As soon as we were whisked away from Bangkok airport by the villa driver on our two-hour journey to The Tamarind, we knew we were in good hands. Turning into the flamboyant tree-lined driveway of the Buraran Estate we totally got into the privacy vibe of the place and relished the fact that this enormous empty estate was virtually all ours.

Dining was an absolute treat and we looked forward to each meal like lions at the only watering hole for miles. The staff, being Thai, certainly know how to cook this (in our opinion) most tantalising cuisine the world has ever seen. That said, they still throw together a mean pasta, and an even better English breakfast, and will serve it up anywhere you like. We breakfasted by the pool, lunched by the lake and ate nibbles and sipped champagne on the rooftop Sunset lounge.

Each bedroom is a themed adventure to another country, and together they have been designed to cater to all combinations and permutations of guests. We slept in the Africa room, surrounded by leopard prints and animal skins which made us feel like we were on safari. We were lucky enough to spend four days here and were never at a loss for things to do. We swam in the pool, went for walks around the estate, played tennis, billiards and petanque and spent many hours reading, watching the huge TV, eating or just being horizontal in the myriad places provided for just such a position.

The villa driver is on call for 10 hours a day (at a very reasonable charge) so do take advantage of the service to get out and see the local area. We had a great time sightseeing, including an outing to observe some of the infamous ‘netherworld’ tourism that Thailand is famous for.

Note: Guests at The Tamarind can also use the facilities of the adjacent Buraran Clubhouse (unless already occupied) with its two tennis courts, 16 x 9.5m swimming pool, additional 9m kids’ pool, and seminar room with drop-down screen projector and WiFi. There are six bedrooms here, which can be rented by the room to accommodate any overflow of guests at The Tamarind, up to a total of 12.