Baan Tao Talay

Baan Tao Talay, the “House of the Sea Turtle”, is a beachfront estate of carved Thai pavilions on the calm Lipa Noi shoreline of Koh Samui’s west coast, close to Taling Ngam. Its soaring peaked roofs and teak details recall the old royal palaces of Ayutthaya, yet inside it is all light, space and modern comfort. Lawns and frangipani trees run down to a white-sand beach, and in the evening the whole sky turns gold behind the islands of the Gulf.

The pavilions are arranged around a nineteen-metre pool, with a stone waterfall at one end, turquoise loungers along a timber deck and a shaded gazebo looking out to sea. After dark the water glows under the garden lights and the deck becomes the best seat in the house. The main living room is grand but relaxed, with a crystal chandelier under the vaulted ceiling, deep white sofas and a separate library lounge, and meals are served in an open dining pavilion beside the pool or down in the garden sala by the beach.

All five bedrooms have four-poster king beds draped in white, cool polished floors and their own bathrooms, several of them open to the sky with stone basins, deep tubs and walls of tropical planting. One has its own outdoor shower and private inner garden. A chef prepares breakfast each morning and can cook any other meal you fancy, there is a private gym and a sauna for slow mornings, kayaks wait on the beach, and return airport transfers are included.