This was published 14 years ago
After The Beach: swimming with Leo
Play places ... Six Senses Hideaway.
It is one of those rare films that you remember as much for the location as for the star - and that's saying something given the leading man was Leonardo DiCaprio. Set on the coast of Thailand, - based on the best-selling book of the same name by Alex Garland - told the tale of travellers' tireless quest for an untouched beach idyll. It also demonstrated how swiftly we can ruin what we find.
Thailand was an ideal location for the story because of its natural beauty but also because the country has a long list of lost paradises. Mass tourism has created hubs of tat and sleaze on once-perfect beaches such as Chaweng (an island hop from where Garland set his book) and Koh Phi Phi (where the film was shot). Locals tell me they're glad for the income tourism has brought but regret the arrival of strip joints, drug-fuelled beach parties and sex tourism, which has damaged their conservative, mostly Buddhist culture. The environment has suffered, too, with murky waters, litter-strewn beaches and stagnant drains.
Yet in spite of the unrestricted development and crowds, there are Thai seascapes burnt in my memory for their singular drama: the karstic hills around Krabi, Phuket's sheer cliffs down to sandy coves, the limestone islands rising up from Phang Nga Bay. North towards Burma are some of Thailand's finest reefs, offering first-class diving. Remote islands close to Cambodia retain a traditional rural way of life. And down in the south, along the skinny isthmus connecting the country to Malaysia, are the whitest of sands, with no hotels in sight.
We might dream of a beach without footprints but teleport us there and we would drop that idea as quickly as our clothes. The first hour would be bliss but then we might have a hankering for a long cool drink and the clinking of ice cubes. There would be hunger pangs for a crisp crab salad or grilled squid with lime juice, while we slapped sandflies biting our ankles. After a dip in the sea, it would feel good to rinse under a freshwater shower and dry off with a clean fluffy towel. Then just as we would settle down to watch the sunset (no cocktail in hand), we might be greeted by a cloud of mosquitoes.
Few of us want a desert island experience. We like our paradises with pest control and pampering. But what has changed in the past decade is that fewer of us want to holiday at the expense of the environment or local culture. In fact, we hope our visit and money might support surrounding communities. Cynics will say we are trying to relieve a guilty conscience in a part of the world where the monthly wage is probably less than the price of a massage. Others will add that we are already harming the planet just by flying to far-flung holiday destinations. The latter is certainly true. Nevertheless, holidaymakers have the facts now and are increasingly able to make informed choices - about which kind of hotels we book and about whether to reuse towels and to eat more locally. Increasingly, the environmental and ethical credentials of our holidays matter. There is no joy in a trip if it ruins paradise in the process. There are too few left.
Hua Hin
Since the Thai royal family started coming here 100 years ago, Thailand's original beach destination has been the smart weekend getaway for Bangkok's so-called Hi-so (high society). At first glance it may seem ordinary but the big draw is convenience; it is just a couple of hours' drive from the capital.
Mediocre and a dip in the sea is uninviting but at low tide the beach stretches out to allow for a long walk. There is also plenty of local colour. At dawn (low tide only), Buddhist monks walk along the sand to their temple and locals come to give alms (spoonfuls of rice). At the end of the day, boys play football, children dig for shellfish and families bathe fully clothed.
Some of Thailand's best hotels are here, including Chiva-Som, the world's No. 1 destination spa. It offers workouts on the beach, including power-walking, running and biking. Yoga sessions take place in a beachside pavilion facing sunrise.
Anyone wanting a quick jaunt from Bangkok (although Chiva-Som recommends at least a week for a spa break).
Ao Phang Nga
This sheltered sweep of coast between Phuket and the Krabi mainland is an unearthly collection of sculptured karstic islands. Used as a location for scenes in The Man with the Golden Gun (one outcrop is even named James Bond Island), this is about as beautiful as it gets.
Great views but the beaches are not outstanding. Occasionally between the limestone fingers is a tiny sliver of sand (but no facilities). It is best to explore the bay by canoe.
Six Senses Hideaway, on the peaceful island of Yao Noi, has some of the best views anywhere in Thailand, especially from the blow-the-budget "hill reserve" villa. There is no communal pool, so many choose to hang out at the beach (which is average but offers glorious views) or hide away in their private villas (request one that is sea-facing).
Early birds - the sunrises are quite spectacular.
