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The Pavilions group of exotic and highly in­dividualistic hotels and resorts may appear at first blush to be a mish-mash of uncon­nected properties without much of a uniting theme or vision. Yet, when you delve a little deeper into these sensational properties, you find that in fact an almost mystically bold vision unites them… that of finding “para­dise” here on earth.

Gordon Oldham is the entrepreneur, adventurer and philanthropist who created The Pavilions as a celebration of all the elements that reflect his love of design, life, nature, history, conservation, adventure and culture.

He and his wife Danielle explain their mission this way: “Our travels as a couple left us yearning for something more. On every continent, we stayed at five-star grand dames and under-the-radar boutique properties, yet we constantly set out in search of paradise, then left feeling that something was missing.

“When we began to think we were chasing the im­possible, we decided to do something about it. Inspired by the famous novel The Far Pavilions, an epic tale of two lovers who traverse the world to unite in an ex­quisite place where they can find true peace, we built a haven away from home, where we would be treated like VIPs, yet always feel utterly comfortable”.

Since its opening in 2008, The Pavilions Phuket, set in a verdant amphitheatre of tropical vegetation high above the stunning west coast overlooking Bang Tao Beach, has es­tablished a reputation for the ultimate in service and excellence which does indeed seem to manifest a local version of Gordon and Danielle Oldham’s vi­sion of paradise.

'The waves don’t look that big.' 'I will only go out up to my knees.' 'I’m a strong swimmer. I’ll be fine.' As a veteran ocean lifeguard, I have heard the above statements time and time again from beach-goers wanting to swim in dangerous conditions.

Now that Phuket’s waves have temporarily become smaller, it is tempting to take a jump into the warm waters of the Andaman Sea. Is it safe to do so?

That depends on your swimming ability and experience with the ocean. Read on to learn more.

Long or short period – what’s the difference?

Over the last two weeks, two-to-three metre waves have pounded Phuket’s west coast beaches. As big as that sounds, the real danger lies not only in the size of the waves, but their frequency, or how often they break.

‘Long period’ swells hit Phuket’s west coast shores only occasionally. This type of wave is created by far-away storms and the winds they spin up over the distant ocean. The waves created by these winds arrive at Phuket’s beaches 14 or more seconds apart. As they approach the shore and ‘feel’ the shallower water, the top of the wave eventually overtakes the bottom, and the wave breaks. For surfers, these are dream waves. For swimmers, these waves can be powerful, and should be approached with caution.

However, the longer period in-between waves provides time to take a few breaths, and get ready to dive under the next wave. These waves also come in groups, with long, calm lulls in between. While these lulls can provide tired swimmers time to recover before the next group of waves arrive, they can also be deceptive.