Six Senses Samui

Atop lush headlands, Six Senses has a venue to celebrate every view. At the hilltop pavilion, enjoy home-style Thai cuisine and pick a terrace at the award-winning Dining on the Rocks to watch the sun set over perfectly-fried seafood. Lay out on canopied daybeds or hammocks suspended over the pool as expert mixologists provide a glass of something cool. The spa has serene treatment villas and salas to let the sea air in with an array of massages - try the heated basalt stones! Enjoy a spot of yoga or tai chi, take in a game of pool or curl up with a book in the library's hammock corner.

Fittingly inspired by homes in a Thai fishing village, there are 66 split or single-level villas with thatched roofs and tall wooden columns. With more windows than walls, the interiors are light and lime-coloured couches add character. Each villa has a dining area, large terrace and island-chic bathrooms with a sunken tub (some in a private garden) and indoor/outdoor showers. Cushy beds are wrapped in (much-needed) mosquito nets and an open-plan lounge looks out over the gulf. Most villas have a lovely plunge pool including the spacious two-bedroom residences.

The turquoise waters around Koh Samui seem never-ending as you paddle down the coast on a kayak or snorkel past clouds of fish. Across the bay, the famous Big Buddha statue beckons visitors to its island. Ang Thong National Marine Park is brimming with curious caves, limestone islets and coral reefs where diving is a must. Visit the hidden Emerald Lake for a picnic on the beach, cycle through the pagoda-dotted countryside and browse the morning markets of 'Samui'. Take your drinks off-island on a sunset cruise through the bay.