Thailand is not short of a marvellous beach or two . It is , after all , a country with 2,000 miles of coastline . There 's The Beach , of course , on the island of Ko Phi Phi Lee , as featured in the 2000 film based on the Alex Garland novel and starring Leonardo DiCaprio . And there 's the small sandy cove on Khao Phing Kan in uber-picturesque Phang Nga Bay . The Khao Sok National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in the world , where you can meet elephants at one of the better camps . The island is now known as James Bond Island , upon which you and a chum can pose back to back with imaginary weapons , echoing the scene from The Man With The Golden Gun of 007 ( Roger Moore ) and the evil Scaramanga ( Christopher Lee ) . But the problem is practically every other visitor who chooses Thailand for their exotic sun , sea and sand holiday wants to sit and be seen in the country 's most famous hotspots too . It gets a little crowded , to say the least . At the risk of sounding a bit of a beach snob , I want to be alone , or at least not swamped by hundreds of other sunbathers , when I 'm on my holiday , at least until I 've shaken off some stress . If you do too , you 'll adore the JW Marriott Khao Lak . And thanks to direct flights to Phuket aboard Thomson 's Dreamliner , you do n't have to faff around catching a connecting flight from Bangkok . It 's a real bonus . If you have flown long haul before , you will notice the difference - more space , both seat-wise and all around , dimmable windows , more oxygen and better lighting all make the journey more bearable . And it 's only an hour or so drive north from the airport to Khao Lak , or 90 minutes away from the busy and , er , colourful attractions of tourist trap Patong . The JW Marriott Khao Lak is very classy and quiet and has a glorious beach whch is free from crowds . I 'll be honest , I was n't expecting such a tasteful resort . Distinctly oriental in design , the JW Marriott Khao Lak is very classy and quiet , with 250 rooms and all the facilities you need for a proper rest and de-stress , whether there 's just two of you or the whole family . There 's a nice spa , Quan , offering all the usual pamperings and treatments . The range of dining options includes breakfast and international cuisine in the Waterfront restaurant , Thai food at Ta-Krai , Japanese at Sakura , and Mediterranean at Olive . There 's a deli , too , and numerous bars and lounges . It 's easy not to step outside for the whole holiday , but I was persuaded to do a little sightseeing . A trip to James Bond Island also included a look at a small rubber plantation , feeding monkeys beside a Buddhist temple , cruising through mangrove swamps in a long-tailed boat , and lunch in the Muslim village at Panyi Island . It 's all well run and very commercialised . Roger More ( right ) and Christopher Lee on James Bond island in the film The Man with the Golden Gun . More off the beaten track is Khao Sok National Park , one of the oldest rainforests in the world , where you can meet elephants at one of the better camps . However , do be very careful to choose a well-run establishment when selecting this kind of adventure . We were taken by canoe - you do n't even have to lift an oar yourself - down the Sok River , admiring the trees and waterfalls as we went . And , of course , there are dozens of snorkelling and diving sites to choose from . The JW Marriott Khao Lak itself offers numerous sports on site , a fitness centre , and there 's golf galore nearby . Ko Phi Phi Lee featured in the 2000 film based on the Alex Garland novel and starring Leonardo DiCaprio . Naturally , it has plenty of places to sunbathe or take a dip , not least Khuk Khak Beach , a marvellously empty stretch of white sand fringing the Andaman Sea . The resort also claims to have South-East Asia 's longest swimming pool - indeed , it winds around and in between the buildings like a huge lazy river , allowing some rooms to actually be swim-up , which is great for families . The best bit for me , though , was the very private hidey-holes complete with loungers , cleverly sheltered with hedges , but still with easy access to the water . Paradise found . GETTING THERE . Thomson ( thomson.co.uk , 0871 230 2555 ) offers seven nights B & B at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort from £934pp , including return flights from Gatwick departing April 10 , and transfers .
Khao Lak is an hour drive away from the airport at Phuket . The best time to visit Khao Lak: May - September and October - December