Palm trees, turquoise sea, long-tail boats and temples are the images most people conjure up when imagining the perfect Thai scene. At Leelawadee, the palms, ocean and boats are right on your doorstep, and Big Buddha temple glistens in the sun across the bay – so there’s no doubting where you are.
From your comfortable lounger by the pool or in the sala, you can enjoy watching the fishermen going about their daily business, setting up their nets, hunting for shellfish at low tide and heading off to fish for squid as the sun sets. And with a private chef on hand to prepare delicious Thai (or Western) dishes, what could be better than a beachside barbecue, with the catch of the day fresh from the sea.
With five detached pavilions, Baan Leelawadee appears a little fragmented at first, but in reality it flows very well as most of the ‘walls’ are actually glass stack-away doors. So from the kitchen you can look straight through the dining room to the living room and beyond to the pool and sala. The master suite opens directly to the pool deck, but a choice of filter or blackout curtains provide privacy. Although the other three bedrooms don’t offer sea views, they do look out over the tropical garden, and it’s only a few steps to the beachside sala and pool.
The villa’s manager, Khun Bamboo, drifts between Leelawadee and two other villas in Dhevatara Residence, but he’s on hand should you need him to arrange a masseuse to come to the villa or any other concierge services. A full-time housekeeper (plus garden and pool staff) maintains the villa, and as part of the Dhevatara Residence estate, Leelawadee benefits from 24-hour security too. A continental breakfast is included in the villa rate and your private chef is on hand to prepare lunch and dinner with provisions charged at cost plus 20%. Should you prefer to eat out and explore the surroundings, Leelawadee is within easy access of restaurants, bars and shops.
Baan Leelawadee is located in the small, upmarket Dhevatara Residence estate, on the border of Bophut and Mae Nam (see also 4-bedroom villas Baan Ratree and Baan Bua Sawan ). To the left of Leelawadee is another of the estate’s villas, and to the right, an open plot of land, used as a thoroughfare by the local fishermen (They don’t disturb at all). The area in front of the villa is used by the fishermen to sort their nets and moor their long-tail boats and while the beach is nice and sandy, it’s rocky below the water line and so not good for swimming. Bophut beach, however, is pleasant and lined with restaurants, bars and resorts, and is only a kilometre away.
Leelawadee consists of a compound of five pavilions connected by covered walkways and stepping-stones over a fishpond, set in a well-manicured tropical garden. To the left of the parking area is the first pavilion, housing two bedrooms, one with a queen bed and one with twin beds. On the other side of the entrance, and up a few stairs, is the third guest bedroom, which is also queen-bedded. Each of these rooms has a mosaic-tiled ensuite bathroom with rain shower.
The master suite lies just beyond the first bedroom pavilion, overlooking the pool and the sea. This room boasts an impressive draped four-poster bed as well as a large ensuite bathroom with bathtub and rain shower. All four bedrooms have TVs (DVD and cable TV channels), and all are tastefully furnished with Thai art and soft furnishings. Blackout curtains, air-con and comfortable bedding ensure a good night’s sleep.
Adjacent to the master suite are two communal pavilions where guests can gather over meals or to relax. The open-plan kitchen and dining room is furnished with an eight-seater wooden dining table, and the fully equipped modern kitchen has a breakfast counter with four chairs, ideal for watching your private chef create delicious meals. The kitchen and dining pavilion leads to the living room via stepping-stones over a tranquil fishpond. The simply but tastefully furnished living room has a comfortable taupe lounge-suite with turquoise scatters to match the ocean backdrop. Sculptures, a coffee table, a shaggy rug and wispy white curtains make this a comfortable room for relaxing or watching TV (DVD and satellite channels). Glass stack-away doors open on three sides, leading to both the pool deck and the garden.
A blue-tiled swimming pool spans almost the full width of the villa’s frontage, set in a wooden deck and overlooking the beach. Four sun-loungers are positioned to enjoy the tropical sun, yet umbrellas offer shade when needed. Flanking the pool is a relaxation sala with a comfortable daybed from which to enjoy the view across the bay, and in front of that, two more sun-loungers look down on the boats. A few steps and a gate lead to the beach below.
BEDROOM 1
King
9m x 5m
BEDROOM 2
Queen
5m x 5m
BEDROOM 3
Twin
5m x 5m
BEDROOM 4
Queen
4.5m x 3.5m
