Nuvana

Villa Nuvana announces itself from the air — an infinity pool and jacuzzi poised on the Koh Samui hillside, the green bowl of the garden tumbling away beneath and the Gulf of Thailand drawn along the horizon — and at ground level it makes good on every bit of that promise. The infinity edge is generous, the water seeming to spill into the valley below, while the jacuzzi beside it is roomy enough for all six guests at once. A covered sala with sun loungers is set to catch both the view and the afternoon breeze, and by the second day most guests have quietly abandoned any plan that involves leaving it before sundown.

Three king suites each come with a private bathroom — the master with a rain shower and a soaking tub, the second and third with crisp contemporary en-suites — so three couples, or a family with teenagers, can share the house without ever sharing a bathroom. The open-plan living room carries the high ceilings and wide glass doors the Samui climate rewards, and the kitchen is equipped for those inclined to cook rather than dine out every night. The dining area seats the full party, and the seam between inside and out all but disappears — the kind of layout where the doors stay open and, by lunch on day one, the distinction stops mattering.