Krabi & Koh Samui: Two Seas, 6 Nights

Krabi's airport is small and close to the coast, so the transfer to Ao Nang is short. The town sits in a bay ringed by limestone towers, with longtail boats lined up on the beach ready for the islands. After check-in, keep the first afternoon light: a swim, a stroll along the seafront promenade and dinner at one of the many restaurants, several of them Indian, that face the sunset.

Inland to the south-east, a naturally warm stream at Klong Thom runs over rock terraces where you can sit in the water. The Emerald Pool nearby is a clear, cool spring in the forest; the Blue Pool is a short walk further, for looking at rather than swimming in. Lunch is included. The day ends at the Tiger Cave temple near Krabi Town, where the shrine and meditation caves are at the bottom and a long staircase of more than twelve hundred steps climbs to the summit Buddha and a wide view. Climbing is optional.

The four-island trip leaves from Ao Nang and never goes far, so even nervous sailors manage it. Phra Nang Cave beach, at the tip of Railay, is backed by overhanging cliffs; Koh Poda has a long white beach for swimming; at Koh Tup a sandbar appears at low tide linking it to the next island; and Chicken Island is recognisable from its outline. Lunch is taken on the islands and snorkelling masks are provided. Back in the afternoon.

Breakfast, then the transfer to Krabi airport for the short flight across the peninsula to Koh Samui, whose open-air terminal is one of the prettiest in Asia. A private transfer takes you to your beach: Chaweng for liveliness, Lamai for a slightly slower pace, or the north coast for calm water. The rest of the day is free. When flights do not suit, the crossing can also be made by road and ferry, which takes most of the day.

An archipelago of forty-odd steep, forested islands north-west of Samui, protected as a national park. The key stop is Koh Mae Koh, where a steep path with steps leads up to a viewpoint over Thale Nai, a saltwater lake enclosed within the island and fed by the sea through underground channels. Other stops allow for kayaking along the cliffs, snorkelling and time on a quiet beach. Lunch is served on one of the islands. The park fee is paid on the day.

A half-day loop of Samui. The Big Buddha sits on a small islet joined to the north-east coast by a causeway, and Wat Plai Laem close by has a striking white Guanyin with eighteen arms standing over a lake. On the east coast, Lad Koh viewpoint looks over the bays between Chaweng and Lamai, and at Lamai the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks draw giggles for their shapes. Inland, Na Muang waterfall tumbles over purple rock. The afternoon is free for the beach.

Breakfast and checkout. Samui's airport is small and the drive from most beaches is short, so this morning can include a last swim before leaving. Onward international connections usually route via Bangkok; we plan the timings so the domestic leg leaves comfortably ahead of your flight home, and will suggest an extra Bangkok night if the connection is too tight.