Passing through tall thickets of foliage, and past the lotus pond, within five minutes I had reached an empty, white sand beach. It was 7.36am and already 29°C.
Ficus restaurant at The Sarojin serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (Photo: Philip Koschel)
It was the sort of five-star paradise for which you might expect to pay prices worthy of The White Lotus. Yet in low season (May–September), rates at The Sarojin start at £155 per night – almost a third of the cost in its high season.
The weather fell into a predictable pattern: early sunrise, with dry mornings and downpours between 3pm and 4pm.
The Sarojin’s pool has generously sized day beds (Photo: Supplied)
The real luxury, however, was the attentive hospitality. Khun Kade, the resident operations manager, had award-worthy photos of birds on his phone, all taken in the resort. In one, a garden sunbird – splendid in feathers of yellow, olive green, and iridescent emerald and royal blue – was scooping flesh from a banana with its half-moon beak. Seeing my enthusiasm for these pictures, Khun Kade booked me a hotel garden tour.
The Sarojin Jacuzzi Pool Suite terrace is the most sumptuous room category (Photo: Supplied)
Such kindness was replicated at Amari Bangkok, where I began my trip. I arrived refreshed from a Thai Airways flight on which, stretched out across an empty row, I savoured my best night’s sleep on a plane (and Thai meals).
Rooms at Amari, across the road from a night market, start at around £91 per night. A summer stay at a similarly rated hotel in a European hot spot such as Dubrovnik would be at least £300.
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The American architect and businessman built his home from traditional Thai houses, and lived in it for eight years before his disappearance in 1967.
It set off near the tower of Wat Arun (a focal point for sundowners at bars along the Chao Phraya River). I glided past a two-boat floating market, a mansion from which a metal slide looped into the garden, and monitor lizards lounging in the sun, waving at people sitting at waterside shacks and cafés.
Long-tail boat trips get punters up close to canalside districts (Photo: Getty)To start, grilled broccoli flavoured with kasundi mustard was served with a highball glass of “sambar agave”, a concoction of honey, Assam tea, sambar (spiced buttermilk), lime and honey cardamom cordial, soda and chamomile foam. The crescendo was banana leaves being set alight to reveal garlicky mushrooms.
Amari Bangkok’s pool comes with views of the city’s skyscrappers (Photo: Supplied)
The spas robes were given an airing in the evacuation area when an earthquake with an epicentre in Mandalay, Myanmar, reached Bangkok on 28 March (the hotel was safe).
To help shore up the coastline, The Sarojin plants one mangrove tree for each booking. It’s one experience newly-weds, or those celebrating another milestone, can sample. In the high season, up to 40 per cent of guests are returnees – the hotel, owned by a British-born couple, is popular with visitors from the UK.
Those who need matchmaking with a holiday destination this summer will struggle to find a better-value date than Thailand.
Getting there
The writer was a guest of Thai Airways, Amari Bangkok and The Sarojin. Fly direct from London to Bangkok with Thai Airways. Economy return fares start at £798, thaiairways.com
Staying there
Amari Bangkok has deluxe rooms from £91, room-only. Club Premier Room with Club Siraa benefits from £163, with breakfast, amari.comThe Sarojin has garden residence rooms for two, including breakfast with sparkling wine, from £155 (May–Sept), sarojin.com
More information
tourismthailand.org/homeVisitors must complete a digital arrival card,tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/
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