With a warm yet elegant style, caring staff and a peaceful location on a lush hillside, Baan Surin Sawan is an all-round superb tropical holiday villa. Though the Surin hills area is becoming more built up, this villa remains well out of the fray and we were delighted to see many birds and butterflies flitting over the pool, even a squirrel scampering around in the palm trees. The trickle of flowing water and the light tinkling of brass temple bells in the breeze, made a soothing soundtrack to our stay.

The friendly, efficient service by the villa manager and chef (overseen by a professional management company) is complemented by the care of the owner’s long-term live-in maid. Thoughtful touches included being welcomed with a cold coconut drink, refreshing towels and a garland on arrival and being offered the owner’s own homemade muesli mix at breakfast (quite tasty by the way). The full-time chef specialises in Thai cuisine and we were given the chance to try some of her Southern Thai specialties including the delicious poh-pia pak (spring rolls with spicy dipping sauce). We selected our dishes individually but there’s a fixed-price set meal menu, too, which we’d recommend as a good sampler to try for guests unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. The dining room is rather grand in design and perfect for evening meals. For outdoor dining there’s a table in the back garden barbecue area and the poolside sala could be used for an informal meal. If we’d stayed longer we would have probably arranged to have the garden table brought out to the pool terrace so we could enjoy the sea views while dining alfresco.

The overall layout of the villa offers a good set-up for two families or an extended family. The entertainment room and pantry plus two ensuite bedrooms on the bottom floor give the feel of being in a separate apartment with plenty of privacy, though we expect couples might battle for the upstairs master suite, which sits majestically in its own poolside pavilion with the best sea views!