Villa Tranquil Residence 3

Tranquil Residence 3 takes a coveted position in the Maret hills above Lamai, where a 180-degree panorama of the Gulf of Thailand greets you from practically every room. It is a genuinely cinematic setting — the kind of wide-angle seascape most Koh Samui visitors only glimpse from a restaurant viewpoint, yet here it is the backdrop to breakfast, sunset drinks and everything between. Two bedrooms sleep four, the largest of the three Tranquil apartments, and it pairs the view with a private plunge pool and a dedicated multilingual manager.

The apartment is compact at 100 square metres but cleverly designed. Retractable glass doors dissolve the line between the living area and the furnished terrace, effectively doubling the usable space on fine days, and the kitchen is fully equipped to Western standards for guests who prefer to prepare their own breakfasts. Both bedrooms have king beds and en-suites of rain showers and dual basins, each opening onto its own balcony across the treetops to the sea, the contemporary interiors warmed with Thai design touches — a well-appointed holiday apartment rather than a stripped-back rental.

Location strikes an appealing balance. Lamai Beach lies 700 metres below, five minutes by car or scooter, the hillside trading beachfront convenience for sweeping elevation and a sense of seclusion the coastal strip can’t offer. Lamai is Samui’s second-largest resort town — a good spread of restaurants, a lively Sunday night market, and the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rock formations a short drive south — with Chaweng fifteen minutes north and the airport a twenty-minute transfer. A private infinity-edge plunge pool overlooks the hillside, with a shared pool in the complex for a longer swim.