Living the Thai life

Claire Hewitt revisits the dream destination of her past

- Claire Hewitt

When I travelled to Thailand 15 years ago with a friend it was a holiday we both still look back on fondly. Cycling round rice paddies outside Bangkok, cookery lessons, night markets, temples, golden buddhas, spectacular sunsets, and snorkelling in the crystal clear waters round Koh Phangan were fabulous experiences.

And not forgetting the food!

Could a return to the Land of Smiles live up to the memories?

My first destination for this return was Koh Samui, Koh Phangan's bigger sister. It's a popular destination for travellers and with season three of The White Lotus partly set on the island at the Four Seasons Hotel, its popularity is only likely to increase.

It's not hard to see why, with densely forested slopes leading down to white sandy beaches and azure seas with hotels nestling around private bays.

The whitewashed villas of the Banyan Tree Samui resort trickle down tropical jungle slopes to the infinity pool, with fabulous views over a private bay in Lamai.

My villa, like all, has gates that lead to decking with loungers and seating. The oversized wooden door makes for a grand entrance into a living area with sofa and bar before reaching the bedroom and bathroom beyond with its massive bath, perfect for a long soak looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

And the star of the show... through the sliding doors in the bedroom, my own private pool.

That evening, I called for a buggy to meet my travelling companions for a trip to the nearby Lamai village night market.

Lamai is the most popular beach area of Koh Samui. The beach stretches seemingly forever along the coastline with rocky outcrops breaking the view.

Beachside restaurants like Cactus offer up typically Thai dishes such as prawn Pad Thai and fried giant fish.