Villa Eterna

Villa Eterna, formerly known as The Peak, is a five-bedroom sea-view villa of 600 square metres — the largest of the estate's five-bedroom houses and one of the roomiest properties in Choeng Mon at this level.

The bedrooms are arranged as four kings and a twin, all five en-suite, with a further guest toilet. That configuration handles most shapes of group without argument: two or three couples with children, or a multi-generation family who need a twin room somewhere in the mix and would rather not put two adults in a double.

The private pool and terrace look north over the bay towards Koh Fan. Inside, the scale of the place does the work — there is simply enough room that a group of ten is not permanently in one another's way, which is not always true of villas that sleep the same number on a tighter footprint. The living and dining areas open onto the terrace, and the kitchen is fully fitted for self-catering with full-size appliances, dishwasher and coffee machine.

For groups who would rather not cook, the villa's Thai chef prepares breakfast at 500 THB per person per day, or takes on the full day at 2,500 THB with guests covering the shopping. At ten guests that is usually both cheaper and far less trouble than three restaurant meals a day.

Eterna sits within a gated, government-licensed estate of 43 rai with 24-hour security and its own management and maintenance team on site seven days a week. The clubhouse and its 24-hour gym are included in the rate, as is the tennis court by the entrance, and a complimentary shuttle runs twice daily down to Choeng Mon beach.

Choeng Mon is shallow and calm, one of the gentler beaches on Samui and a genuinely good one for young children, with restaurants and a morning market set back behind it. Fisherman's Village at Bophut, the Big Buddha and Bangrak pier for the Koh Phangan and Koh Tao boats are a short drive, and the airport is close enough that transfers never eat into the holiday.