Mr & Mrs Smith

Explore the island on foot, by bike or ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) – either led by a guide or alone. Batok Bay, in front of the resort, offers fantastic snorkelling and is a popular spot for day trippers from Phuket. If you want more isolation, Siam Beach is a five- to 10-minute walk over a small hill. There are also first-rate dive sites close by, and the Racha has its own five-star Racha dive centre (with instruction pool) where you can arrange diving courses and individual trips. The resort's Anumba Spa has nine treatment rooms, including four designed for couples. Each has its own plunge tub, steam/shower room and outdoor rain shower. Four open-air massage pavilions are scattered among the lush gardens. A wide range of treatments – from massage to body wraps and pedicures – is available, and private yoga classes can be booked.

If you fancy more action mountain bikes are available for guests; on the beach try your hand at kayaking or volleyball; boats can be chartered for fishing or island adventures; have a game of tennis or basketball on the flood-lit courts; or make like a local with either Thai cooking classes or Muay Thai (Thai boxing) lessons. You can also take the scheduled boat to Phuket and explore the mainland.

There’s a Thai restaurant at the opposite end of the beach to the Racha, and a local place called Raya Father close by. Neither has an official address, so ask resort staff for directions. If your flight arrives in Phuket after 3.30pm in the afternoon, you will have to overnight in either Phuket town or Chalong. In the former, Siam Indigo (8 Phang Nga Road; +66 (0)76 256 697) serves Thai fusion in a charming historic building; in Chalong, Kan Eang@Pier (44/1 Viset Road; +66 (0)76 381 212) whips up seafood and Thai fare overlooking the bay.

December The Racha hosts a special Christmas dinner every year, as well as celebrations to ring in another year. On New Year’s Eve the sky will be set alight with fireworks and floating Thai lanterns. Both 31 December and 1 January are public holidays.