SINCE fighting for the 25th hour is now part of our daily routine, the ideal break seems to be the 'lazy activity' holiday. In other words, a holiday that samples different experiences that are available close at hand, without having to run around looking for them. Sounds ideal? Then a getaway to an upscale resort-style venue such as the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is just the thing.

For example, your main desire could be nothing more ambitious than reading a good book in a comfy spot. If so, the hotel offers plenty of options beginning with the rooms themselves. Although the resort is large - 265 deluxe guest rooms - each room is pretty spacious with a balcony and a cosy 'sala' or traditional Thai-style raised area with the colourful triangular cushions and massage-style mats to recline on.

For those who enjoy food, an interesting opportunity to get up close and familiar with Thai-style cooking is available at the Marriott's new cooking school, the Ginja Cook. We sampled a Ginja Cook Day (US$150 per person) that begins with an early morning visit to the local wet markets to buy the ingredients, followed by breakfast at the resort and then off to the school itself to begin our lessons.

Tammasak Chootong, the executive sous chef who was our instructor for the morning was both informative - first familiarising us with the kinds of ingredients used in Thai cooking - and entertaining - instructing us to sip frequently from our champagne glasses to make the cooking easier.

The menu for the day was Som Tum or the spicy green papaya salad, Tom Yum Goong, the all-time favourite fiery Thai soup, and Pad Thai, the piquant stir-fried noodles. Particularly challenging was putting together the sweet-sour sauce that flavoured the Pad Thai; it was deceptively simple but required a bold pairing of tamarind juice and palm sugar to get that distinctive sweet-sour edge.

With all the ingredients conveniently laid out, at well-designed workstations in the teak-and-glass venue - and no washing up after - cooking up the Thai meal was fun. Ginja Cook also offers more personalised courses created around specific demands (starting from US$195 per head), and the option to use the experience as part of corporate getaway and team building initiatives.

Having eaten all that you have cooked, you might choose to go worship Morpheus, the god of sleep, or burn those calories. For those who prefer pure hedonism, check out the spacious Mandara spa and its luxurious massage rooms, occupying more than 1,000 sq m, and offering a whole range of pampering treatments. Highly recommended is the Mandara Signature Massage (6,600 baht or S$278 for 90 minutes) or the 'four hand massage' where two therapists work simultaneously, using a combination of massage styles such as Japanese Shiatsu and Hawaiian Lomi Lomi.

Of the food options, the two that stood out were the Siam Deli - which offers a delicious range of pastries, sandwiches and coffee/tea options if you are in the mood for high tea; and Ginja 'Taste', the new Thai restaurant. The restaurant is built in the traditional Thai Sala style with indoor and alfresco options, and offered dishes from around the region such as the richly flavoured Gai Yang Krueng Geang (grilled chicken with red curry on bamboo skewers) and Phad Pak Boong (stir-fried morning glory).

The Pearl of the Andaman Sea - aka Phuket - is a destination tailor-made for a weekend getaway. While we did sample some of the night life and the shopping, the common consensus was that you could spend the entire weekend just within the resort to really decompress and come home feeling recharged.

The Simply Thai Ginja Cook Package for three nights includes accommodation for two in room category of your choice, airport transfers, daily buffet breakfast, Ginja Cook Thai Cooking Course for two persons; till Oct 31, 2006, daily room rates for Deluxe Garden/Deluxe Terrace/Deluxe Seaview are US$668/US$740/US$812 respectively. For details on these and other packages, visit mariott.com/HKTJW; reservations - tel: +66 2656 7707, fax: +66 2656 7711, e-mail: res.jwthailand@marriotthotels.com.