Christmas might not seem all that close, but with less than 100 days to go, the season is nearly upon us. And who wouldn’t love to treat their favourite people to a Thai getaway complete with a stunning villa and a private pool? To help get your holiday organised, we’ve rounded up some fantastic family-friendly villas in Koh Samui.
Villa Natha – Watch Santa come in from your hilltop perch
Where: Chaweng, Koh Samui
What: Villa Natha is a five-bedroom villa within the exclusive Narayan Heights Estate.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Have a restless child? Well, come here, and the restlessness will turn to pure exhaustion. Even better, you’ll be able to cut loose the part of you that might be a bit of a Scrooge, toss your phone aside and enjoy a quiet Christmas in the lap of luxury.
What You’ll Love: From the hillside location, you’ll get to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the coast – we highly recommend the 23-metre L-shaped infinity pool as a vantage point. Plus, there’s a shallow end for kids – they’ll be perfectly happy splashing around. The interiors were thoughtfully designed and furnished, so even the most work-weary individual will find Villa Natha to be a refreshing spot to unwind.
In regards to keeping your family occupied, Villa Natha is a gem. One of the bedrooms is attached to a fully equipped gym (probably not for the kids), and there’s a private cinema decked with plush seats, a large projector screen and surround sound system (definitely for the kids). And, of course, there is that infinity pool everyone will be loving.
Plus, full-length sliding glass door panels, extensive terraces, and the minimalist interiors of each guest room ensure that the villa is always full of natural light – helping to aid your digital detox and spending a happier holiday with the family.
What’s Nearby: Villa Natha is located up on a hill in Choeng Mon. The villa is no more than 10 minutes from Samui Airport in normal traffic conditions. The beach club and restaurant strip along Chaweng Beach is 10 minutes away. There are also other attractions like Fisherman’s Village and the widely loved and child-adored Samui Elephant Sanctuary nearby.
Learn more about Villa Natha here.
Ban Kinaree – Trading wreaths for palm trees
Where: Bophut, Koh Samui
What: Ban Kinaree is a five-bedroom, five-bathroom ocean view villa upon a hill.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Tuck yourself away into a quiet corner of the world and come out of this Christmas feeling impossibly refreshed – we’d imagine that’d be a post-baby first! The kids will be spending their days running around the lush tropical gardens so that you can take a minute or two and zen out as tropical breezes wash on over you.
What You’ll Love: When you need privacy and want to nestle yourself high in the trees, Ban Kinaree delivers. The getaway is sprawled across three separate pavilions and levels, featuring a 19.5-metre swimming pool, an alfresco dining area, and breathtaking views overlooking the bay and the villa’s lush landscaped garden.
The villa design is a balanced mix of traditional Thai style and modern tropical design. The rooms are very spacious, assuring much-needed privacy for every guest. There are high ceilings and dark wood accents in each room. The outdoor shower in the master bedroom is a bathroom highlight.
The whole family will love swimming in the infinity pool at the end of a long day. With lush gardens surrounding the villa, the sound of the cicadas and crickets will serenade you each evening.
Read also: Kid-Friendly Activities in Samui
What’s Nearby: Ban Kinaree is just a 15-minute drive from the airport and 10 minutes to Fisherman’s Village, an area full of old Chinese shophouses that have been transformed into boutique hotels, eateries, cafes and bars – many of which sit right on the beach.
Learn more about Ban Kinaree here.
Baan Leelawadee – Await Santa’s arrival on a white sand beach
Where: Bophut, Samui
What: Baan Leelawadee is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom beachfront villa in the exclusive Dhevatara Residence.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: If you’re staying at Baan Leelawadee, either you’re having a peaceful, small family affair or you’re having a massive blow-out with all your relatives, including your fourth-cousin-twice-removed on your mother’s side.
Baan Leelawadee is one of eight villas in the Dhevatara Residence. You can book it on its own for a sleepy holiday or with any of the other seven villas to make lots of noise.
What You’ll Love: Private saltwater pool and direct beach access!
More than that, you’ll love how comfortable, yet luxurious Baan Leelawadee is. Every bedroom in the villa has its own appeal – the four-poster beds set the mood, and each room opens up to the pool deck or a little garden. The entire villa was decorated to create a chic, relaxed space for holiday-goers.
And the bathtub in the master ensuite – it’s heavenly.
Also, the poolside/beachfront sala is the perfect place for you to sit back and enjoy a book while simultaneously watching the kids (because you’re undoubtedly an expert multi-tasker).
What’s Nearby: Baan Leelawadee has direct access to a quiet stretch of white sand beach with crystal clear waters. Further down that same beach (about 5 minutes by car) is the main bustling Bophut area. In Bophut you’ll find the restaurants, shops and the charming, must-visit Fisherman’s Village. The villa is just 20 minutes from Samui Airport.
Learn more about Ban Leelawadee here.
Villa Praison – A raucous get together for all the kids in your clan
Where: Layan, Phuket
What: A four-bedroom villa with a dorm room for kids, five bathrooms and a powder room for eight adults and eight children.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Loud, boisterous but wholly refreshing – the type of Christmas where, between the dorm room for eight kids, the 12.5-metre pool, outdoor living spaces and game room, everyone will be having too much fun to sleep.
