While beach resorts like Phuket and Koh Samui seem to get all the attention in Thailand, one place getting the headlines lately is Cha-Am. This beach area is just 163 km south of Bangkok, and the shore is framed with mountain ranges and jungles. It neighbours tony Hua Hin (home to the Chiva-Som uber spa), but Cha-Am’s big draw is the new Alila Cha-Am resort, opening later month.  Designed by noted Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, the hotel is a series of pavilions and pools. The look reminds me of the Sarojin hotel, as its all clean lines, wood and with plenty of glass. Alila Cha-Am will have 70 rooms and villas, for relaxing there’s the beach, a spa, boutique and library. Internet rates start at 5600 Thai baht (£174).

In many ways I found shopping in Chiang Mai to be far more enjoyable than Bangkok. The city's small scale and rich history of craftsmanship- minus the choking pollution and crowds- all chalk up to one stellar shopping experience. Chiang Mai may not have the glossy mega malls with aquariums and Ferrari showrooms that you'll find in Bangkok, but what it does have is plenty of independent boutiques where it feels as if you're shopping in someone's home. We found ourselves buying way more items here than in the capital. Some of the best buys include ceramics, silks,  lacquerware and silver. Read on to find where to shop and what to buy in Chiang Mai.

When we were in Bangkok last year, we were hugely impressed with the linens at Pasaya- so much so that we included the store in our Top Shops Bangkok story. The love doesn't stop there. Pasaya is offering a special deal to iTravel iShop readers. If you shop online and enter the code FSiTiS, you will receive free shipping on your product- anywhere in the world. And what makes this deal even sweeter is that products sold online are always 25% off retail prices. Happy shopping!

These days, fans of the Four Seasons hotel group have no shortage of places to stay in Thailand. There's the magnificent property in Chiang Mai, the elegant hotel in Bangkok, as well as the extraordinary Four Seasons Tented Camp in the Golden Triangle area. Just added to the Thailand portfolio is a new hotel in Koh Samui at the Laem Yai peninsula. The resort was built on a former hillside orchard, and features 60 villas which are built on stilts amongst the coconut, jackfruit and mango trees. Privacy and seclusion are key at the resort. The spa has five individual pavilions with indoor and outdoor treatment areas. The restaurants serve seafood, Thai and Italian food and when the catch of the day arrives at the resort, guests can consult with the chef to choose their fish for dinner and decide how they would like it to be prepared. Dinner can be served right on the beach or high above it on the crest of the Resort. For more information, call +66 (77) 243-000.

When most people consider a beach getaway to Thailand, they think of Phuket, which is favoured by celebs such as Kate Moss, Liz Hurley and Michael Kors. But just one hour north of Phuket is the much quieter, and serene option of Khao Lak. What makes this area special is that it sits along the Andaman Sea, and also borders the jungle so visitors can spend the morning at the beach and the afternoon on an elephant trek””as well as dive the nearby Similan Islands. While there's no shortage of hotels in Khao Lak, the newest and most luxurious is the Sarojin.

Most sane people try to high-tail it out of the UK during the holidays to enjoy a bit of fun in the sun (last year I spent Christmas and New Year's Eve in Thailandand absolutely loved it. I'd rather have steamed sea bass with fish sauce and chillies instead of turkey, thank you very much). The smart set usually heads to Phuket, and the newest resort there is the Indigo Pearl, slated to open on December 1. The design concept of the hotel pays tribute to Phuket's tin mining part, and the $21 million resort was designed by super-star architect Bill Bensley. The resort has 277 rooms scattered in an enclave of lagoons and jungle, and there's also a private beach club on the Andaman Sea beachfront. Other bonuses include a cooking school, scuba-diving centre, fitness and meditation pavilion. Introductory rates start at US $188.

A few months before the D2hotel in Chiang Mai opened, we were told by the hotel's management that there would be "a whole new concept" in greeting guests, which piqued my interest. What could someone possibly do that's different these days at a hotel check-in desk?

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle has just opened its doors (or rather tent flaps). Accessible only by riverboat, the resort is nestled in the heart of the Golden Triangle where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma) converge. Guests stay in 15 luxurious air-conditioned tents, with recycled teak floors, an outdoor shower, a sundeck with massage beds and a hand hammered oversized copper bathtub. Activities include elephant treks, cruising the Mekong River, riverbank picnics, temple tours and cooking classes. 

Bangkok, The City of Angels, is known for it's nightlife, dining scene and of course, shopping. This is one of Asia's most stylish cities where funky fashions meet sophisticated Thai design. Read on to achieve shopping nirvana in one of the world's wildest cities.