Casa Alma Villa

Casa Alma rises in three crisp white tiers from a jungle-clad hillside above Phuket’s southern tip, its walls of glass turned towards the Andaman Sea and the scatter of islands off Rawai. It is a thoroughly modern home with a warm, soulful edge: polished floors and clean lines softened by timber shutters, vintage Chinese accents, lacquer-red feature walls and lazy ceiling fans. Everything here is designed around the view, and around the easy rhythm of indoor-outdoor living.

The pool is the showpiece, a seventeen-metre saltwater infinity pool that seems to spill over into the treetops and the sea beyond. It is cleverly zoned, with a deep dive tank, a central swimming lane and a shallow lounging ledge, and is lined with sunbeds and an oversized lounge bed for drifting between dips. Beside it are an al fresco dining terrace, a semi-outdoor kitchen, a well-stocked poolside bar and an outdoor shower, so long, breezy days by the water flow naturally into relaxed dinners as the light fades.

Inside, sliding glass doors open the living and dining rooms to the terraces, and a striking round dining table sits right against the glass with the sea filling every pane. The kitchen is properly equipped, from espresso machine and dishwasher to cocktail maker. Four bedrooms each have their own bathroom, and one of them frames the ocean from a freestanding bathtub. A villa manager, private chef, housekeeper and handyman look after the house, and Rawai’s seafood restaurants, Nai Harn Beach and the boats to the islands are all a short drive away.