking for a high end hideaway in this most pretty of locations.

Next stop was Elephant Hills’ Elephant Camp. Situated in Khao Sok national park in Southern Thailand, it is all about getting back to nature here. If you are keen to do something a little adventurous without spending the whole holiday doing it, this is your place. Accommodation is in tents with a little bit of luxury – with flushing loos and proper showers. There’s a swimming pool, restaurant/bar and small shop but not much else – which is what most visitors here are looking for. Staying here provides a great opportunity to enjoy washing and feeding elephants as well as learning about them. After a night here, I moved on to the Elephant Hills Rainforest Lodge. A 45 minute long tail boat ride from the pier and I found myself in the middle of the Thai rainforest. What an amazing place. Again in a tent (this time a floating one) I completely relaxed thanks to no phone signal, no Wi-Fi and no distractions apart from the view. At night, no sound could be heard apart from the catfish in the water and the distant jungle sounds. Bliss!

After my jungle experience, I headed south to Kamala, for my stay at Keemala. This unique hotel overlooks the Andaman Sea and certainly gives the wow factor. The design of the hotel is like nothing I have seen before – the reception is in a pod high up what looks like a treehouse with spectacular views. Keemala is luxurious and peaceful. Rooms have a private pool and for those craving as much privacy as possible and the best views – go for the Birds Nest Pool Villas. I was wowed by the food here; the management have a very talented chef who treated us to a wonderful selection of Indian and Thai dishes. Highly recommended!

Last stop was Kata Rocks in Phuket. If you want to holiday like the jet set this is the place to see and be seen. It has a cool, modern vibe and all villas have an infinity pool. The one bedroom villas are perfect for honeymooners and have a very secluded spot overlooking the sea. Families would be really well catered for in the two or three bedrooms villas. For a larger party, there are four bedroom and four bathroom villas too. I loved my stay here and the staff were brilliant. Kata Rocks, rocks!

All good things must come to an end, so they say. My flight home was from Phuket to Bangkok which took an hour, then 12 hours onwards to London.

My thanks go to all the hotels and Thai Airways for their hospitality.