Ten minutes after arriving at Baan Jakawan we found ourselves planning a party with celebrity guests. After an hour, the party had started (who needs celebrities?). Surrounded by a cool combination of luxury, nature and high-end technology, we hardly missed the beach, even though we could see one from virtually every point in the villa (there are some properties under construction nearby, but as yet, none spoil the views).

The chef's extensive repertoire covered everyone's taste and from the fresh and filling breakfast, right through to post-dinner drinks, the knowledgeable English-speaking villa manager and her diligent staff made sure we never felt ignored (although the one night we did head out for dinner, there was no-one around on our return). The music and visuals in the lounge caused initial consternation, because no-one could work out which remote to use, but once we had the iPod pumping soothing tunes into the views, such minor irritations disappeared. Bedroom-wise, we preferred the upper level suite to the more luxuriously appointed master, mainly because of its dramatic location and views, which made waking up an absolute pleasure. Having said that, the bathroom in the master is definitely a cut above, with a double rain shower that could rekindle even the most jaded romantic flame.

For adventurous types, a hire car is a must. With one, you're ten minutes from the bright lights and endless dining and shopping choices along Chaweng Beach (east) or the more sedate, beachside pleasures of Choeng Mon (west). There are two or three resorts with beachside restaurants quite close to the villa but with a wide selection of dishes on the in-villa suggestion menu, eating in is a much more appealing option. The lack of a gym may concern more active guests, but the provision of a proper lap pool and the many steps at the villa more than justify your next meal.

Overall, Baan Jakawan stands out as an ideal private escape – especially for a group of friends or families with older children. What's more, the attractive rates allow you to celebrate your good fortune in memorable style!

Ten minutes after arriving at Baan Jakawan we found ourselves planning a party with celebrity guests. After an hour, the party had started (who needs celebrities?). Surrounded by a cool combination of luxury, nature and high-end technology, we hardly missed the beach, even though we could see one from virtually every point in the villa (there are some properties under construction nearby, but as yet, none spoil the views).

The chef's extensive repertoire covered everyone's taste and from the fresh and filling breakfast, right through to post-dinner drinks, the knowledgeable English-speaking villa manager and her diligent staff made sure we never felt ignored (although the one night we did head out for dinner, there was no-one around on our return). The music and visuals in the lounge caused initial consternation, because no-one could work out which remote to use, but once we had the iPod pumping soothing tunes into the views, such minor irritations disappeared. Bedroom-wise, we preferred the upper level suite to the more luxuriously appointed master, mainly because of its dramatic location and views, which made waking up an absolute pleasure. Having said that, the bathroom in the master is definitely a cut above, with a double rain shower that could rekindle even the most jaded romantic flame.

For adventurous types, a hire car is a must. With one, you're ten minutes from the bright lights and endless dining and shopping choices along Chaweng Beach (east) or the more sedate, beachside pleasures of Choeng Mon (west). There are two or three resorts with beachside restaurants quite close to the villa but with a wide selection of dishes on the in-villa suggestion menu, eating in is a much more appealing option. The lack of a gym may concern more active guests, but the provision of a proper lap pool and the many steps at the villa more than justify your next meal.

Overall, Baan Jakawan stands out as an ideal private escape – especially for a group of friends or families with older children. What's more, the attractive rates allow you to celebrate your good fortune in memorable style!

Ten minutes after arriving at Baan Jakawan we found ourselves planning a party with celebrity guests. After an hour, the party had started (who needs celebrities?). Surrounded by a cool combination of luxury, nature and high-end technology, we hardly missed the beach, even though we could see one from virtually every point in the villa (there are some properties under construction nearby, but as yet, none spoil the views).

The chef's extensive repertoire covered everyone's taste and from the fresh and filling breakfast, right through to post-dinner drinks, the knowledgeable English-speaking villa manager and her diligent staff made sure we never felt ignored (although the one night we did head out for dinner, there was no-one around on our return). The music and visuals in the lounge caused initial consternation, because no-one could work out which remote to use, but once we had the iPod pumping soothing tunes into the views, such minor irritations disappeared. Bedroom-wise, we preferred the upper level suite to the more luxuriously appointed master, mainly because of its dramatic location and views, which made waking up an absolute pleasure. Having said that, the bathroom in the master is definitely a cut above, with a double rain shower that could rekindle even the most jaded romantic flame.

For adventurous types, a hire car is a must. With one, you're ten minutes from the bright lights and endless dining and shopping choices along Chaweng Beach (east) or the more sedate, beachside pleasures of Choeng Mon (west). There are two or three resorts with beachside restaurants quite close to the villa but with a wide selection of dishes on the in-villa suggestion menu, eating in is a much more appealing option. The lack of a gym may concern more active guests, but the provision of a proper lap pool and the many steps at the villa more than justify your next meal.

