Inside the all-inclusive holiday hotspot with beachside restaurants and swim-up pool bars

THE smell of lemon grass and spice laces through the trees of our jungle-like lunch setting.

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.

We watch as she grabs a bunch of leaves sprouting up from the earth, in the garden of Nai Mueang restaurant and tears a few, gesturing for us to eat them.

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.

All these delicacies somehow tasted even better knowing that an ice-cold cocktail and a shaded sunbed awaited us back at our resort, Avani+ Khao Lak.

All-inclusive resorts like ours are one of the big selling points of Thailand.

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.

A cooking class is just one of many excursions on offer from Avani+ Khao Lak.

But for those who want to holiday in pure luxury this is the place to be.

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.

Further along the sand, our room (technically villa) is equally fancy, with a private pool, indoor and outdoor dining area, lounge and two modern and stylish bedrooms fitted with all the mod cons.

There are no cooking facilities though, as you have a hefty choice of restaurants including a breakfast and lunch buffet, a coffee house, a poolside Italian bar and a beachside restaurant that serves a Western/Thai fusion with dishes such as spaghetti tom yum.

And just like the fictional employees in The White Lotus, staff here go above and beyond, with golf buggies to escort you anywhere within the resort at your beck and call.

Of course when you venture to this exotic area of the world, some exploring is a must.

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.