Absolute Sanctuary

Absolute Sanctuary sits on the hillside at Bophut on the north-east coast of Koh Samui. It belongs to THE ABSOLUTE, a Thai health and lifestyle company that has run yoga, Pilates and fitness studios for around 15 years and also trains instructors and chefs, and the resort's programmes and food come from that background. The 38 rooms are spread across five Mediterranean-style buildings, from Sanctuary Superior rooms to Sanctuary Deluxe Seaview rooms with balconies and Sanctuary Suites.

Stays are built around 22 programmes in 15 categories, covering detox, yoga, Pilates reformer, fitness, weight management, sleep, de-stress and burnout recovery, gut health, sports recovery, women's and men's health and longer lifestyle change, from short getaways to 10- and 14-day programmes. Each includes a wellness consultation with bioimpedance analysis, a set of treatments for the chosen goal, group fitness, yoga and Pilates reformer classes, and, depending on the programme, meals planned to match.

Facilities include a Detox & Spa Center, a Contrast Therapy Zone, a steam room and far-infrared sauna, a Rhythm Cycling Studio, fitness and Pilates studios, a yoga studio and the open-air Sun Shala, and a swimming pool. A wellness consultant whose background covers nutrition, Ayurveda and behaviour change works at the resort year-round, alongside practitioners in art therapy, sound healing, breathwork and tension and trauma release exercises.

The Love Kitchen serves Thai and international dishes based on the menus of Absolute Fit Food, the group's healthy food delivery company in Bangkok, made without refined sugar or chemical additives.

This suits guests who want a structured, results-focused fitness, yoga or detox week with plenty of classes. Those looking for doctor-led medical programmes should look elsewhere.