Baan Lom Talay

Baan Lom Talay sits high on the Plai Laem peninsula in the north-east of Koh Samui, and the first thing everyone notices is the sea. The house wraps around itself with terraces on every side, so the water fills almost the whole horizon, and guests regularly mention watching both the sunrise and the sunset from the same veranda. Set in a large, fenced tropical garden of frangipani, bougainvillea and lawns, it feels private and unhurried, with plenty of space between you and the neighbours.

Down in the garden, an eleven-metre pool with slip-resistant tiles curves past a traditional Thai sala and a row of sun loungers, and a lotus pond with a stone Buddha adds a calm, temple-garden note. Up a flight of steps, the wide upper terrace is the villa’s living room in all but name: rattan sofas and armchairs, a six-seat timber dining table and a near-panoramic sweep across the bays. Through the glass doors, an airy lounge with carved Thai furnishings leads to a well-equipped Western kitchen, with board games and books for slow afternoons.

The four bedrooms all have king beds and their own bathrooms. Two of the larger suites have four-poster beds, hardwood floors and private terraces with rattan chairs, a third looks over the garden from a canopied bed, and the fourth sits close to the lawn. It suits two couples, a family or a group of friends, and it can also be booked with fewer bedrooms open for smaller groups. Bophut’s Fisherman’s Village, Choeng Mon beach and the restaurants of Chaweng are all a short drive away.