Relaxing places in Asia

The little sister to Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan has a name of its own as a world-class diving destination. Wannabe divers flock to Ko Tao to get their PADI open-water certification making Ko Tao one of the most popular and cheapest places to do it in the world. But besides the bubble blowers, tiny Ko Tao also attracts travellers who want to escape the commercialised Samui and party-crazy Ko Pha Ngan. Though Ko Tao has several beaches, most people stay at lovely and long Sairee Beach. A low key mix of bungalows, seaside restaurants, inland town (if you can call a couple of streets a town) and funky bars makes it a fun place to be, diving or not. But as with any other islands in Thailand, you can choose other bays if you are into more secluded beaches and resorts.

Ko Yao Noi is ideally located between Krabi and Phuket but remains a destination that few travel to. Its location offers uninterrupted views of the majestic limestone cliffs of Phang Nga Bay while also being an excellent base to explore nearby islands by kayak or boat without crowds. Life here has remained largely untouched by tourism and people still leave their keys in the ignition without a passing thought. Slow paced and friendly, Ko Yao is also home to an unspoilt coastline of pristine beaches, striking lagoons and scenic rice paddie fields. The island may be small, but it is diverse enough to offer an off the beaten track adventure or secluded beach retreat, all while enjoying the surreal beauty of the bay. A couple of yoga and meditation centres have also cropped up if inner discovery in a tropical setting is what you're after.

Mui Ne is a funny beach town. Not really a town, but rather a long road only separated from the white sandy beach by coconut palms and a single row of resorts. It begins at the fishing village and sprawls for some 10 km. Once it was a hideout for wind- and kitesurfers (apparently it is one of the best spots in Southeast Asia), but these days resorts are fast taking over the beach front. Russian tourism is a big thing here, so don't be surprise to see signs in Cyrillic. That said, Mui Ne is very long and there is space for everyone, so you can easily find a deserted stretch of sand or chilling with the surfers, if stiletto wearing Russian bikini models is not your thing. Beside looking at the kitesurfers (or try to learn it yourself) the only other sights are two huge sand dunes inland, respectively 3 km and 28 km away.