Baan Sawan

Baan Sawan Samui sits high on the hillside above Bophut, far from the bustle of the main resort strips, with a sweeping view of turquoise bays and green headlands that stretches almost all the way around the horizon. It is a calm, elegant hideaway for up to six, with Thai-colonial lines, dark timber shutters and bright tropical colours, and it is the kind of place where you find yourself pausing at the terrace edge every time you walk past.

The star is the eighteen-metre infinity pool, which seems to spill straight into the sea below. Striped umbrellas shade the sun loungers on the tiled deck, and as evening comes the terraces turn into the best seats on the island for sunset. An open-sided pavilion beside the pool offers a breezy spot for long lunches and lazy afternoons, and indoors a handsome dining table seats six to eight, with a living room split between a cosy TV corner and a quieter lounge facing the view.

The three bedrooms are bright and serene: two with large double beds and one with twin beds, each with a small seating area, a TV and its own bathroom. Bathrooms are a highlight, with a sunken stone tub and a deep bathtub set beneath windows full of greenery. The villa team keeps everything running smoothly, breakfast is included, and the chef is known for authentic Thai cooking. Bophut’s beaches and Fisherman’s Village are a short drive down the hill.