USP At how many spas can you learn Thai bell-chiming? Kamalaya is not what you’d call a traditional spa but a "wellness sanctuary". In addition to a bit of light pampering it conspires to give time, space and guidance in a non-intrusive way.

AMBIENCE Nestled in a luscious green ravine, overlooking a powdered (and private) white-sand beach and turquoise sea, is a series of stilted wooden huts, lotus flower-studded ponds, honeysuckle bushes, coconut-laden palms and a cave that once housed a Buddhist monk for 20 years (giving the site its sacred status). We were staying in one of the more luxurious villas, but there are plenty of smaller, cheaper alternatives, ranging from pool cottages to single rooms.

EXPERIENCE Kamalaya’s “life-enhancement” programmes promise to boost your energy levels, but nothing's compulsory, the emphasis being on how you feel - and how you might feel better. Your visit begins with a full medical by a nurse and a consultation with a manager - this is where you can offload your woes. Together, you construct a plan about what you want to achieve during your time there and how you might best go about it. Options range from meditation classes to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. There are, of course, massage, manicure and so on, but the emphasis lies not on these but on naturopathy, ayurveda and various other holistic therapies.

FOOD The restaurant and café accommodate a wide variety of dietary preferences, from tantalising salads and raw food dishes to fresh seafood, organic poultry, and specially selected wines and Moon Elixir cocktails. Non alcoholic beer in the minibar fridge.

IN CROWD None of the superstar glamour of Thailand’s most famous spa at Chiva Som – at Kamalaya you are more likely to run into names in the holistic world than those from Hollywood.

WALLET WATCH Essential Escapes (020 7284 3344, www. essentialescapes.com) has seven nights at Kamalaya (www.kamalaya.com) from Pounds 1,105pp, full-board, including British Airways flights from Heathrow to Bangkok, local connecting flights to Ko Samui, private transfers, use of facilities and introductory classes.

NEED TO KNOW Other operators include Cleveland Collection (0845 450 5732; www.clevelandcollection.co.uk) and Wellbeing Escapes (0845 602 6202; www.wellbeing escapes.co.uk)

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