Pimalai Resort & Spa

Ba Kantiang Beach runs for 900 metres along Koh Lanta's west coast, and Pimalai holds the whole stretch, with 100 acres of forest climbing behind it toward a ridge. The resort's 121 rooms, suites, and villas scatter across that ground rather than stack into a single block. Hillside Ocean View Pool Villas sit 60 to 80 metres above the water, each with its own infinity-edge pool and sundeck looking down the Andaman Sea. Beachside Villas, with two or three bedrooms, keep their own plunge pools closer to the sand and suit a group travelling together. Rooms carry teak floors and rattan-trimmed interiors, a nod to the island's building traditions rather than an import. A jetty serves dive boats and speedboats out to Koh Haa and Koh Rok, both an hour or so away, where limestone cliffs rise straight out of clear water. Closer in, the beach hut issues kayaks, paddleboards, and sailboats at no charge, and a five-star PADI centre runs from the resort's own jetty. The spa sits apart in a patch of forest, built around a running stream, with three free classes a week teaching traditional massage technique. Five restaurants cover the range from beachfront seafood grills to a fine-dining room with sea views. Check-in runs from 2pm.