Overall, Baan Jakawan stands out as an ideal private escape – especially for a group of friends or families with older children. What's more, the attractive rates allow you to celebrate your good fortune in memorable style!

Ten minutes after arriving at Baan Jakawan we found ourselves planning a party with celebrity guests. After an hour, the party had started (who needs celebrities?). Surrounded by a cool combination of luxury, nature and high-end technology, we hardly missed the beach, even though we could see one from virtually every point in the villa (there are some properties under construction nearby, but as yet, none spoil the views).

The chef's extensive repertoire covered everyone's taste and from the fresh and filling breakfast, right through to post-dinner drinks, the knowledgeable English-speaking villa manager and her diligent staff made sure we never felt ignored (although the one night we did head out for dinner, there was no-one around on our return). The music and visuals in the lounge caused initial consternation, because no-one could work out which remote to use, but once we had the iPod pumping soothing tunes into the views, such minor irritations disappeared. Bedroom-wise, we preferred the upper level suite to the more luxuriously appointed master, mainly because of its dramatic location and views, which made waking up an absolute pleasure. Having said that, the bathroom in the master is definitely a cut above, with a double rain shower that could rekindle even the most jaded romantic flame.

For adventurous types, a hire car is a must. With one, you're ten minutes from the bright lights and endless dining and shopping choices along Chaweng Beach (east) or the more sedate, beachside pleasures of Choeng Mon (west). There are two or three resorts with beachside restaurants quite close to the villa but with a wide selection of dishes on the in-villa suggestion menu, eating in is a much more appealing option. The lack of a gym may concern more active guests, but the provision of a proper lap pool and the many steps at the villa more than justify your next meal.

Overall, Baan Jakawan stands out as an ideal private escape – especially for a group of friends or families with older children. What's more, the attractive rates allow you to celebrate your good fortune in memorable style!

Our initial concern at the location soon gave way to satisfied sighs when we settled into Motsamot's appealing, natural surroundings. The serene forested setting and abundance of space more than compensated for the lack of beach or ocean views, and with 20m of cool blue pool to swim and splash around in we never felt an overpowering urge to get sand between our toes.

The villa's intriguing design touches and framed photographs of Asia not only make it feel homely, but also had us pointing out details to each other; playing 'guess the country of origin' as we admired the owner's well-travelled taste. It's hard to confine yourself to one spot at Motsamot and we definitely wished we'd come as a group to make the most of all the different lounging, dining and bathing options. The staff happily but unobtrusively followed us around, bringing us cool drinks as we switched from pool to sala to lounge and finally to the terrace. They even moved the furniture outside for us when we decided the latter was the best place to relax with a book. Having a rental car meant both Choeng Mon and Chaweng were an easy hop for dinner by the sea. During the day we survived on the filling breakfast (included) and then snacks we bought at the local minimart. Not a choice for seasoned beach freaks perhaps, but certainly a very comfortable and original villa if, like us, you like a bit of privacy, plus the freedom to come and go with ease.

Our initial concern at the location soon gave way to satisfied sighs when we settled into Motsamot's appealing, natural surroundings. The serene forested setting and abundance of space more than compensated for the lack of beach or ocean views, and with 20m of cool blue pool to swim and splash around in we never felt an overpowering urge to get sand between our toes.

The villa's intriguing design touches and framed photographs of Asia not only make it feel homely, but also had us pointing out details to each other; playing 'guess the country of origin' as we admired the owner's well-travelled taste. It's hard to confine yourself to one spot at Motsamot and we definitely wished we'd come as a group to make the most of all the different lounging, dining and bathing options. The staff happily but unobtrusively followed us around, bringing us cool drinks as we switched from pool to sala to lounge and finally to the terrace. They even moved the furniture outside for us when we decided the latter was the best place to relax with a book. Having a rental car meant both Choeng Mon and Chaweng were an easy hop for dinner by the sea. During the day we survived on the filling breakfast (included) and then snacks we bought at the local minimart. Not a choice for seasoned beach freaks perhaps, but certainly a very comfortable and original villa if, like us, you like a bit of privacy, plus the freedom to come and go with ease.

Our initial concern at the location soon gave way to satisfied sighs when we settled into Motsamot's appealing, natural surroundings. The serene forested setting and abundance of space more than compensated for the lack of beach or ocean views, and with 20m of cool blue pool to swim and splash around in we never felt an overpowering urge to get sand between our toes.

