Like many stressed out executives, we went in search of good places to chill out in Thailand. Our visit was kick-started with a friend's wedding on the Beach at Pranburi, Hua Hin where we stayed at the laid back Aleenta Resort. This was friendly but quite expensive and the service could only be described as slack - ordering a club sandwich required persistence - as it took over an hour to arrive at the room. The resort and Pranburi in general lacked the 'wow' factor for us. The beach has recently been reconfigured by a new lagoon that has mysteriously appeared due to coastal repair works further down the beach, redirecting the flow of the water. Pranburi village is still fairly unspoilt and undeveloped. It's where the royal family have a summer home on the coast. Go there before the developers move in and the tattoo parlours open up.

In Phuket, which is one big traffic jam these days, we stayed in The Shore, a resort with an amazing view that could definitely be said to have the 'wow' factor. Perched on the side of the cliffs at Katathani, each villa has its own private pool where you can swim naked without any intrusion from the prying eyes of the neighbours. The site is a steep climb up steps from the chic restaurant at the beach-side, or you can take a buggy to your villa but the way the drivers weave around the tiny alleys, tends to feel like being on a switchback ride. The staff had trouble bringing breakfast up to the room that was still hot, as a result. A strange wiring system in the villa was an annoying factor - if you open the door, the aircon cuts out but so does the hot water. If, like us, you turn off the aircon at night, there's no hot water in the morning. Expensive, but a place where you can sit and stare at the waves below without worrying about a tsunami.

Clambered onto a packed ferry with a load of backpackers and sailed across the Andaman sea to Koh Phi Phi where we stayed in the Paradise Pearl Bungalows, right on Long Beach, which is the best beach on the island. Unpretentious and inexpensive, the friendly, happy staff made us feel right at home. This was definitely a major chill out zone, not least because the wi-fi was so poor we had to give up on our electronic devices; Gee took to wearing only a sarong and I floated about in a kaftan - we really didn't need to worry about appearances. The day's highlight was being pummelled in the spa by the expert masseuses - Thai women who work there all year round, only visiting their families one month a year. For a change, the massage here was reasonably priced and not ten times the going rate. The natural beauty of the island, where they made the film of 'The Beach' by Alex Garland, is seductive; the ring of mountains rising up from the sea like angels' wings, framing the bay, gives a sense of being protected within a magic circle.

Following in the footsteps of our daughter Fee's gap year travels, we set off for Krabi. Wedged into a tiny space on the side gangway of the ferry, with our legs dangling over to be sprayed by the waves, we got chatting to the backpackers on their way back to Krabi and were told to visit Railay Beach. Made the mistake of going into Krabi Town first where a taxi driver dumped us outside the one and only City Hotel; unwilling to stay for even one night, we took another taxi to Ao Nang, a seaside resort about half an hour away where we stayed in a pretty standard 3-storey hotel, with pools, restaurants, spa and a good wi-fi connection. Staff were helpful and courteous, the place was well-organised, but it didn't have the magic of Koh Phi Phi, so we set off on a long tail boat the next morning in search of Railay Beach.

It was a scenic trip round the tip of the Phra Nang peninsula to reach the secret cove that is Railay Beach. I'd booked us into the most expensive resort online, and managed to get a 35% discount at the luxury Rayavadee. The reason soon became clear - they were renovating many of the bungalows - and as one French tourist I spoke to there said: 'Il y a un air abandonne' - meaning that it felt a bit neglected. However, the location did not disappoint as Railay Beach is situated on a spectacular peninsular that is only accessible by boat. With tall limestone cliffs rising up all around - a challenge for those supple enough to climb them - the area is cut off from its hinterland by steep mountains and impenetrable jungle. It definitely has the 'wow' factor in bucketloads as it seems like another world, another era almost, where there are no roads, no cars, no motorbikes, just a few long tail boats or speedboats ferrying people back and forth across the sea. 

The beaches offer glorious soft white sand, pristine, with tiny crabs that pop up when the tide retreats. There are four beaches, one with a cave dedicated to the fertility goddess, where local fishermen leave large phallic shaped offerings. Also, for those willing to make the strenuous climb to the top of the cliffs for a viewpoint, a strange lagoon. You can stay in cheap rooms, bungalows or more expensive resorts. Our little cottage in the charming grounds of Rayavadee, was frequented by squirrels and monkeys, dancing across the roof in the evenings. 

Rayavadee stretches across one end of the peninsula with beaches on three sides and it's on level ground. Too tired to walk in the heat? There were buggies to take you around the resort to the restaurants, pool, spa, activity centre or gym. 

We stayed there an extra day as the beautiful tropical gardens were relaxing to stroll around and the resort was fairly empty of people. Then, re-energised, it was time to pack up and move out, hop on the resort speedboat back to Krabi and fly south to Singapore on Tiger Airlines (delayed inevitably) and the familiar buzz of Asian ascendancy.