Just a few hours from Bangkok, Koh Samet is a small island off the coast of Rayong where the sand is pale, the water is warm all year round and life happens barefoot, along the shore.

The island owes part of its fame to Sunthorn Phu, Thailand’s most celebrated poet, who set part of his epic Phra Aphai Mani here in the early 19th century. A statue of the mermaid from the poem still watches over Hat Sai Kaew, the main beach.

For most of its history Koh Samet was a quiet fishing island, its dry climate making it unsuitable for rice. In 1981 it became part of the Khao Laem Ya – Mu Ko Samet National Park, which is why the pine forest and the coastline behind the beaches have stayed largely intact.

Today it is the favourite weekend escape for Bangkok families, and one of the few Thai islands where the sea is calm and swimmable almost all year, including during the rainy months on the west coast.

The island is small and all the life is on the east coast. A path along the sea links the coves, so you can walk from one to the next in a few minutes. Hat Sai Kaew is the widest and liveliest beach, with restaurants and fire shows after dark. Ao Phai and Ao Tubtim are quieter, with bars right on the sand. Ao Wong Duean is a crescent bay perfect for a long lunch with your feet in the water, and Ao Wai and the southern coves are where you go to be alone. Beyond the beaches: snorkelling trips by long-tail boat to the nearby islets, scooters or songthaews for the south of the island, massages under the trees and seafood grilled on the sand at sunset.