Golden Buddha Beach Resort

Back-to-nature island hideaway with lovely wooden houses, rainforests, snorkelling and endless beaches

If you’re in Thailand looking for utter peace and seclusion in an unspoiled natural environment, this is the place to go. Golden Buddha Beach Resort is the perfect antidote to the high-density tourism and rampant development found on nearby islands like Phuket and Krabi. With sixteen kilometres of empty golden beaches and not a jet ski in sight, the island, although large, is totally undeveloped - when you arrive no buildings are visible. Take an early morning walk along the beach, or swim in a sea turned gold by the sunset, and the place is all yours. Go canoeing along a tidal river, diving in pristine water, or snorkelling in the bath-warm lagoon, and you'll have just hornbills, sea eagles and – if you’re lucky – sea turtles for company.

Practice yoga in an open-air pavilion under the coconut palms; blissful Thai massages are on offer in the comfort of your own house or on a shady platform next to the sea. Staying on the island is as close as you can come to having your own tropical hideaway in paradise, without having to cater for yourself.

Highs

• No better start to the day than a swim on a deserted beach, followed by a gentle massage and healthy breakfast of fresh fruits and exotic juices
• Spacious, comfortable and well-designed wooden houses positioned widely enough among the coastal woods to feel very private
• This is the only resort on the island
• Fabulous diving, this is the closest landfall to the stunning Surin Islands and world famous Richelieu rock
• This is genuine low-impact tourism. There are no cars on the island and the only “road” is a sandy track - so leave your shoes behind and live in flip-flops

Lows

• This is nature, so be prepared for some of its more anti-social inhabitants. Black flies can be problem if the weather is unnaturally still (usually there is a pleasant breeze). Geckoes are everywhere, and snakes are not unknown. On our most recent visit several tree frogs moved in with us and stayed for the duration
• It is a good idea to keep your toiletries hidden in a cupboard, as the local monkeys have a habit of dropping into the open-air bathrooms and nicking the soap
• Don’t expect laid-on entertainment, or much in the way of mod-cons. Most people head to bed soon after dinner, especially as the generator goes off at 11pm