Villa Baan Hansa

Villa Baan Hansa offers something rare on Koh Samui: a standalone family home inside the grounds of a five-star resort at Taling Ngam, on the island’s unspoilt west coast. The house steps down the hillside over several levels, and every one of them faces the sea. From the wide timber decks you look straight out to the Five Islands, and as the sun drops behind them each evening the whole coastline turns gold.

Instead of a private pool, guests have the run of the resort’s own pools, including a sweeping infinity pool beside the white sands of Taling Ngam Beach, with a quick buggy ride down to the shore. Back at the villa, the main living room is bright and airy, with high white ceilings, deep sofas and glass doors that open to the breeze. A long dining table and a modern, fully equipped kitchen make home-cooked meals easy, and the villa staff are much praised by guests for the Thai food they prepare.

Five bedrooms spread across the floors give everyone real privacy, and the staggered layout puts natural distance between grown-ups and children. Each room is air-conditioned with its own bathroom, the main suites have glass-fronted balconies over the gulf, and one twin room has a mezzanine sleeping level that children love. A small, attentive team looks after housekeeping and meals, and airport transfers are included.