Thailand holidays are popular with good reason. That can make for a crowded country, but you can still find idyllic pockets of peace for family holidays if you know where to look, as John Lewisohn recently found out at ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak.

Beachfront ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak, Thailand
Paradise still exists, if you know where to look
Goodness but Thailand is busy. Close to 12 million people visited in 2022 and the Tourism Board is predicting an ambitious 30m visitors in 2023: I think I may have seen most of them in Phuket in early February, so I’d definitely advise trying a more peaceful destination with kids.
That’s not to say lively Phuket doesn’t have its charms, not least of all 20-plus beaches. But many visitors, like me, simply use it as a jumping off point to other places. I was heading north to Khao Lak, which, although not an island, is a lot closer to unspoiled for Thailand holidays than some of the better known ‘paradises’ these days.

Uncrowded beaches, Khao Lak, Thailand
Find yourself at ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak
If Khao Lak is new to you, then you probably haven’t heard of ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak which sits on a peaceful, 13-kilometre long beach edged by the Andaman Sea, about two hours’ drive from Phuket Airport. Family-friendly ROBINSON is a much loved German brand that’s been around for more than 50 years and is now part of TUI. So I was very much looking forward to seeing what they were up to in Thailand.

Pool Villa, ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak
ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak features 320 rooms in a range of styles and even the more budget-conscious options are spacious and have their own private balcony. We chose a pool villa room with a surprisingly good size pool and the added seclusion of a garden setting.

Active families love ROBINSON Resort Khao Lak
Fun Thailand holidays made for active families
The resort grounds are huge so you’ll probably use the free golf buggies a lot during your stay. They come in particularly handy to ferry tired kids back to homebase after indulging in one – or more – of the activities on offer. Depending on ages and stages, young guests can try anything from volleyball and football to archery and tennis, even Muay Thai Boxing is up for grabs.
Every building at Khao Lak is framed by manicured lawns, colourful shrubs and views of the sea or a swimming pool. Word of warning: signage can be a little confusing, but after a couple of days your kids will know their way around, so just follow their lead.