What You’ll Love: Villa Praison is breathtaking. Between its idyllic setting with views over the lush forest and out to sea, and the ability to transition between formal living and utter relaxation, you can make whatever you want of a holiday here.
The upper-level of this two-story home shows off high ceilings. The three sliding-glass walls of the formal living room and its wraparound balcony are perfect for gazing over your kingdom – cocktail in hand.
The lower level is a world of casual fun. Outside, sit on a daybed within the shaded living sala, or dine out and let tropical breezes wash over. Take a dip within the 12.5 x 6-metre infinity pool that extends past the deck. Inside, step back into the game room, which is equipped with two lounge areas and pool table, making it the perfect place for everyone to spend the evening hours.
Read also: 21 Family-Friendly Activities in Phuket that Kids will love
What’s Nearby: Located in an exclusive estate and set on a clifftop against the backdrop of Phuket’s Northwest Coast, Villa Praison is just down the road from Trisara Phuket and Banana Beach. The gang can tee off at Laguna Golf Phuket which is 6 kilometres away. The airport is just 10 kilometres away.
Learn more about Villa Praison here.
Baan Samlarn – Christmas cheer spread with waves for all to hear
Where: Lipa Noi, Samui
What: Baan Samlarn features five spacious bedrooms with five bathrooms. The bedrooms are split into two double and twin rooms and one master suite.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Calm, romantic, but with the sound of laughter all around. Either enjoy it with your immediate family or get everyone you love together.
One of six villas within the Dhevatara Cove Estate, Baan Samlarn, can be booked alone or with some of the others!
What You’ll Love: The panoramic sunset views of the Gulf of Thailand are hard to beat. Add on the direct beach access, expansive outdoor living spaces, stylishly decorated interiors, and traditional Ayutthaya architectural style with high-end modern conveniences, and you’ll have your paradise.
Ideal for families, inside, you’ll love its fabulous great room housed in a pavilion that features French doors, a high vaulted ceiling and abundant natural light streaming in through cathedral windows, opening out onto the pool and oceanfront lawn.
Outside, it’s all about the large swimming pool, with a waterfall feature that the kids will most definitely use to splash each other about. Then there is the hot tub for relaxing with a glass of wine once the kids have gone to bed.
What’s Nearby: Baan Samlarn is tucked away on the quiet Western Coast of Koh Samui on the white sands of Lipa Noi – one of the island’s few year-round swimmable beaches. If you feel like pulling yourself away from the conveniences of the villa’s beach and pool, the attractions in the Lipa Noi and neighbouring Taling Ngam region include the Samui Zipline, Na Mueang Waterfalls and Secret Buddha Garden. The airport is 45 kilometres away.
Learn more about Baan Samlarn here.
Mullion Cove – Are those reindeer or kids splashing around?
Where: Bophut, Koh Samui
What: Named after a quiet harbour in Cornwall, England, Mullion Cove is a four-bedroom villa for eight.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Cool and laid-back is the best way to describe how you’ll feel in this Tuscan-esque villa on a hill. In this quiet and private oasis overlooking Bophut and Fisherman’s Village, you’ll find that the only sounds around are the shouts of children happily playing in the shallows of the villa’s 11.6-metre pool.
Read also: Dine your way through Koh Samui’s Fisherman’s Village at these 12 Eateries
What You’ll Love: The views for days are to die for. You can see far and away to the north, and the “I Spy” potentials are (and may seem) neverending.
The pool with shallow area for the kids is the perfect place to spend the day, and you can catch up on all your reading in the poolside sun loungers.
The interiors are elegant, with lots of white and cream accents, ensuring the rooms all feel big and open.
What’s Nearby: Located on a hill in Bophut, Mullion Cove is perfect if you love beaches, shopping at lively night markets and bars. The main area of Bophut is around 10 minutes from the villa by car, and the airport is just 20 minutes away.
Learn more about Mullion Cove here.
Motsamot – Your Elf on a Shelf may have too many adventures to recount
Where: Choeng Mon, Koh Samui
What: Motsamot is a secluded Thai-style villa with five-bedrooms and room for ten.
The Christmas You’ll Be Having: Motsamot is an unparalleled treasure trove. The villa is full of plants and trees, and water features perfect for ensuring that your Elf on a Shelf (and subsequently older children – the water features are unprotected so not the best for toddlers) gets to embark on all sorts of adventures with endless places to explore.
What You’ll Love: It’s a warm, unpretentious villa – it’s not fussy or overdone. (It’s so wonderfully unpretentious that it is perfect if you have kids with boundless energy that like to crash into things). The abundance of greenery lends it a soothing vibe, and there’s just So. Much. Space.
You’ll love meditating by the restful water features, while others enjoy the large freeform swimming pool. There’s also two fully equipped kitchens, alfresco verandas, high vaulted timber ceilings, and elegant decor. All the bedrooms are decorated with elegant simplicity and have lovely en-suite bathrooms. Spread across one accessible level, and with a generous pool, Motsamot is perfect for families with elderly adults too.
What’s Nearby: From Motsamot it’s a five-minute drive to Choeng Mon beach. Choeng Mon has some of the best sand in Samui, and there is a bustling high street with restaurants and shops. The villa is also a ten-minute drive from the famous Chaweng beach and its stretch of restaurants and nightlife.
Learn more about Motsamot here.
What are you doing for Christmas?
