Racha Island Resort

The rooms at Racha Island Resort offer sea, pool, garden or mountain views depending on the type, and every room has wireless internet access. Several rooms have a whirlpool bathtub, and the bathrooms come with bathrobes, toiletries and towels. Rooms can also have air conditioning, a desk, an in-room safe box, a coffee/tea maker and a refrigerator, and some have a balcony or terrace.

Beds are king or double beds, and some rooms offer a choice of bed set-ups, with the arrangement depending on the room. The line-up includes suites and a pool villa, and every room sleeps up to three guests.

The resort has outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a fitness centre, a spa with sauna and massage, and its own private beach. Tours, snorkelling, diving, canoeing, fishing and boating can be arranged, and a shuttle service and an airport transfer are also available.

Younger guests have a kids club, a playground and a children's swimming pool. Restaurants include a coffee shop, a poolside bar, a snack bar and room service, and barbecue facilities are available. Free parking is on site, and Wi-Fi is also available in public areas. Dining also includes halal and kosher restaurants, a happy hour and a shared kitchen, and the resort has a garden, a terrace, an elevator and laundry service.

Racha Island is a small island off the coast of Phuket, reached by boat rather than by road. Its beaches and bays sit along the shore, and the island stands apart from the busy beach towns of the main island such as Patong. With no roads on the island, the resort's beach and pools are the main focus of a stay, and the quiet, low-key atmosphere is part of the appeal, away from the nightlife of Patong.

Pa Tok Beach is 300 m from the resort, and Ao Siam and the Ko Racha Yai viewpoint are also a few hundred metres away. Phuket International Airport is 56.2 km away on the main island, and the boat crossing starts at Chalong Pier on Phuket, which is the usual way to reach the island from the airport.

A day here can be split between the water and the resort, with snorkelling, diving and canoeing arranged through the resort and the pools, the spa and the massage on site. Walks to the viewpoints give a view over the sea and the surrounding islands, and the boat times can change with the weather and sea conditions, so it is worth allowing time for the crossing.