The sheer amount of space at Ban Suriya makes it feel like your own private resort. The 20m pool is great for either laps or a cooling dip, a fully-equipped gym features its own generous plunge pool and even a punch bag in case you bring any frustrations with you from the office. The comfortable games room boasts a shelf full of DVDs to watch on the 42-inch plasma screen TV, a Wii and Playstation, plus a good selection of books and board games. With an annex housing a twin bedroom and spacious bathroom, older kids or friends have the rare chance to enjoy the privacy of their own mini-villa.

Even with all six bedrooms occupied you'll only bump into each other if you want to. All the bedrooms have names (Shell, Peacock, Wave etc), which reflect the personality that's gone into their design. The free-standing bath tub in the master suite beckons romance, the poolside guest rooms slide open onto cool blue water, and the beachfront suite is a luxurious private retreat - inspired touches that add to the pleasure of the stay. Three massage areas (one outside, plus a dedicated spa room attached to the main living pavilion and a massage bed in the master suite) mean soothing treatments can easily become part of your day (extra charge). In the evenings, the unique addition of a pull-down projector screen transforms the lawn into an outdoor cinema, while those tired of celluloid can retreat to the peace of the sunken library or head up to the mezzanine lounge to sprawl or surf the net, or maybe even shoot some pool on the terrace. You can dine in the main villa, by the pool, in the tropical gardens or candlelit on the beach. The villa manageress leaves no request unmet, unobtrusive staff clean and prune, and a personal chef prepares tasty meals (on guest account) from a varied suggestion menu using freshly grown local herbs, fruit and vegetables from the villa’s own kitchen garden. Ban Suriya is a model for luxury island living and certainly deserves its reputation as one of the island's top villas.

Ban Suriya is at the centre of Lipa Noi's slightly busier, north-facing beach, but it is still a peaceful spot, home to a few local fishing families that moor their boats close to the shore and gather their nets for repairs in the shade of the coconut palms. On clear days you can enjoy fabulous views out to the Angthong Marine Park, while a short walk north brings you to some low key beach resorts and restaurants. The Nikki Beach Resort is also on this stretch of beach, but far enough away to remain unobtrusive. There's a ferry pier to the mainland around two kilometres away, but this has little impact other than occasional through traffic on the road behind the villa.   Read More/Google Map

From a landscaped driveway, steps climb to the grand wooden doors. These open onto a spacious. split-level, two-storey living pavilion. The ground floor houses a fully-equipped kitchen with breakfast bar, the dining room features a large table surrounded by four white benches (seats 16). The cosy library nestles at the bottom of a few steps with two white sofas overlooking a glass wall showcasing the swimming pool.

From the dining area, more steps lead down to the spacious living room with cream sofa, comfortable leather arm chair, flat-screen TV and DVD player. Sliding doors open onto a sunken terrace with massage platform. Back inside, a ‘floating’ wooden staircase takes you up to a mezzanine lounge with stylish and quirky seating. This area doubles as an office, complete with iMac computer. Glass doors open onto a wooden deck overlooking the garden and ocean and a pool table sits on its own terrace next to a fridge stocked with cold drinks.

Four of the bedrooms are located around the generous infinity pool and sun deck. The master boasts a modest lounge, as well as a dressing area with a dedicated massage bed and stand-alone bathtub set over white pebbles. All four poolside bedrooms have king-size beds and flat-screen televisions with sliding doors opening onto terraces (one room opening directly onto the pool).

A fifth king-bedded room is situated in a separate pavilion right by the beach. This bright space boasts a covered outdoor bathroom and glass doors opening onto the lawn. A projector screen can be pulled down outside this pavilion and bean bag seating arranged on the grass for moonlit movies. The lawn continues down to the beach, where an attractive tree-house overlooks the sea accessed by a rope ladder and furnished with cushions. Tropical pines mark the border between the lawn and beach, where an indulgent hammock promises long siestas.

The twin-bedded room with two additional slide-out beds (making a total of 5 for the villa) is located in an annex to the rear of the main living pavilion. This also features a fully-equipped gym and comfortable games room with flat-screen TV, DVD player, electronic games and foosball table. The bathroom is shared with gym users. An 8m pool is encircled by a wooden sun deck, making this annex a totally independent living space.