The villa's intriguing design touches and framed photographs of Asia not only make it feel homely, but also had us pointing out details to each other; playing 'guess the country of origin' as we admired the owner's well-travelled taste. It's hard to confine yourself to one spot at Motsamot and we definitely wished we'd come as a group to make the most of all the different lounging, dining and bathing options. The staff happily but unobtrusively followed us around, bringing us cool drinks as we switched from pool to sala to lounge and finally to the terrace. They even moved the furniture outside for us when we decided the latter was the best place to relax with a book. Having a rental car meant both Choeng Mon and Chaweng were an easy hop for dinner by the sea. During the day we survived on the filling breakfast (included) and then snacks we bought at the local minimart. Not a choice for seasoned beach freaks perhaps, but certainly a very comfortable and original villa if, like us, you like a bit of privacy, plus the freedom to come and go with ease.

A line from The Carpenters’ song: “I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation” pops into my mind as I lie on a sun lounger by the pool at Panorama Summit. Yet although we’re almost in the clouds, it’s only a short (but admittedly steep) drive to the village and pristine beach below. Nothing obscures the view here – even the hedges of white bougainvillea are perfectly trimmed to knee-height so you look over the pretty blossoms, past the coconut plantations, to the glistening temples and beyond to the sailboats in the bay.

And the view doesn’t fade with the sunset. At night you can see the village lights, a green glow from the squid fishing boats, fireworks from the beach resorts and, if you’re as lucky as we were, spectacular flashes of ‘dry lightning’. One of our favourite places to enjoy the view was from the front edge of the infinity pool, perhaps not ideal for those who suffer from vertigo though.

When we felt the need to pay for our over-indulgence at one of the many excellent local seafood restaurants, a friendly game of tennis (racket and ball hire available at the office) at the estate’s shared court, or a walk down to the beach – and back – did the trick.

We enjoyed delicious continental breakfasts prepared by the resident housekeeper, but if you want a cooked breakfast (or a private chef to prepare any other meal), this can easily be arranged for a reasonable fee plus provisions charged at cost plus 15%. Khun Pee, the villa manager, will gladly help you arrange a chef and can take care of many other concierge services too, be it an in-house massage or a boat trip to one of Samui’s outlying islands.

A line from The Carpenters’ song: “I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation” pops into my mind as I lie on a sun lounger by the pool at Panorama Summit. Yet although we’re almost in the clouds, it’s only a short (but admittedly steep) drive to the village and pristine beach below. Nothing obscures the view here – even the hedges of white bougainvillea are perfectly trimmed to knee-height so you look over the pretty blossoms, past the coconut plantations, to the glistening temples and beyond to the sailboats in the bay.

And the view doesn’t fade with the sunset. At night you can see the village lights, a green glow from the squid fishing boats, fireworks from the beach resorts and, if you’re as lucky as we were, spectacular flashes of ‘dry lightning’. One of our favourite places to enjoy the view was from the front edge of the infinity pool, perhaps not ideal for those who suffer from vertigo though.

When we felt the need to pay for our over-indulgence at one of the many excellent local seafood restaurants, a friendly game of tennis (racket and ball hire available at the office) at the estate’s shared court, or a walk down to the beach – and back – did the trick.

We enjoyed delicious continental breakfasts prepared by the resident housekeeper, but if you want a cooked breakfast (or a private chef to prepare any other meal), this can easily be arranged for a reasonable fee plus provisions charged at cost plus 15%. Khun Pee, the villa manager, will gladly help you arrange a chef and can take care of many other concierge services too, be it an in-house massage or a boat trip to one of Samui’s outlying islands.

A line from The Carpenters’ song: “I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation” pops into my mind as I lie on a sun lounger by the pool at Panorama Summit. Yet although we’re almost in the clouds, it’s only a short (but admittedly steep) drive to the village and pristine beach below. Nothing obscures the view here – even the hedges of white bougainvillea are perfectly trimmed to knee-height so you look over the pretty blossoms, past the coconut plantations, to the glistening temples and beyond to the sailboats in the bay.

And the view doesn’t fade with the sunset. At night you can see the village lights, a green glow from the squid fishing boats, fireworks from the beach resorts and, if you’re as lucky as we were, spectacular flashes of ‘dry lightning’. One of our favourite places to enjoy the view was from the front edge of the infinity pool, perhaps not ideal for those who suffer from vertigo though.

When we felt the need to pay for our over-indulgence at one of the many excellent local seafood restaurants, a friendly game of tennis (racket and ball hire available at the office) at the estate’s shared court, or a walk down to the beach – and back – did the trick.

We enjoyed delicious continental breakfasts prepared by the resident housekeeper, but if you want a cooked breakfast (or a private chef to prepare any other meal), this can easily be arranged for a reasonable fee plus provisions charged at cost plus 15%. Khun Pee, the villa manager, will gladly help you arrange a chef and can take care of many other concierge services too, be it an in-house massage or a boat trip to one of Samui’s outlying islands.