Villa Joa

Villa Joa sits at the top of a hill above Chaweng, and from its gardens the whole sweep of the bay opens out below: the pale crescent of sand, the green headlands and the Gulf of Thailand stretching away to the horizon. The house is a calm, contemporary take on tropical style, with dark timber vaulted ceilings, black-framed glass doors and antique carved doors set against crisp white walls. More than a thousand square metres of palms and planting wrap around it, so it feels hidden away, yet the beach and restaurants of Chaweng are a short drive down the hill.

Outside, a large pool reflects the palms and sky, with sun loungers along the deck and the sea view beyond. The highlight is the open-sided sala, raised on the slope behind glass balustrades, where deep sofas and armchairs look straight out over the treetops to the water: the best seat on the property for a late-afternoon drink. A second lounge sits shaded beneath a big parasol nearby. Indoors, the vaulted living room has a generous sofa and large TV, and flows into a dining table for six and a modern kitchen in teal tiles with an oven, microwave and dishwasher.

Three tranquil bedrooms each have a king bed, soft linen headboards and air conditioning, and some open directly onto the pool. The master has its own en-suite bathroom, the other two rooms share the second, and the bathrooms feature a freestanding tub and a slate-walled rain shower. A villa manager is on hand, housekeeping calls twice a week, a gardener and pool team keep everything in shape, and return airport transfers are included.