Zeavola

Mr & Mrs Smith have a trip to this Krabi boutique hotel in the diary, and just as soon as they're back from their travels in the East, a full account of their stay in Thailand will be with you… Meanwhile, just to get you in the mood, here's a taster of this beachfront island village on Phi Phi Don:

After an hour’s bracing speedboat ride across the Andaman from Phuket, you arrive on the shores of Phi Phi Don, the larger of Thailand’s two Phi Phi islands. Its staggering natural beauty been known around the world since Leo DiCaprio first pitched up on The Beach. The lush forests, unspoilt white shores and sublime limestone cliffs of the islands not only make impressive holiday snaps, they also provide a beautiful natural setting for Phi Phi’s only boutique hotel, Zeavola. Taking rural Thailand as its theme, the hotel encompasses 52 villa huts and other wooden buildings, lending it the homegrown looks of a traditional southern Thai village. It may only have been built in the post-tsunami regeneration of 2005, but every care has been taken to keep the trappings of modernity as inconspicuous as possible. Remote controls for lights and air-con are ingeniously tucked into an old-world jewellery box – even the bathroom cotton buds are hidden in antique tins. It’s easy to forget what century you’re in and mentally slip into a cosseted tropical yesteryear – particularly when you see the housekeeping staff carrying their materials in woven baskets swinging from bamboo rods.

Simple, rustic and enchanting, Zeavola manages to be luxurious without being showy. Its understated charm and refreshingly down-to-earth approach make it a perfect tropical hideaway for adventurous honeymooners or couples seeking sensual seclusion.