When it comes to resorts and wellness destinations, the best are often the hardest to get to. The privacy makes them alluring. Rayavadee Resort Hotel is located in the heart of Southern Thailand. Situated on the Phranang Peninsula, which borders Krabi Marine National Park, the resort is flanked on both sides by towering limestone cliffs. When it was built more than two decades ago, the resort aimed to exist in harmony with the natural surroundings. The spacious, two-story suites feel like treehouses nestled among the tropical trees, plants, and ferns. In the years since, the hotel has made an effort to employ several practices to reduce the negative impact on their surroundings such as sustainable water and waste management as well as energy efficiency. They also focus on bringing organic, locally sourced ingredients to their guests. Their menus offer guests healthy and balanced options that include organic vegetables, herbs, and salads. All the rice is organic as are our free-range eggs. 

Rayavadee believes in giving back to society as a whole by supporting fair trade products, social enterprises, and charity programs, and is proud to be a founding partner of the “Food4Good” charity program which provides healthy meals for needy children throughout Thailand. As part of its commitment to the program, Rayavadee donates 1 Thai Baht for every dish ordered in every restaurant.

As Krabi has grown in popularity in recent years, it’s become a challenge to preserve the many species of wildlife and birds that are as at home on the property as the guests. But Rayavadee has stepped up, regularly organizing and participating in beach clean-ups, mangrove planting, and marine life repopulation activities. The hotel is also a founding member of the Enlive Foundation, which brings together governmental agencies, local businesses, and community members to raise awareness of the need to protect Krabi's fragile ecosystem.

Still less popular with tourists than Phuket, Krabi is an easy 1.5-hour flight from Bangkok. Ground transport to the resort’s private pier in a clean, air-conditioned SUV takes around 25 minutes. The boat ride from there on choppier-than-expected waters is another 20. But on days like the one when I arrived, the tide was so low, we had to be pulled up the resort by tractor, making the cold towel and lime drink we received upon arrival all-the-more appreciated. 

Their spa, the Rayavadee Spa, offers many indulgent treatments, but I opted for a 75-minute signature massage to help loosen the knots entrenched in my neck and shoulders after years of computer work. My therapist used a combination of Eastern and Western techniques to ensure I left the spa feeling far more relaxed and energized than when I got there. First applying an aromatic oil to my feet and ankles, and then working her way up my calves, glutes, and lower back before employing both her surprisingly strong hands and a secret weapon—a heated herbal compress that resembles an oversized sachet applied around my neck—that helped work out those knots! With my face down in the cradle, I opened my eyes and saw a bowl of water containing a single white Lotus flower. 

Although the massage lasted less than the others I’d had in Thailand, I felt its benefits immediately. When I exited the spa, my step was a little lighter and I took my time walking through the maze of winding paths past lily ponds and scurrying lizards to our suite, where I grabbed my camera and headed to Railay Beach to capture a spectacular unfiltered sunset.