There’s a moment we’ve all had. You sit by the sea, toes dug into sand, trying to summon the serenity of the waves, when ping! Your phone delivers another email from a colleague in Sydney who can’t quite function without you. The Andaman Sea deserves better. And so, frankly, do you.
Enter Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort, a gracious property perched between a lotus-dappled lagoon and the grand sweep of Thailand’s west coast. This September, the resort has declared open season on constant connectivity with its Digital Detox Month. The invitation? Switch off, breathe in, and remember that sunsets don’t come with notifications.
More than a Resort, It’s an Antidote
Khao Lak has always had a gentler rhythm than Phuket, its noisier neighbour to the south. Here, mornings are defined by birdsong, not motorbikes, and evenings by starlight rather than neon. Devasom capitalises on this natural serenity by offering guests the one luxury even money struggles to buy: presence.
Guests are coaxed — politely, of course, in that distinctly Thai way to put devices aside. In their place: guided storytelling, temple visits, and the reassuring glide of a kayak through mangroves so tranquil they could hush the busiest mind.
As one manager remarked, “It’s not about rejecting technology, but about remembering you’re allowed to set it down.” Quite right.
Culinary Journeys and Old-Fashioned Flavours
You can’t talk about Thailand without talking about its food. At Takola Restaurant, the flavours are neither dumbed down for tourists nor tricked up for Instagram. They’re real. Heritage recipes, freshly netted seafood, spices ground the morning of service, it’s gastronomy with both feet in the past.
For once, you’ll find yourself looking at your plate instead of through a phone screen. Imagine that.
Wellness with a Wink
If spas could talk, Devasom’s would whisper. Treatments range from traditional Thai healing to Himalayan Sound Baths that leave you between sleep and bliss. There’s yoga on the beach, flower-arranging that feels more grounding than any mindfulness app, and even a carefully curated Spotify playlist to help you drift into sleep, not that you’ll need it after a day in the salt air.
The Sensory Calendar is a particularly clever stroke. Guests are encouraged to experience the five senses in ways no screen could replicate:
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Sight: endless shades of Andaman blue.
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Taste: morning-picked herbs and spices.
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Sound: the sea itself, accompanied by sound therapy.
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Touch: from yoga mats to lotus petals.
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Scent: fresh teas, ocean breezes, and yes, the faint salt of the tide.
Nothing will happen if this doesn’t tempt you to binge on the phone charger.
Weekly Rituals Worth Keeping
Each week in September, the resort runs rituals that make routine feel restorative: “Mindful Movement by the Sea” every Wednesday and Saturday, Aqua Sound Baths on Sundays, forest bathing at high tide, when the lagoon takes on an ethereal glow, and, on select Saturdays, the delicate arts of tea appreciation and Japanese Ikebana flower arrangement.
Frankly, even if you don’t know your sencha from your oolong, the ceremony is worth it for the peace alone.
The Present Moment, Gift-Wrapped
To make the detox sweeter, Devasom offers a Stay 3, Pay 2 ‘Gift of Time’ package to 20 October 2025. That’s three nights of slowing down, while only paying for two. Add gourmet breakfasts, a complimentary daily minibar (soft drinks only — no sneaky Chardonnays here), and a respectable 20% off spa treatments, and you’ve got yourself a compelling reason to linger.
The deal can be booked directly via Devasom Khao Lak.
Why It Matters
Once upon a time, travel wasn’t about selfies or signal strength. It was about the stories you brought home and the stillness you found along the way. Devasom’s Digital Detox Month is less about banishing technology than reclaiming that spirit.
It reminds us that you can’t fully admire a Thai sunset while squinting at it through a 6-inch screen. And if that’s not worth unplugging for, I don’t know what is.
By Kanda Limw
