HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS KOH SAMUI DESTINATIONS
RIGHT: The Art of Muay Thai
FAR RIGHT: Aerial view of the resort
SAMPLE PRODUCT
A one-bedroom suite with balcony at The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui, including breakfast at Shook!, starts at £238 per night. An Ocean View Pool Villa is
from £864 per night, including breakfast.
ritzcarlton.com A pass with
Plaza Premium Lounges, which operates at Heathrow terminals two, three, four and five, starts at £40 for two
hours, including alcoholic drinks, food and shower facilities.
plaza-network. com
w SPA OR SPAR If that’s not the kind of kick you’re after, sign up for a session in the outdoor muay thai arena, where an expert in this traditional martial art teaches guests a few tricks. There’s no need to be a champion
kickboxer – it’s purely for fun and fitness – but the chance to don a pair of boxing gloves and get in the ring with a pro shouldn’t be missed. Despite starting off as nervous novices, in less than an hour we were sparring and doing high kicks we didn’t think ourselves capable of before the lesson began. The Art of Muay Thai starts at £57. To ease tired muscles after all that
exertion, head to the Spa Village, where eight treatment rooms, a cluster of massage huts and a yoga pavilion surround a pool open only to spa-goers. Treatments draw on local
ingredients, from coconut scrubs – this is the ‘coconut island’, after all – to Songkran showers, but my tok sen massage took things a step further. This ancient practice, hailing from northern Thailand, involves rhythmic tapping all over the body using a wooden mallet – and despite being sceptical at first, it was surprisingly hypnotic. The two- hour treatment costs £125.
w SEA LIFE For relaxation, though, few things
My tok sen massage, which involves rhythmic tapping all over the body using a wooden mallet, was surprisingly hypnotic
beat skimming the waves in The Ritz- Carlton speedboat to neighbouring Koh Phangan for a spot of snorkelling and chill-out time on the beach. We set off with Captain Bo at the helm, and the rugged scenery of Koh Samui soon retreated into the distance
as we passed palm tree-lined beaches and rocky islets blanketed with thick forest, before pulling up at a reef just offshore for snorkelling – just watch out for the tiny jellyfish! For a gentler introduction to
snorkelling, there’s the hotel’s man- made reef, a conservation project for ‘rescue’ fish endemic to Thai waters. With vibrant emperor angelfish, Nemo- like clownfish and striped sergeant majors to watch out for, and the chance to hold a sticky sea cucumber – bound to be a hit with kids – it’s more enlightening than artificial, and a fun way to bring some of the area’s natural beauty inside the hotel. The Swim Reef Snorkelling Experience starts at £11.
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