Koh Kood

Out in the far east of the Gulf of Thailand, almost within sight of Cambodia, Koh Kood is the big island that development forgot. There are no traffic lights, no clubs, no crowds — just jungle spilling down to powder-white beaches and water so clear the longtail boats seem to float on air. The rhythm is simple: swim off Klong Chao or Ao Phrao, ride a motorbike to a hidden bay, kayak up a mangrove river to the Klong Chao waterfall, eat fresh seafood at a stilted village on the east coast. Accommodation runs the full span, from bamboo river bungalows to the legendary eco-luxury of Soneva Kiri, but the mood everywhere is barefoot and unhurried. Many places still close in the rainy months, so the island stays deliberately small. Come in the dry season, rent a scooter, and let one of Thailand's last unspoiled islands slow you all the way down.

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