Thailand’s island getaways: wildlife, wellbeing and wonderful food

Behind me lies a lake of lotus – an emerald field of lily pads that begrudgingly part for a small wooden boat captained by a young boy. One of its great pink floating flowers has made its way from the water onto the table in front of me, in the most beautiful meal I’ve ever beheld. Two ample plates hold a veritable rainbow of fresh, crisp, culinary mysteries in colours that seem far from natural.

Yet the majority of it has been grown and picked here at The Nature cafe’s garden on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The cafe’s signature miang-bua sharing platter holds a whole lotus, whose magenta petals are plucked off and wrapped around a mix of roasted coconut, cashew, shrimp, shallots, ginger, lime, palate-pounding chilli, taling bling fruit and sweet nam miang sauce. Every mouthful zings with bright, brilliant flavour.

To its side is khao-yum, a dish full of flowers, betel leaves, beans, nam bu du fish sauce and vibrant blue butterfly pea rice that has everyone under the age of 40 itching to Instagram it. The most impressive part is that, for once, the food actually tastes as good as it looks.

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Secreted away down a jungled path, The Nature is just one of Koh Samui’s hidden culinary highlights. Once known for its gaudy bars and beaches full of backpackers, the infamous island off southern Thailand’s east coast is growing a new reputation for secluded resorts and organically-minded brunch spots.

A short 14-minute drive south from The Nature, high in the hills above Chaweng Beach, is another secret Samui standout. The Jungle Club’s bar overlooks the entirety of the island’s northeast – a scene of jungle green and sea blue that spills down the hillside and pools into the town. Its wide wooden terrace is an open trove of lantern-lined trees, pumpkin-coloured bean bags and excellent cocktails. The watermelon margarita, an icy concoction that goes some way to alleviate the afternoon humidity, makes a perfect accompaniment to the incomparable panorama spread out below.

Thailand’s original beach destination

Both are a far cry from the Koh Samui of old: a spate of packed pubs and burger joints that didn’t make for much of a culinary destination. Those coming to Thailand for its food scene were better off elsewhere, but organic cafes, sustainable restaurants and cooking classes are cropping up across the island.

Centara Reserve Samui, despite being a shiny, sprawling resort, offers lessons in traditional south Thai dishes that begin in its garden. We start out by picking local herbs like kaffir lime and Thai basil before taking them back to Sa-Nga restaurant, where the chef shows us step-by-step how to make the most of them. It isn’t just reciting a recipe; she offers up home-grown tips and insights, letting us in on where to buy the best coconut milk or which panang curry paste brand to stock up on before we fly home.

Outside its growing food scene, Koh Samui remains Thailand’s original beach destination, with long lengths of sublime palm-shaded sands, great snorkelling straight off shore and plentiful accessible temples. Such bounties inevitably bring tourists in their droves, which makes for a buzzing restaurant and bar scene, but isn’t everyone’s cup of Thai milk tea. For a quieter, wilder side of Thai island life, the short flight south to Krabi lands within driving range of gorgeous Koh Lanta.

Electric blue coves

Entirely overshadowed by its infamous neighbour Phuket, Koh Lanta’s two islands are a serene destination of local life and verdant jungle on Thailand’s southern coast. Walking Lanta Old Town’s narrow street edged by a hodgepodge of dark wooden shops and restaurants, I pass not one but two troupes of local women practicing dance moves to the tinny jangle of radio. Cats amble in and out of whatever open house they choose while shopkeepers sit outside waiting for passing conversation. Occasionally, the neighbourhood’s humid hush is broken by the odd moped puttering through.

It’s delightfully relaxed, a place to sit back and let the day roll over you in lazy lunches, nose in a book or eyes out to sea. Restaurants like Shine Talay back out onto the water, offering unparalleled views for those tucking in to its meaty pink prawns, fiery curries and fresh grilled fish. This harbour is where boat trips to nearby attractions and island destinations like Koh Talabeng depart. Talabeng is a popular morning trip, with boats driving between its soaring cliff-sides and stacks before letting guests explore a hidden beach, warm waters and a bat-bedecked cave.

Snorkelling is best left to Koh Lanta’s southwestern side. Off the coast of Pimalai Resort & Spa’s Kantiang Bay lay Koh Haa’s five paradise islands, jutting towers that erupt from the sea to create electric blue coves that are kept well-hidden from outside eyes. The reefs here are shallow, rich and easy to explore, with the likes of turtles, nudibranchs, lobsters and the occasional underwater cave. Even further south, the remote Koh Rok offers up unfathomably clear seas with brilliant visibility across fish-filled corals. Better still, its white beaches are littered with lazing monitor lizards.

Extraordinary greenery

Despite its ready access to Rok and Haa’s soft sandy shores, Koh Lanta isn’t known for its beaches. The sea takes second place to the island’s interior, which is blanketed in broad swathes of jungle. Each summer Koh Lanta falls foul of monsoons; rainy season floods its fertile ground, turning roads into rivers before pouring to the sea. The result is that for the rest of the year the island is lush, flush with extraordinary greenery split asunder by waterfalls. One of Lanta’s short but rewarding walks is to Khlong Chak waterfall in the south, the path gently wending its way into the hills past milky green reservoirs, trundling rivers and an elephant sanctuary.

Where Koh Lanta Yai’s north meets Koh Lanta Noi’s south, jungle gives way to mangroves. A rich habitat and vital ecosystem, Tung Yee Peng mangrove prevents erosion, provides a home for a wealth of wildlife and makes for a blissful day trip on either kayak or long-tail boat tours. The lapping olive waters form a prime breeding ground for both shark and dolphin young, while the trees’ root systems house fish, shellfish, and crustaceans that scuttle and forage on the thin muddy banks.

The grand, glowing city

After endless days of sinking feet into sun-baked sands and soaking up nature, rejoining the real world is a tough wake-up call, but there’s no better place to do it than Bangkok. Thailand’s pulsing, teeming capital is a smorgasbord of eclectic restaurants, sky-skimming bars and densely-packed culture.

Architectural and art wonders like Jim Thompson House are just a five-minute walk from some of the city’s best drinking spots, while the glorious Wat Arun palace is a short hop across the Chao Phraya river from a glut of great restaurants.

With a handy metro and swift SkyTrain links, the whole city is on your doorstep – quite literally when staying at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld. The hotel’s infamous Red Sky Bar shoots into the Bangkok cloud with a great illuminated arc, revealing the best view in the capital. Multiple bars terrace up to its roof, with little alcoves to keep drinks and dresses safe from the 57th floor winds. It's impossible to pull away from the dramatic panorama for long though. With a chocolatey cocktail from COCOA XO in hand, its worth braving the breeze to stand atop Thailand’s grand, glowing city – already a world away from drizzled jungles and delicious plates of vivid pink petals.

Jo Davey was a guest of Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Pimalai Resort & Spa on Koh Lanta, and Centara Reserve Samui on Koh Samui.