Krabi
An international airport near Krabi town makes this another easy-to-reach destination and there are wonderful views on touchdown even from the terminal. The coastline varies wildly from unexceptional Ao Nang to the striking cliffs around Railay Peninsula.
Except for the gorgeous beaches at Railay, the rest are mostly rocky and suffer extreme tides but the views are sensational (looking at the same island cluster as the Six Senses Hideaway but from the opposite direction).
The new Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay (see story, right) is a luxurious resort with expansive villas, 24-hour butler service and the biggest bed I have ever slept in. The hotel makes up for its poor beach (beside an unsightly dredging complex) with a vast infinity pool and swish sun-loungers.
Honeymooners, who can gaze at one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world and get romantic.
Koh Lanta
This majority-Muslim island has retained its laid-back culture and local traditions and has the best beaches I found on this trip. Hotels dot the coastline with views out to distant Koh Phi Phi, where The Beach was filmed (unfortunately, the tiny archipelago should be avoided now, even for day trips; it is ruined).
Koh Lanta has long golden sands with lapping waves and aquarium-clear waters. Local laws bar motorised sports (jet skis, for example) so the region feels serenely peaceful. Watch the sun set behind Ko Haa, a clutch of karstic islands on the horizon.
The Pimalai is a fantastic family friendly resort spread over 40 hectares with accommodation from snug rooms to spacious pool villas. The property has almost a kilometre of beachfront land, which keeps it tranquil. There is an excellent dive centre which offers offshore trips where manta rays and whale sharks may be spotted.
The waters are safe, warm and child-friendly but absolutely everybody will love this island's beaches.
Koh Kood
Out on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand, close to the border with Cambodia, Koh Kood, the country's fourth-biggest island, is thinly populated and barely developed for tourism. Delightfully, the forested terrain retains a sense of the rural and antiquated.
The coastline can be rocky, scrub-like and lined with mangroves but it is also dotted with unspoilt beaches. However, be warned: in undeveloped areas, there may be sandflies and mosquitoes.
The luxurious Soneva Kiri, with its outsized and outstanding villas, an outdoor cinema screen and vast children's play den, has just opened on the north-western tip of the island. Disappointingly, only the beach villas have direct access to the sea (which other guests cannot share) but come Easter the resort will open up nearby South Beach, an easy drive by golf buggy.
Anyone seeking something new and off the beaten track. Not good for snorkelling or diving, though; sadly, the area has been overfished.
Koh Samui
This is the island we landed on 20 years ago in search of Garland's idyllic beach (it was close by, at Koh Phangan, that he set his novel). Samui has clung to its charms in spite of overdevelopment and, although backpackers still make a beeline for the island, it is perfectly appropriate for grown-ups, too.
One of the few places in the Gulf of Thailand where you can view the quintessential karstic scenery (generally found on the Andaman Sea side). Beaches range from very busy - Chaweng - to the pretty and palm-fringed.
Langham Place has just opened on low-key Lamai Beach and has a fantastic 200-metre pontoon pier spearing out to sea with spurs of floating day beds. At the swish pool it is all very South Miami, with a DJ at the bar, a poolside cinema screen playing cult flicks and cute staff offering to clean your shades.
Flashpackers and anyone in search of a dash of nostalgia (nowadays, as well as full-moon parties, there are half-moon parties and new-moon parties).
Phuket
"The Pearl of the Andaman", Thailand's largest island has become so upmarket it has been picked up by the Luxe Guide group, which touts the "lush new developments ... popping up like polka dots on a teeny-weeny". Of course, there is a seedy side (5 million tourists come here each year) but the island is increasingly about fancy hotels, private villas, golf courses and award-winning spas. It is easy to reach, served by direct international charter flights.
The beaches here run the gamut from horrific Patong to perfectly formed coves. The west coast has the best beaches but it faces the open sea, giving rise to big rollers during the wet season (May to November). The more protected east has a longer season. Be warned: some cliffside hotels need to shuttle guests by car to reach the nearest beach.
If you can, Aman. The first Aman resort and flagship of the chain, Amanpuri snaffled one of the island's best beaches, Pansea, which it shares with its sister hotel, the Chedi. Snorkel along the right-hand side of the beach and swim to the pontoon for sunset. The downside is jet skis from neighbouring resorts buzzing about the bay.
Anyone who can afford to stay here.
Thai Airways flies to Thailand non-stop from Sydney and Melbourne for about $1070 while Jetstar charges about $770. Fares are low-season return from Melbourne and Sydney, including tax.
- Telegraph, London
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