Zazen Boutique Resort Spa

Stylish bungalows, warm seas, a heavenly spa and delicious food: this 26-room resort is a mecca for rest'n'romance

The beach is very narrow, but that seems to be the only downside of Zazen Boutique Resort Spa on the north coast of Koh Samui. Sitting at one end of Bo Phut, it’s a quiet and intimate place to escape with a partner, and it prides itself on its restorative qualities ('zazen' is a meditative pose). There’s a spa with a very long treatment list, a romantic restaurant serving fusion cuisine, and you can idle away the days supping cocktails on the sand. But that’s just the start.

The 26 bungalows are gloriously decadent with enormous beds, Moroccan-style lounges and open-air bathrooms. Scattered through exotic gardens and coconut groves, their terracotta walls blend with the bird of paradise flowers, and the Garden Villas' glass doors give onto private terraces. Active types can go diving and snorkelling, ride on an elephant, swing through the rainforest canopy or sail out into the blue for deep-sea fishing. So if you’re wound up, wiped out or in need of something wonderful, treat yourself to a week here.

Highs

• Really easy to get to; just 15km from Koh Samui airport, and a 5-minute taxi ride (or 15-minute beach walk) from Fisherman’s Village
• Excellent service: staff get to know you by name, chilled face towels are handed out on the beach, and the famous Thai smiles are abundant and genuine
• Luxuriously furnished suites with all mod cons, from iPod stations to lovely silk dressing gowns
• Award-winning restaurant serving exotic Thai fare alongside fine French cuisine - probably the island's best dining
• The spa treatments are superb - our Thai massage was the best of a dozen we tested in southern Thailand

Lows

• The beach is pretty tiny, as you will have gathered (sunloungers are limited), and the sea water can get murky
• The Deluxe Bungalows are only a few metres from each other - go for a Garden Villa if you can
• Food and spa treatments aren't cheap, but they're heavenly
• There are quite a few hawkers - a common problem in Thailand - and likewise mozzies (no nets, though repellents are provided)
• Bo Phut is fairly developed, but Zazen is at the quiet end of the beach