If you need a bit more than sea and sunshine to make a holiday, become a mahout and ride elephants bareback in northern Thailand

Imagine yourself as a spatchcocked chicken with your arms stretched out at your sides. Then imagine you're straddling an elephant's neck clinging on to her ears, with your chin resting against her, decidedly hairy, forehead. This is how I found myself bright and early one morning. All thoughts of not inflicting pain vanished as the elephant stood up and I rocked and swayed alarmingly, squeezing tightly on her giant earlobes. Luckily elephants are thick-skinned and she didn't seem to mind.

I'm always keen to try new things, so I jumped at the chance to meet some mahouts and spend a day with them and their elephants. Admittedly, I was less than keen on the early start - I had to be at the hotel gates at 7am - but there is something magical about meeting elephants up close.

Anantara's Golden Triangle Resort is set in 160 acres of bamboo forest and is home to 19 rescued elephants and their mahouts. Elephants are valued for their strength and were widely used in the logging industry. Now there is less call for their skills and many of these elephants were working the tourist routes in Bangkok and Pattaya, begging for tips.

At the resort, the elephants, their mahouts and their families live closely and enjoy a more settled lifestyle. And guests at the hotel are encouraged to get involved, helping to bathe the animals or even undergo their three-day mahout training course.

Boun Na and me
Having been introduced to Ke, my mahout for the day, I then set about getting to know Boun Na, the 29-year-old female elephant I was to ride. She was big. She weighed about three tonnes and was at least twice as tall as me. But Ke soon had me repeatedly climbing on and off her. I can't pretend it was dignified (at one stage I had two mahouts shoving me from behind), but eventually I could mount and dismount without causing serious injury to either the elephant or myself.

Feeling marginally more confident, we set off for a walk through the forests. The hills of northern Thailand are ruggedly beautiful, and from where we were, you could see the borders of both Myanmar and Laos. It really is a magical place, full of mystery and adventure. The highlight of the walk was undoubtedly the end, when we rode our elephants into the river, and tried to stay on their backs as they splashed and swam. My top tip would be to wear dark coloured trousers to save yourself an embarrassing see-through moment!

The Golden Triangle Resort itself is sumptuous. It's only got 77 rooms and suites, so there's a feeling of space and it's very peaceful. All the rooms have large balconies with built-in sofas. I looked out over the Mekong, and could see the red roof of Myanmar's Win Win Paradise Casino in the distance. Another lovely feature of the rooms is that you can bathe with a view. Sliding doors separate the huge bathtub (big enough for two) from the bedroom, and while soaking after my elephant adventures, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the river, from a safe enough distance to preserve my modesty!

Traditional furnishings
The hotel's decor and furniture is based on traditional Thai style. All the wood used throughout the resort is reconditioned teak and they are proud to tell you that no new teak was cut for the project. An enormous Buddhist screen, called a 'sat tu pan' dominates the entrance. At night, this is decorated with candles, giving all the lobby areas an enchanted feel.

As a place to relax and unwind, the Golden Triangle Resort has it all. There's an infinity pool with views over the Mekong valley, a gym, clearly marked nature trails, and mountain bikes for hire. And there's the spa if you want a bit of pampering. Be warned though, some of the treatments can be quite intense! I tried a Thai massage, which left me with more aches than the elephants, but really got into knotted muscles.

There was a moment when I wondered exactly what horrible crime I must have committed against my tiny masseuse to make her hate me so much, but the resounding crack as she straightened my back restored my confidence that it wasn't personal.

Eating and drinking
As you'd expect, the food was wonderful. The main restaurant, Sala Mae Nam, served traditional Thai and northern Thai specialities, and was absolutely delicious. Another must is the Dinner by Design. Here you can select a location around the resort and chefs will set up a temporary kitchen and you can enjoy wonderful food in a truly magical setting.

We ate in a small summer house beside the resort's paddy fields, and were joined for pre-dinner drinks by the elephants and their mahouts. There is something surreal about being in the middle of a paddy field, feeding elephants bananas as chefs rustle up a gourmet feast for your enjoyment. We finished the evening off by releasing kum ploi, enormous hot air balloons that have a small burner inside. Once lit, the gases collect in the balloon and then lift off the ground, rising into the night sky like weird jellyfish. It was definitely a meal to remember!

Beach resort, Koh Samui
If you can't imagine going to Thailand and not enjoying a tropical island paradise, head to Koh Samui. Much busier and with a totally different pace of life, Anantara's resort at Bophut Bay offers a haven away from the crowds of backpackers and budget travellers.

Set in 11 acres of beachfront land, near the fisherman's village at Bophut, the resort shares a feeling of understated luxury with its northern neighbour. This resort has 106 rooms and suites, all equipped with enormous terrazzo baths with sliding doors into the room. Unfortunately, you don't have the same luxury of space here, and the resort feels busier. The rooms are built in a horseshoe shape around the pool and main restaurant. My ground floor room had a balcony onto the garden area and restaurant, but was too close to the main walkways to offer any privacy.

After the very secluded Golden Triangle resort in the north, this felt intrusive and somewhat crowded, despite the beautifully manicured grounds. The spa here, though, is superb. Designed as a Zen-like sanctuary, the spa is in an enclosed garden. A paved walkway leads you to the therapy rooms, each of which has a private walled garden area in which to relax after your treatment. I had an aromatherapy massage, which left me floating in a cloud of delicious Thai spices.

Things to do
If you tire of the long beaches and warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, you can always hop in a cab and indulge in some retail therapy at Chaweng Beach, where you can pick up clothes and cds at a fraction of Western prices. Alternatively, you can explore the islands on a boat tour. Don't be fooled, however, into thinking this will be a peaceful day out. Every other tourist in town will make that trip at some point and it can seem like rush hour each time you pause to snorkel or explore a remote island.

Kuoni Travel (01306 747008 - www.kuoni.co.uk) offers 7 nights in Thailand, staying 4 nights at the Anantara Resort & Spa, Golden Triangle on room-only basis in a deluxe room and 3 nights at Anantara Resort Koh Samui on room-only basis in a deluxe garden view room, including flights with Thai Airways from Heathrow with transfers and domestic flights in resort. Prices for June 2008 from £1221 per person based on two sharing.