Bold and bright, Villa Essenza has a futuristic design, yet the ambiance is cheerful, relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting. It’s easy to settle in, whip open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne that you’ll crack open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches. The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced. Though families are welcome, the sophisticated Sava leans more towards groups of adults – more ‘hen party’ hang-out than mother hens’ nest. We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the elaborate entertainment system, barbecue facilities, the chef and the divine open layout, a garden soiree is a must-do here. We were told that all the holiday villas in this estate have played host to some great events and weddings, and the management company can liaise with local event planners to help with larger events needing more staff and services.

With its six bedrooms arranged in two separate wings, the villa’s ideally laid out for two families or groups wanting to share a holiday without being on top of one another. Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, the villa is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway. Yet under the starlit tropical sky, cocktail in hand, with only the lapping waves disturbing the silence, it felt as though we had the whole beach, indeed the whole world, all to ourselves. Bliss.

Bold and bright, Villa Essenza has a futuristic design, yet the ambiance is cheerful, relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting. It’s easy to settle in, whip open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne that you’ll crack open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches. The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced. Though families are welcome, the sophisticated Sava leans more towards groups of adults – more ‘hen party’ hang-out than mother hens’ nest. We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the elaborate entertainment system, barbecue facilities, the chef and the divine open layout, a garden soiree is a must-do here. We were told that all the holiday villas in this estate have played host to some great events and weddings, and the management company can liaise with local event planners to help with larger events needing more staff and services.

With its six bedrooms arranged in two separate wings, the villa’s ideally laid out for two families or groups wanting to share a holiday without being on top of one another. Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, the villa is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway. Yet under the starlit tropical sky, cocktail in hand, with only the lapping waves disturbing the silence, it felt as though we had the whole beach, indeed the whole world, all to ourselves. Bliss.

We always appreciate daring design choices, especially when they work well to delight, surprise and soothe the senses. Villa Malee Sai’s ultramodern style forms this beautiful holiday home’s bold statement, but Asian design flourishes add the exclamation point. Yes, this villa’s pulsating with cool panache, a nice complement to the blinding-white beach lining its front.

The ambiance is both stylish and relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting. It’s easy to settle in, whip open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne that you’ll pop open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches. The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced. Families are welcome at all villas at Sava estate, but we felt Malee Sai was one of the most family-friendly with its cheerful décor and many games and toys. We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the elaborate entertainment system, barbecue facilities, the chef and the divine open layout, a garden soiree is a must-do here. We were told that all the holiday villas in this estate have played host to some great events and weddings, and the management company can liaise with local event planners to help with larger events needing more staff and services.

With its six bedrooms arranged in two separate wings, the villa is ideally laid out for two families or groups wanting to share a holiday without being on top of one another. Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, Villa Malee Sai is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway. Yet under the starlit tropical sky, cocktail in hand, with only the lapping waves disturbing the silence, it felt as though we had the whole beach, indeed the whole world, all to ourselves. Bliss.

We always appreciate daring design choices, especially when they work well to delight, surprise and soothe the senses. Villa Malee Sai’s ultramodern style forms this beautiful holiday home’s bold statement, but Asian design flourishes add the exclamation point. Yes, this villa’s pulsating with cool panache, a nice complement to the blinding-white beach lining its front.

The ambiance is both stylish and relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting. It’s easy to settle in, whip open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne that you’ll pop open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches. The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced. Families are welcome at all villas at Sava estate, but we felt Malee Sai was one of the most family-friendly with its cheerful décor and many games and toys. We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the elaborate entertainment system, barbecue facilities, the chef and the divine open layout, a garden soiree is a must-do here. We were told that all the holiday villas in this estate have played host to some great events and weddings, and the management company can liaise with local event planners to help with larger events needing more staff and services.

With its six bedrooms arranged in two separate wings, the villa is ideally laid out for two families or groups wanting to share a holiday without being on top of one another. Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, Villa Malee Sai is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway. Yet under the starlit tropical sky, cocktail in hand, with only the lapping waves disturbing the silence, it felt as though we had the whole beach, indeed the whole world, all to ourselves. Bliss.

