Villa Keeree Tara

Villa Keeree Tara is a statement home on the mountainside above Chaweng Noi, built in tiers of stone, glass and green roofs that step down the slope through the palms. From the top terrace the view runs out over the forested hills to the Gulf of Thailand and its scattered islands, and at dawn and dusk the whole scene turns soft pink and gold. Inside, the design weaves Thai craftsmanship together with Moroccan and Middle Eastern touches, so every room has its own character, from carved four-poster beds to lantern-lit lounges hung with rich fabrics.

The twenty-metre infinity pool is the centrepiece, its edge meeting the horizon, with a glass-walled living pavilion right beside it. The main lounge opens fully to the terrace, and a long dining table in front of floor-to-ceiling glass seats the whole group with sea views. When the sun is high, there is plenty to do indoors: a dark, plush home cinema, a Moroccan-style games lounge, a classic billiard table and chess set, an air-conditioned gym and a remarkable wine cellar built around the natural granite boulders of the hillside.

Five bedrooms each come with their own bathroom, several with sculptural freestanding tubs set on beds of pebbles beside the glass, and a couple with romantic white canopy beds. There is a private spa with a turquoise Moroccan-style massage room and a jacuzzi. A team of seven looks after everything, with a villa manager, daily housekeeping, breakfast included each morning, a chef for other meals on request, security and return airport transfers.