The View Samui

The name is no exaggeration. The View Samui stands on a forested clifftop at Taling Ngam on the island’s west coast, a glass-and-timber house stacked over three levels with almost nothing between its windows and the sea. Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps the bedrooms and living spaces, and in the evening the whole house turns towards one of Samui’s most admired sunsets.

The ground level opens onto a sixteen-and-a-half-metre saltwater infinity pool with a built-in jacuzzi, a lawn for football or croquet, an outdoor lounge with a pull-down projector screen, a massage sala and a fully equipped gym. Above, the living room, a dining table for twenty-two and a resort-style kitchen sit beneath a natural rock face, and an indoor waterfall garden adds the sound of running water. A yoga deck looks straight out to the islands offshore.

The bedrooms are on the top floor: two ocean-view master suites, two more king rooms with balconies, a garden room and a storybook children’s room with porthole windows and bunk beds. Direct access leads down to the beach for kayaks, paddleboarding and snorkelling. Breakfast is included, and a villa manager, chef and housekeepers run the house.