By Roy Watts

As the Rand suffers abuse from her ugly sisters, the Euro, the US$, and the British Pound, holidays in the First World are becoming survival exercises that stretch ingenuity. This leaves the quest for affordable vacations in the realm of the Third World, and this is where the Thai Baht rises to the occasion.

Thailand is truly one of the great resort destinations of the world. The Buddhist ethos of peace and goodwill has filtered through to a charming populace, the cost of living is lower than ours, and the weather is superb for most of the year. Of great significance is the fact that their low season coincides with the worst of our winter, so bargain tariffs are the order of the day. Be warned however, that it will be hot and steamy with brief but regular showers prevailing in these times. I was lucky enough to be included in a walkabout amongst the fabulous islands in the south.

The airport at Koh Samui resembles a country club. In keeping with this spirit, a fleet of vehicles resembling stretched out golf carts transports visitors to the main building set in a lovely garden. All of this boded well for our expectations, and created an atmosphere personifying this beautiful island.

Koh Samui was our first stop and we stayed at the 5 star Melati Lodge which is a glorious blend of Southern Thai architecture and truly magnificent tropical landscaping. Fronting onto the golden beach is a spectacular pool, which laps onto the edge of an impressively equipped spa on one side, and a convivial bar and open air restaurant on the other. Loaded with facilities that can be summonsed at www.melatiresort.com it was our first brush with the reality of the extremely low tariffs that prevail in Thailand’s low season.

Restaurants are also cheap, and it is amazing how far you can travel in a taxi for the Baht equivalent of R40. But this is a nation of two wheelers, and I quickly tumbled to the joys of puttering around on one of the hundreds of 125cc motor cycles available for daily hire at less than the price of a pair of cinema tickets. There are lots of things to see and do on Koh Samui with its wonderful beaches, superb eateries and interesting topography – all of which flashed by as I relished the freedom of my Honda as I sprinted along a ribbon of road around the circumference of the island. On the way we diverted on to rural side tracks taking us to beautiful water falls, primitive villages and a spectacularly remote hill top restaurant with a commanding view.

In the evenings we frequented some really classy restaurants and one of the night markets for which Thailand is universally famous. Givenchy, Polo, Ralph Lauren and all the famous brand names were on parade, whilst most of the women singing and performing street theatre were counterfeit as well. All too soon, we fell victim to the corollary of Sod’s holiday law, which decrees that just as you are having the time of your life it becomes necessary to move on. So it was on to a ferry for a transfer to Koh Tao.

Scuba diving and snorkeling is really good around most of the islands in the south, but this one is regarded as Thailand’s premier location by the world’s scuberati. There has been an explosion of activity in Koh Tao’s underwater world, and it is now considered to be the main training centre in South East Asia. So if it’s diving you want this is the place. The high volume of visitors pursuing the underwater world here has affected the make up of the holiday population – which is young, athletic and exuberant.

For our Koh Tao experience we checked into the delightfully whimsical Charm Churee resort. This lodge was built over an entire hill, and its random design has resulted in a host of seductive nooks and crannies. Chief of these was a spectacular honeymoon suite overlooking the bay, and a beach villa on the sands.

In a country renowned for its low accommodation tariffs I was amazed to learn that the latter only clocked in at an off season rate of R2,000 per day, whilst a basic unit would cost R622 according to their www.charmchureevilla.com website.

All the beach resorts in Thailand have a spa and at least 2 restaurants, one of which will usually be al fresco. The one at Charm Churee is a stunner sited on a promontory at the base of a massive granite rock which is illuminated at night.

The other outstanding feature here is the secluded beach tucked away in their exclusive bay. This lies at the bottom of a winding road which runs past all sorts of rustic and varied structures, giving the whole place a haphazard charm. The lodge also provides a good balance of quiet dignity against the frenetic activity in town. I felt really comfortable at Charm Churee, and all too soon Sod’s law kicked in again, leading me to yet another ferry heading for Koh Phangan this time.

Situated between Koh Tao and Koh Samui, this island is famous for a beach party! Every month when the moon is at its fullest, huge crowds gather on the crescent shaped Haad Rin Beach to join in a dance frenzy backed by numerous bands, fireworks, emcees, jugglers and fire eaters. Away from this, the island is rather reclusive with long stretches of road winding through lush forests and then on to some magnificent lodges. After a long drive through luxuriant jungle we came across the last two surprises far from any other activities.

The Panviman is a luxury resort tucked into a Cliffside overlooking the beautiful Thong Nai Pan Beach. It offers an impressive portfolio of sophisticated options including double rooms, various cottages and an impressive presidential suite, all of which can be seen on www.panviman.com. Some of these even have their own pools, and are all stylishly furnished.

Further down the Thong Nai Pan Beach, is the magnificent Santhiya Lodge, the last stop on our island hop around – and a good thing too as I am running out of adjectives but not enthusiasm for Thailand’s amazing resorts. They are putting the finishing touches to a really spectacular addition to their superb accommodation spread. This will be the place to beat for people looking for a unique bit of sophistication for that special event. Logging on to www.santhiya.com releases an impressive range of options culminating in the majestic Santhiya Royal Pool Villa – one of the most magnificent lodgings to be found anywhere on the island circuit.

As a grand finale to a memorable tour we flashed back to Koh Samui on the speedboat ferry that Santhiya Lodge runs between the two islands. This visit confirmed what I had discovered on previous visits – there’s something for everyone at budgets to suit all pockets in Thailand

All the lodges have a wide range of accommodation alternatives and quote on a unit rather than a per person rate. Prices vary on many different seasonal levels, all of which are reflected on their websites