Villa Baan Kuno

Most Koh Samui villas put the pool at garden level; Baan Kuno puts it on the roof. The 12-by-4-metre infinity pool crowns the third floor of this three-level hillside build in the Bophut Hills, turning every swim into a 270-degree sweep from Bophut Bay across the north shore to Chaweng, Koh Pha Ngan floating on the horizon on clear days. Glass safety walls edge the deck without breaking the sightline, so the view is as dramatic from a lounger as from the water — the kind of perspective that recalibrates your sense of scale the moment you step out.

Below the pool, the open-plan living room, dining area and Western kitchen flow as one space, concertina glass walls folding back entirely to merge the interior with the terrace. A teak table seats eight, an L-shaped lounge wraps a flat-screen, and a minimalist white-and-teak palette is warmed throughout by original Chiang Mai artworks and traditional Thai pieces the owners chose by hand — genuine character rather than the generic resort-modern of so many rentals.

Five en-suite bedrooms sleep up to ten across the three levels. The two masters take the upper floors, each with a king bed, rain shower, ocean-view balcony and a Japanese-style office nook for anyone who can’t quite switch off; a third offers twins and its own ocean balcony, with two more opening onto the gardens below. A chemical-free pool and solar-backup power speak to thoughtful ownership. A resident chef cooks breakfast and lunch for the cost of groceries plus a service charge, a manager fluent in English, French, German and Chinese handles bookings, and complimentary airport transfers, daily housekeeping, round-the-clock security and a resident gardener complete the package, with Fisherman’s Village five minutes downhill.