The scent of spice and lemongrass wafts through the jungle setting of our lunch.
The sun’s heat only magnifies this delicious aroma, while our teacher Kwan continues to bash garlic into her mortar with her worn, stone pestle.
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In the garden of Nai Mueang, we watch her tear a few of the newly sprouted leaves, while gesturing to us that it is time for them to be eaten.
This is the brilliant thing about Kwan’s cooking school, tucked away in a local village in southern Thailand — everything that goes into the traditional Thai dishes served here is grown right on site and you’ll get to try them all fresh before you cook them.
Within two hours, my friend Rowan and I had whipped up a spicy panaeng curry and a noodle prawn starter that looked far fancier than anything I’d eaten in a Thai restaurant back home.
The delicacies were even more delicious knowing we had a cocktail to enjoy and that a sunbed with shade awaited us at Avani+ Khao Lak.
Thailand’s all-inclusive resorts, like those we offer, are a major selling point.
With white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and everything you need at the click of a finger, staying here feels as if you’ve stepped straight on to a movie set, even more so, now that TV hit The White Lotus is heading to Thailand for its third series.
Avani+ Khao Lak has a wide range of activities to choose from, and a cooking lesson is one.
This is where you will find the ultimate in luxury.
Beach holiday reading list
There’s a laid-back outdoor bar with multi-coloured bean bags backing on to a beach littered with hammocks from which you can sip on wine while watching the waves crash on to the shore.
The room is a villa technically, but it’s a similar luxury, complete with two luxurious bedrooms, an indoor/outdoor dining area and deluxe lounge.
You will not find any cooking facilities, but you do have an abundance of options for dining, such as a breakfast buffet and lunch, coffee shop, Italian poolside bar or beachfront restaurant serving Western/Thai cuisine, like spaghetti tomyum.
The staff at this resort go beyond the call of duty, and will escort guests anywhere in the resort with their golf buggies.
When you visit this part of the world that is exotic, it’s a given that some exploration will be required.
At the nearby Wang Kiang Ku river, you can book in for a bamboo rafting experience (£12 for two people) that will get you up close with nature.
Each raft, cleverly crafted by locals, will transport you through winding waters where wildlife flourishes — we spotted snakes hiding in trees and a baby turtle perched on a rock.
There’s plenty more wildlife to see too, but make sure you do your research as there are still lots of unethical companies offering pictures with baby apes and elephant rides.
If you want to do your bit to help, while also getting up close to some wild animals, Phuket’s only remaining rainforest, in Khao Phra Thaeo national park, is home to The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (gibbonproject.org(), founded in 1992, is a non-profit organization that helps gibbons rescued from poachers.
The majority of rescue workers are volunteers, and the entry fee goes directly back to further missions.
Sunrise yoga
You’ll get to observe the apes in their natural habitat, swinging from ropes.
As we watched the female Tam with two left fingers and only one leg happily devour her mangoes, she seemed as fascinated as us by our presence.
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When you’re done, take the short rainforest walk from here to Bang Pae waterfall or hire a driver to take you on a tour of the top spots of the island.
Popular attractions such as Wat Chalong temple and Big Buddha are further south (you’ll need to wear modest clothes), or pay a visit to the Old Town, crammed with traditional cafes selling bargain dumplings and boutique shops packed with hand-made garments and handbags.
Avani+ Mai Khao, the sister resort, is located in an ideal location, just a few minutes from the Old Town, and only a 10-minute walk to the beach.
Kids can enjoy a day at the pool, complete with an inflatable movie and swim-up bar.
There are many restaurants of high quality in this area.
The best place to try the Phuket lobster is Sea.Fire.Salt, which offers the hot fish on a brick still on the fire with sweet and spicy Thai curry sauces and garlic butter.
If you fancy trying a bit of everything, then Claws & Co, within the resort, does seafood buckets (literally) of sweet lobster, juicy prawns, sticky calamari, flaky sea bass and crab smothered in sauces and delivered to your table with a shell-smashing hammer, aprons and disposable gloves — trust me, you’ll need them.
You can find a wide range of activities at the hotel during meals.
Just make sure you leave enough time between lunch and tackling the resort’s climbing wall or, better still, channel your inner Jennifer Coolidge and order another poolside rosé instead.
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Go to PHUKET
Get There: Emirates flies from London to Phuket from £359.50 each way. You can fly from London to Phuket for as little as PS359.50 each way. emirates.com.
Staying there: Rooms at Avani+ Khao Lak cost from £93 per night, while one-bedroom suites at Avani+ Mai Khao Phuket cost from £136 per night. You can see. avanihotels.com.
OUT & ABOUT: Cooking classes with Kwan at Nai Mueang Restaurant cost £48pp (THB2,000), based on four people joining. Entry to the Gibbons Project costs £60 (THB2,500) for groups of three. You can book all excursions, drivers included, at the hotel’s reception.