Jasmin Villa

Named for the jasmine that threads through its gardens, Jasmin Villa sits high on a hillside above Lamai on Koh Samui’s southeast coast, and the setting announces itself at once: an unobstructed sweep across Lamai Bay and the Gulf of Thailand, with Koh Taen and the Ang Thong archipelago drawn on the horizon on clear days. Four en-suite bedrooms sleep up to eight, and it is remarkable value for a sea-view villa of this standard.

The main level is built around the panorama: floor-to-ceiling glass frames an open lounge and a dining table for eight, the ocean a constant backdrop, and a proper professional kitchen — oven, gas hob, full-size fridge — rewards anyone keen to cook with produce from Lamai’s morning market or the fishing village at Hua Thanon. Outside, an azure infinity pool seems to pour into the sky, its shaded pool bar the natural gathering point of every stay. A billiards table, gym, jacuzzi, barbecue and media room round things out — boutique-resort amenities in a private villa.

A housekeeper, butler and security team look after the stay, a private chef can be summoned for evenings you would rather not head downhill, and massage therapists visit on request. The hilltop catches the cooling sea breeze the lowland villas miss. Lamai, the island’s second beach town, is a five-minute drive down the hill — livelier than you would guess yet far calmer than Chaweng — while traditional Hua Thanon, Samui’s last fishing village, lies equally close for a quiet morning among the seafood stalls.