Villas: The Headland is a collection of five, spacious and uniquely designed beachfront villas that all have private pools ranging from between eight to 12 metres in length, and can accommodate between four to 10 people.

The villas are very private and surrounded by lush and well-maintained gardens. We stayed at two villas. Villa 3 has three bedrooms, a lofted sleeping area for kids, and the largest (12 metre) infinity pool of all the villas, which looks out to breathtaking views of the sky and sea.

Villa 4 has three bedrooms, including a luxurious, light-filled loft bedroom with ensuite bathroom, and plenty of relaxing outdoor lounge areas.

Surrounded by frangipani trees, and equipped with floor to ceiling doors that connect most of the interior spaces, the clean-lined interiors of the villas follow a modern-Thai aesthetic.

Lime hardwood floors and thatched roofs harmonise with monochromatic colour schemes and well-selected furniture to create contemporary, tropical retreats that are bright, breezy and perfect for relaxing escapes.

Amenities: The villas all have a large open plan living, dining and kitchen. Kitchens are fully equipped with cooker, oven, microwave, fridge and freezer, gas stoves, coffee machine, toaster, utensils and cutlery. There is a television and audio system and spare electrical adaptors for international travellers. A drinking water dispenser, towels, bathrooms, hairdryers, clothe drying racks and toiletries are all included, so you can feel right at home the moment you check in.

Dining: Breakfast is included in your daily rate. Just let the staff know what time you’d like your breakfast and a cook will arrive an hour before to prepare and serve you your morning meal. For extra charge, you can also arrange for a chef to come and cook in the evenings, or have food delivered to your villa from one of the nearby restaurants. There are also good beachside restaurants such as i-Talay Nasai Garden & Restaurant nearby.

Location: If you want to escape the main tourist drags of Ko Samui, then the western coast, where The Headland Villas are located, is ideal. The site is very private and you can walk down stone steps onto Taling Ngam Beach. There is a jetty nearby where you can sunbathe or take romantic evening walks while watching the sunset.

Service: The villa manager Khun Lek is genuinely warm, friendly and very helpful, and you can reach her anytime via a mobile phone in your villa if needed. A cleaner and gardener come by twice a day to freshen up your villa, replace linens and keep everything spick and span. The cleaner and gardener will come and do their daily chores while you are in the villas, but you can always request that they show up when you are out instead.

Things to do while here: Take a hike up to one of the waterfalls in the area, visit a butterfly park, take a muay thai class or swim in the sea. We mostly stayed in our villa and made the most of the tranquil gardens, comfy daybeds and refreshing pools.

Downside: Because the villas are designed to encourage indoor-outdoor living, insects, spiders and geckos can be a minor problem for urbanites accustomed to air-conditioned, high-rise living. If you’re a mosquito magnet like myself, there are plenty of mosquito coil and repellents in the villas to keep them away. There was a small hiccup with the water in the Villa 3, but the staff resolved that quickly and efficiently.

Upside: The west coast of Koh Samui is perfect if you want to get away from the crowds. The villas in The Headland are all very private, spacious, open and airy, and the convenience of a pool and beach nearby makes you feel like you are staying in your very own private luxury resort. You can relax and enjoy the outdoors all day, without having to leave your villa.

Room rate: from US$450 to at low season to US$1,350 at high season.

 

Address: The Headland Villas. 296-45 Moo 3, Taling Ngam, Koh Samui, Thailand. Tel: (852) 6019 9166, theheadlandsamui@me.com