One of the must do things in Koh Samui, is to walk along Chawang Beach. You will find street vendors of every kind along this 1.5km stretch of shops and beachfront. For as many street vendors we saw, there was an equal amount of genuine quality shops to browse through. There is no shortage of optic shops by the way. We never quite worked this out, but both Phuket and Koh Samui had sunglass shops galore.

Just as the kitchen here is big on garden-fresh produce, the luxury resorts are really strong on WELLNESS CLASSES. They offer Sunrise Yoga (including a lesser known form, Tibetan yoga), tai chi and pilates. Here, everything is al fresco. The excellent SPA has very special outdoor treatment rooms or ‘salas’ with water views and cotton curtains that wave in the breeze so you are still part of the atmosphere.

Sheira and zoe experienced a unique chocolate body scrub in a private sala. Zoe loved this!

Of course Koh Samui island is an island aquatic playground as well. There is lots of boating and the onsite, all-inclusive Watersports Centre can help you explore the whole underwater world of ANGTHONG NATIONAL MARINE PARK.

To explore the local bays, the hotel arranged for 2 jet-skis’s to be brought to the beach below the property. We took turns zooming around the waterways of our hotel.

Having done the run, I can tell you there are some great jungle hikes for walkers. And if you want to travel further afield, you can work on your karma and your culture and visit the giant GOLDEN BUDDAH that you can see from the air on arrival.

Join Jonathan Said and his family on their luxury travel journeys as they share their best restaurants experiences and luxury hotels and resorts holidays around the world. The comprehensive travel tips and ideas include some of the most popular things to see and do at each destination including a local shopping guide, photos, video, music and much more.