Villa Roxo’s design has a modern edge, yet its ambiance is cheerful, relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting.  It’s easy to settle in, slide open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne you’ll crack open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches.  The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced.  Though families are welcome, the sophisticated Sava leans more towards groups of adults – more ‘hen party’ hang-out than nest for mother hens.  We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the chef and the divine open layout, a barbecue poolside soiree is a must-do here.  There’s very little to fault with this villa, though, if we really have to be picky, being in the second tier of the estate means it takes that extra few seconds to reach the beach, and views are partially blocked by the villas in the front row.  Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, Roxo is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway.  While we loved the sunny days, our favourite time was the evening, just after sunset.  Sipping a glass of wine while soaking our feet in the pool, gazing up at the sparkling night sky to the sound of the waves – ahh, those tranquil tropical nights are heavenly!

Villa Roxo’s design has a modern edge, yet its ambiance is cheerful, relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting.  It’s easy to settle in, slide open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as the champagne you’ll crack open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches.  The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced.  Though families are welcome, the sophisticated Sava leans more towards groups of adults – more ‘hen party’ hang-out than nest for mother hens.  We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the chef and the divine open layout, a barbecue poolside soiree is a must-do here.  There’s very little to fault with this villa, though, if we really have to be picky, being in the second tier of the estate means it takes that extra few seconds to reach the beach, and views are partially blocked by the villas in the front row.  Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, Roxo is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway.  While we loved the sunny days, our favourite time was the evening, just after sunset.  Sipping a glass of wine while soaking our feet in the pool, gazing up at the sparkling night sky to the sound of the waves – ahh, those tranquil tropical nights are heavenly!

Fun and flashy, Villa Aqua has a fantastic ultramodern design, yet the ambiance is cheerful, relaxed, and feels just right for the tropical setting. It’s easy to settle in, whip open the heavy glass doors and let the sea breezes flow as generously as that champagne that you’ll crack open to celebrate arriving at one of Thailand’s most beautiful, peaceful beaches. The staff are equally as cheerful, and the maid always seemed to magically arrive just when a glass needed filling or a towel sourced. Though families are welcome, the sophisticated Sava leans more towards groups of adults –more 'hen party' hang-out than a mother hens' nest. We didn’t party during our stay (we had work to do!) but with the fabulous entertainment system, the chef and the divine open layout, a barbecue poolside soiree is a must-do here. We were told that all the holiday villas in this estate have played host to some great events and weddings, and the management company can liaise with local event planners to help with larger events needing more staff and services.

There’s very little to fault with this villa, though, if we really have to be picky, being in the second tier of the estate means it takes that extra few seconds to reach the beach, and views are partially blocked by the villas in the front row. Although there’s plenty of privacy here, and peace and quiet abound in large doses, the villa is part of an estate so it lacks the feel of a total hideaway. While we loved the sunny days, our favourite time was the evening, just after sunset. Sipping a glass of wine while soaking our feet in the pool, gazing up at the sparkling night sky to the sound of the waves – ahh, those tranquil tropical nights are heavenly!

We had a very relaxing stay at The Pines. The first things to delight us were the shimmering sea views and the inviting large pool. The wooden interiors gave the villa a unique edge over others, and although simplicity rules at The Pines it did feel very luxurious indeed.

A family of four, we had plenty of space to sprawl, swim and socialise. Our teenage daughter enjoyed the entertainment room and she even had a go on the treadmill in the gym. The highlight for her was the pool where she seemed to spend hours ducking and darting around until the midday sunshine propelled her into the air-conditioned shade of the entertainment room to catch up with her buddies online.

We enjoyed the space available at the villa. Social evenings would be spent chatting in and around the pool, looking at the impressive book collection or just staring in wonder at the view with Gin and Tonic in hand. The pool and the sala overlooking the beach were our favourite places during the day and at sunset. The villa had ample shade so reclining on the sun loungers was something we could do for the majority of the day, reading, snoozing and enjoying the gentle sea breeze.

Having direct access to the beach was also a real hit. We enjoyed an early morning walk together as a family and watched the traditional fishing boats coming in with their fresh catch. We also snorkelled out to some rocks that were very close to the beach and saw an array of beautiful reef fish. A couple of colourful butterfly fish and a moorish idol played around and we saw some large rainbow-coloured parrot fish too.

