Samed Hideaway Resort, Ko Samet, Thailand

Despite its roadside location, Samed Hideaway Resort offers some seductive peace and quiet, and city dwellers will enjoy the novelty of stepping out onto their balcony with wood smoke in the air and the distant sound of crowing cockerels. As well as an inviting rectangular pool, the sea is just across the road, and attempts have clearly been made to keep guests relaxed and entertained, with a line of sea-facing sunloungers and an evening fire show and film screening on the lawn.