Not many truly high-end resorts have appeared in Southeast Asia in recent years, yet the region remains one of the places you most often ask me about. With that in mind, I set off for Thailand and Malaysia to see what treasures the Andaman Sea might still hold.
First, a detour to Koh Samui, on the other side in the Gulf of Thailand. I wish I could report otherwise, but the island remains a cautionary tale—tourism for the masses at its most dispiriting, with an overbuilt coastline and no property worth your time. Even the much-praised Four Seasons, boosted by its cameo in The White Lotus, struck me as one of the brand’s least inspired creations.
Malaysia proved more intriguing. Kuala Lumpur, long devoid of distinction since GHM’s Carcosa Seri Negara closed, now has a seven-year-old Four Seasons that tempted me away from the well-trodden Bangkok–Singapore circuit. From there, I continued to Langkawi and into the rainforest to revisit The Datai, a resort of almost mythical reputation.
Not many truly high-end resorts have appeared in Southeast Asia in recent years, yet the region remains one of the places you most often ask me about. With that in mind, I set off for Thailand and Malaysia to see what treasures the Andaman Sea might still hold . . .
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