All of the bedrooms were comfortable, and we had enough space for our luggage and clothes. I must say we fell in love with the large bathrooms. What a luxury, especially the stand-alone tub in the master.

The food was phenomenal, we didn’t make it out for dinner as the cook kept feeding us delicious food. The grilled salmon and Greek salad were a perfect combination and all the Thai delicious were a hit with the kids. The sea air made us want to go to bed early, but not before we did some stargazing. The lights are programmed to go off in the garden and beach-lawn areas at a certain time if no one is using the area, so due to the lack of light pollution we saw the sky at night as it should be, a vortex of swirling galaxies and shooting stars. This place is very special indeed.

We had a very relaxing stay at The Pines. The first things to delight us were the shimmering sea views and the inviting large pool. The wooden interiors gave the villa a unique edge over others, and although simplicity rules at The Pines it did feel very luxurious indeed.

A family of four, we had plenty of space to sprawl, swim and socialise. Our teenage daughter enjoyed the entertainment room and she even had a go on the treadmill in the gym. The highlight for her was the pool where she seemed to spend hours ducking and darting around until the midday sunshine propelled her into the air-conditioned shade of the entertainment room to catch up with her buddies online.

We enjoyed the space available at the villa. Social evenings would be spent chatting in and around the pool, looking at the impressive book collection or just staring in wonder at the view with Gin and Tonic in hand. The pool and the sala overlooking the beach were our favourite places during the day and at sunset. The villa had ample shade so reclining on the sun loungers was something we could do for the majority of the day, reading, snoozing and enjoying the gentle sea breeze.

Having direct access to the beach was also a real hit. We enjoyed an early morning walk together as a family and watched the traditional fishing boats coming in with their fresh catch. We also snorkelled out to some rocks that were very close to the beach and saw an array of beautiful reef fish. A couple of colourful butterfly fish and a moorish idol played around and we saw some large rainbow-coloured parrot fish too.

All of the bedrooms were comfortable, and we had enough space for our luggage and clothes. I must say we fell in love with the large bathrooms. What a luxury, especially the stand-alone tub in the master.

The food was phenomenal, we didn’t make it out for dinner as the cook kept feeding us delicious food. The grilled salmon and Greek salad were a perfect combination and all the Thai delicious were a hit with the kids. The sea air made us want to go to bed early, but not before we did some stargazing. The lights are programmed to go off in the garden and beach-lawn areas at a certain time if no one is using the area, so due to the lack of light pollution we saw the sky at night as it should be, a vortex of swirling galaxies and shooting stars. This place is very special indeed.

Those who dream of lording over their own little kingdom will relish staying at Andaman View, a lofty villa that feels completely remote and comes with such a wealth of services and facilities that you need never venture beyond its boundaries. Even being within a villa estate does not detract from the sense of seclusion, with a massive stone wall and a long driveway completely cutting off any view of neighbouring villas. The view is a huge attraction at this villa; so much so that we became eager early risers to make sure we caught the spectacular sunrise every morning during our visit.

We felt that the villa is better suited for families with older children or groups of adults since its entertainment and games are geared towards a more ‘mature’ crowd (drinking, dining, pool table), and the open swimming pool could be a bit of a hazard for active toddlers. Staying at Andaman View we really did feel like royalty, not only because it was like having our own private mini-castle to romp around in, but also because of all the inclusive services that kept us in pampered comfort throughout our stay. Having two meals a day prepared for us was a real treat, though we were sad we didn’t have enough time to indulge in a soothing treatment (available for a modest extra charge) on the villa’s own massage bed.

Happily, one thing that is not so princely about Andaman View is the price. This is one of the best-value villas we’ve visited in Phuket. Though the villa is officially located in Nai Harn, with the beach less than 10 minutes away by car, its position at the north end of the village makes it nearly as close to Kata beach (reached via a wonderful coastal drive around jungle-clad hills, and another favourite swimming spot for families) and Rawai beach – a must for Thai seafood with its row of casual restaurants lining the waterfront (pick any one, they’re all good!).