The Retreat Koh Chang, an SLH Hotel

Forty pool villas and suites step down a hillside above Kaibae Beach on Koh Chang's quieter west coast, each with its own plunge pool facing the Gulf of Thailand rather than a shared deck. A private path leads down through the garden to the sand in under five minutes.

The spa runs foot and full-body treatments in open-air pavilions, and the kitchen offers a cooking class using produce from the local Trat markets. Canoeing and snorkeling gear are kept at the beach hut rather than a central desk.

Kaibae sits roughly forty minutes from the ferry pier at Ao Thammachat, suiting couples and honeymooners over families seeking nightlife.