Baan Tawan Chai

Zu's place, Baan Tawan Chai in Koh Samui, felt like home during our four-week stay. We came as guests and left as friends. The quiet southern part of the island suited us, since many places, bars, and restaurants in the north were still closed because of Covid. It felt more local and rural, with coconut harvesters, monkeys collecting coconuts, and cows grazing around the estate. The kids loved watching the monkeys. The villa's layout is beautiful, and the separate bungalows gave our two families and children plenty of privacy. Each family had its own space. Every bedroom has a bathroom with a fantastic outdoor shower. The central bungalow has the main living area and a great view across the pool to the ocean. You can open the floor-to-ceiling windows all around and enjoy the garden and the coconut trees rustling in the wind. Hawa, the Villa manager, looked after us throughout. She communicated quickly and well, drove us to the supermarket since we'd only rented a scooter, arranged food delivery every day, and found Pin, a great Thai massage woman, to come every couple of days. Thank you to Nun and your mother for cooking such delicious food. Hawa helped with whatever we needed. Since schools in Thailand were still closed because of Covid, she brought her daughter along every day, and all the kids had a lovely time playing together. We all enjoyed the slow, lazy pace and will return to Zu's place. It was even better than we'd hoped.

We spent New Year's Eve in Koh Samui with our family at Baan Tawan Chai, and were so glad we chose it. We drove around the island and looked at other places we'd considered, but this quiet villa was the right choice. Most of the time we had the beach to ourselves. The neighbors' dogs worried us at first because we had a young child, but they turned out to be very friendly and eventually greeted us like their owners when we came back from sightseeing. There are four separate bedrooms, each with its own outdoor shower, plus separate living spaces. We spent most of our time in the kitchen, where cooking together helped us bond as a Thai family. The villa was fully equipped with all the essentials, and there's also a TV room. Hawa, the villa manager, lives nearby and was responsive and attentive. She checked on us every day, offered help with anything we needed, and was available when called. Unlike rentals where you get supplies at check-in and then never hear from the owner or manager again, Hawa treated us like family and made us feel we had a friend on the island. Zu, the owner, was overseas but made time to speak with us by phone, which showed how much she and Hawa care about their renters. We had a great stay and recommend it if you're after a secluded place in Koh Samui.

A lovely experience. If you're hoping for a good vacation, you won't be disappointed staying here.

A great trip, and the house was lovely.