Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa

Character and identity

Kamalaya occupies a hillside above a quiet sand-fringed bay on Koh Samui, with 76 rooms and villas threaded along palm-shaded paths between yoga pavilions, treatment rooms and rock-built spa terraces. At its heart sits a 300-year-old meditation cave once used by Buddhist monks, around which founders John and Karina Stewart have built a wellness sanctuary rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and emotional healing. Interiors run to creams, whites and dark timber, with in-room yoga mats and journals. The communal table, beach, 24-metre lap pool and Alchemy Tea Lounge anchor a register that is warm, unhurried and quietly purposeful.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this place apart is the calibre of its mentors and therapists, and the emotional depth of the programmes rather than the spa menu itself. Commit to a multi-night programme rather than ad hoc treatments, request Raj or Asha well in advance, and accept a hillside room over a pool villa unless solitude is essential: the public spaces and beach are where the stay actually happens.