Baan Samlarn is just the place or anyone looking to completely unwind. Perhaps your idea of relaxing is immersing yourself into a good book while lazing beside the pool, or under a coconut palm with the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand gently lapping at your feet. Perhaps it's spending time with family and friends, and catching up on news without outside distractions. Maybe your ideal break involves not lifting a finger – not even to cook. Whichever it is, Baan Samlarn, will not disappoint.
This five-bedroom villa has a great choice of places to gather as a group, including the 12-seater breakfast table and a shady sala overlooking the sea. In the living room there are plenty of couches to curl up on over a glass of wine, or you can enjoy a chess-challenge at the games table. But if you tire of company, you'll find equally as many spots to retreat to, be it the armchair in your bedroom, or a candlelit bubble bath in your ensuite. With attentive staff led by manager Khun Fon, every whim is catered for. A continental breakfast is included in the rate, as are the chef's services for all other meals (Ingredients are charged at cost plus 20%). There's a recommended menu with both Thai and western options, but they're flexible and willing to make just about anything, and the chef enjoys giving impromptu cooking lessons to guests.
Baan Samlarn gives a sense of space that anyone who's been cooped up in a cramped city environment will be sure to appreciate. Rooms are large, ceilings vaulted and windows tall, letting in lots of light to add to the airiness. Strategically placed speakers allow music to flow through the villa and outdoor areas should you wish, or enjoy the peaceful surrounds.
The quality of finishes and furnishings is impressive, and Khun Fon's little touches add to the effect too, with flower arrangements, and blossoms resting on pillows and baths. Three beautiful spirit houses are a focal point on the lawn overlooking the sea, and Khun Fon enjoys sharing her knowledge with guests who are curious about these and other elements of Thai culture.
Baan Samlarn is one of six villas on the award-winning Dhevatara Cove estate on Samui's less-developed west coast. The villa has direct access to Lipa Noi beach, where the sea is good for swimming, and the sands are free of vendors and rowdy bars. You'll see locals fishing and gathering shellfish, or perhaps a water buffalo being led by its handler along the beach. To the left are views of the Five Islands, and only 200m to the right, is the Raja Ferry Pier: you can watch the ferries from the mainland come and go from the comfort of your sun lounger.
Walk through Baan Samlarn’s ornate gate, and get lost in a world of tranquillity, comfort, and style. Cross the stepping-stones that bridge the koi pond and enter through large wooden doors, to a vaulted, open-sided dining area with a 12-seater wooden table, complete with leather dining chairs. The room has an elevated view of the water features, garden, indigo-tiled pool and gently lapping waves below. To the left is the well-equipped kitchen (although, with a full-time chef on hand, you’re unlikely to spend much time in here).
To the right of the entrance hall/breakfast room, is a double-storey accommodation wing. Downstairs are two bedrooms, one with a king-size bed, which opens to a covered terrace and the other with twin beds overlooking the garden and pond. A winding staircase leads to the master bedroom, with a four-poster, canopied king-size bed and a second twin room. A few steps along from the breakfast room is the king-bedded fifth bedroom.
All bedrooms are air conditioned and all have ensuite bathrooms. Twin rooms have large indoor showers, while king rooms have indoor and garden showers as well as large bathtubs. Bedrooms are tastefully furnished with wood and rattan furniture, each with its own subtle colour scheme, and all have flat-screen satellite TVs and DVD players.
To the left of the swimming pool lies the living pavilion. Stack-away doors open to the pool deck and a covered patio where couches overlook the garden and beach. This pavilion's architecture matches the main house, with a Thai-style pitched rood incorporating a vaulted ceiling and gently swinging ceiling fans. With its games table, complete with a selection of board games, large TV, aged-leather armchairs and an over-sized rattan couch to flop onto, this room is designed for relaxation and socialising. Bold artwork and feature lamps complete the homely feel.
On the beachfront, a sala houses yet another sitting area, plus a dining table for ten, ideal for a festive meal. No less than 12 loungers flank the swimming pool (some of them double size) so fighting for a place in the sun won’t be necessary.
BEDROOM 1
King
4.8m x 5.4m
BEDROOM 2
Double
4m x 4.75m
BEDROOM 3
King
4.6m x 5.4m
BEDROOM 4
Double
4m x 4.5m
BEDROOM 5
King
4.7m x 5.4m
