As you drive along the twisty, narrow roads leading from the airport to the resorts dotted along the coast, you will be charmed by the vistas of relaxed island life; children playing in natural sandpits, women hanging washing on lines strung between palm trees, and water buffalo lazing in the fields.

Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, less than an hour's flight from Bangkok, two hours from Singapore and three hours from Hong Kong. From humble beginnings, the island has emerged as one of the hottest beach destination in south east Asia. From the magnificent beach resorts, jungle health spas and elephant treks, this island is in a league of its own.

It was once the secret destination of backpackers who made the 35km trip from the Thai mainland in rickety fishing boats. The young travellers still rent tiny little wooden huts on the beach and spend their days soaking up the sunshine and exchanging travel tales over the popular brands of local beer, Singha and Chang. However, alongside the backpacker huts, luxury hotels and trendy restaurants are springing up to cater for a new breed of free-spending tourists.

These visitors shop for designer outfits and jewellery at exclusive boutiques, sip cocktails at Brazilian and Scandinavian bars, dine out on anything from Royal Thai cusine and classical French cuisine to Indian biryani and Korean bibimbap, boogie to the sounds of international deejays and sleep in five-star villas with private swimming pools and jacuzzis. Having emerged from the shadow of its popular rival, Phuket, Samui has become a destination in its own right. These days it's certainly far more 'hip' than 'hippie'.

Samui has a laid-back charm that seduces visitors like few other destinations. This is where you come if you want to sip cocktails on the sand as the sun goes down. Here you can pamper yourself for hours in some of the most remarkable health spas in the world. And this is where family outings can consist of elephant rides, hiking along trails in the jungle and private snorkelling expeditions on long-tailed boats.

Then there are the full moon celebrations on the neighbouring island of Koh Phangan every month. Young revellers from Samui catch boats across the bay and by sunset the beach at Haad Rin is packed with up to 30,000 party animals. As music plays from big speakers dotted along the beach, people kiss and dance till dawn.

While the full moon parties may not lure the honeymooners and families, there are still plenty of other places to let your hair down. The most popular nightclub, Green Mango, has become the centre of a rowdy strip of bars and clubs, while Bangkok's renowned Q Bar has opened a branch on a hill overlooking the main tourist area of Chaweng Beach. For some light-hearted adult titillation, there are ladyboy shows, where 'girls' strut their stuff.

There is no shortage of great hotels on the island, from budget family bungalow resorts to five-star boutique hotels. The most popular resorts are Chaweng Beach and Lamai, but many of the newer designer hotels are located on quieter relaxed beaches. The island’s most exclusive hotel is the new Four Seasons Resort, built along a mountainside with incredible views of the sea and surrounding islands.

For old-fashioned charm, two of the most popular resorts are the Centara Grand Resort Hotel and Poppies Samui, both on Chaweng Beach. The Zazen Boutique Resort has established an enviable reputation, while the Santiburi Resort has the only golf course on the island. Family favourites include the Amari Palm Reef Resort and the Banana Fan Sea Resort. The most extraordinary of the new designer hotels is The Library, a high-tech resort on the beach.

For most tourists, there are three must-see attractions; the Big Buddha, a massive golden statue which overlooks Bang Rak beach, Ang Thong National Marine Park, a string of undeveloped islands offering great diving and snorkelling, and the “Grandmother and Grandfather rocks”. The two rocks are strangely shaped and few tourists return home without a photograph of themselves giggling in front of these edifices.

The real charm of Samui is that, despite its' alluring trendiness and fashionability, one can still find pockets of rural island life. You can get up before dawn to watch orange-robed monks collecting alms in the streets or go to a Muay Thai boxing match to see the fans going wild. Wander the back alleys and find a traditional Chinese pharmacy where you can buy herbal cures for your aches and pains. Or visit the Buddhist temple where you can see the mummified body of a monk who died in a meditating position.

You don't have to spend all your time in the enticing beachfront restaurants or the McDonalds, Starbucks and Pizza Hut outlets. You can also head for one of the Thai markets inland and taste real Thai food. Some specialities that will have your taste buds tingling include "yam khai hoy men", a salad of sea urchin roe, or "tom som waay", a sour soup made from octopus. And you have to try "khao man thua khiaow", rice cooked in coconut milk with dried beans.

You can trek up one of the mountains and find a look-out spot where the view is of undisturbed coconut groves fringed by the dark blue ocean. It is a sight you'll remember for a long time. And when you leave the island, the question won't be whether you will return, the question will be when?