Koh Samui Luxury Beach Villa - Ban Haad Sai

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Arriving at Koh Samui was a refreshing change from the regular scene of pampering jet bridges into stylish airports. We took the air stairs out of our aircraft onto the runway. If it was raining, enjoy the showers when you disembark! The airport staff were efficiently whisking us up onto the awaiting trolley buses but I couldn't help but document the experience on behalf of my children, snapping here and there as we go [and delayed the process in the midst]. Life felt a lot slower as soon as we arrived and with us being an hour behind Singapore, it seemed like time has become a luxury for us this trip. 

We craned our necks looking for our names in the crowd but to no avail. Every pair of eyes were on us, wondering if we were the family they were sent out to meet and greet that morning. The chauffeurs moved their gazes to the people behind us as we walked past them one by one. Would they have forgotten to pick us up? It is after all our first time staying in a Villa, albeit Asian Luxury Villas. Are they equipped in terms of hospitality as much as a hotel would?

Aha! There we have it at the end of the line, my name in capital letters. I waved and heaved a sigh of relief that we were remembered.

He pulled our luggage and escorted us to a Toyota Fortuner. We opened the door and the children squealed in delight when they saw two car seats set out for them at the back seat! As much as they were excited, we as parents were grateful for the thoughtfulness. Even though Ban Haad Sai [translated to The House On The Beach] is only five minutes away from the airport, a child restraint is most necessary for a safe ride on the road. Our worries about service lapse were unfounded.

As the car came to a slow, the wooden gates of our villa slowly opened and we drove into the place we would call home for the next four days. Our villa manager, Am [pronounced as Aunty Um whom the kids affectionately and playfully greeted every morning], stayed in-villa with us in a workers' quarter. Together with her colleagues, Opp [handman], Mai [housekeeper] and Toon [chef], greeted us upon arrival and had us settled down with service like a gentle breeze.


There are seven bedrooms in Ban Haad Sai. Which one should we choose? Am saved us the trouble and walked us to the master room facing the Big Buddha Beach after we quenched our thirst with the refreshing welcome drink she prepared, "I have decided on your behalf that this should be the best room for your family to enjoy the serenity of the villa and with a view to wake up to every morning." she suggested [not exactly what she said but along the lines of it].

We agreed with her attentive proposition and roomed in comfortably with our belongings. Ewan and Faye ran around exploring and decided they will get the twin room next to ours. Oh we were thankful they decided to sleep on their own like in Singapore to give mom and dad some holiday peace.


This trip was made because Asian Luxury Villas graciously hosted us for a week in Koh Samui. Knowing well that we are a small family of four, I would have expected them to send us to a three-bedroom villa at most. We were surprised, almost shocked, to hear that they have arranged Ban Haad Sai with seven bedrooms and Baan Bon Khao, a hilltop six-bedroom villa for us!

"Is it all for us? As in, the villa will have seven bedrooms and I believe it will be shared with other travellers taking up the other empty rooms right?" I asked, thinking it would make more economical sense if they did that and opened up the empty rooms on sale like a hotel would.

But no. We had the whole villa to ourselves. How can we? I had to invite family and friends!

It was not easy putting together a travelling party even though accommodations and meals for the week will be covered for us all. I could only open the invitation to families with pre-schooling children because the older kids will not be able to skip school for travels. Then there are those who couldn't get their leaves approved or tear away from commitments. Thankful for Ashlyn and Janice who jumped on the bandwagon with us and made this a memorable Koh Samui Playdate!


They arrived seven hours after us and Ewan ran to the front to receive them; like a gracious host should. He eagerly took over Am's job of showing and telling but got lost in the midst of it. We all laughed when he exclaimed, "Come! Let me show you the Movie Room!" and skipped in the opposite direction from it. It is no wonder why the kids took about a day to familiarise themselves in their new home. The villa sits on a 1,600 sqm walled gardens complete with Thai artifacts and a large double hammock in what can only be described as picture postcard setting!


The children spent every single day swimming. With a 12 meter floodlit pool and 3km white sand beach in our backyard, what else would our children want to do other than diving into the waters and digging their toes in the sand?

And our husbands? They were always seen topless taking care of the children in the pool and throwing dirty glances at their wives who were either lazing at the deck chairs or busying themselves with a camera in hand each [capturing memories are what we do best]. We decided to let the husbands have some fun and suggested they took the villa's double kayaks out to play. They jumped on our suggestion and headed towards the horizon!


I have never travelled without an itinerary after having kids and so you might have noticed how I always put together a Sydney for Kids, Malacca for Kids or even Lake Como for Kids on the blog. Of course I needed to add a Koh Samui for Kids on the list! Yet, I decided after arriving at Ban Haad Sai that THIS shall be THE itinerary.

"The villa is a destination in itself!"

I was looking forward to relaxing my soul this time without following any timelines whatsoever. This trip had done us good. My husband had the option of hitting the in-villa gym and I, the luxury of having a private masseuse coming in to give me a pampering aromatherapy massage. We slept well, rested well, socialised well and fed well.


Our chef, Toon, pampered us with Thai food everyday. Did I get bored with the meals put on the table for us? Four days three nights of breakfast, lunch and dinner? No I didn't. To be fair, I am not a food connoisseur and I eat to live [not live to eat]. You could make me the same breakfast every day and I'd be happy that my stomach is filled.

At Ban Haad Sai, we had a different spread of Thai food for lunches and dinners every day. As Thai  food can get spicy, Toon prepared children-friendly dishes for the kids like Spaghetti Bolognaise and potato patties. Our dining tables were always immaculately set with porcelain tablewares and silvers. Alternating between each adult setting will always be a Winnie the Pooh or Hello Kitty children set for our five little imps. This little attention to detail won a tick on my "Service and Beyond" checklist.

We dined indoors for lunches when the sun was at its hottest and outdoors in the mornings and evenings with the sea breeze ruffling our hair. The chatters, laughters and conversations were priceless. They say friendships are forged over meals at dining tables; I cannot agree more.


Our children, aged between two months to six years old, were well-taken care of. Their needs were met from bottles of fresh milk stocked in the refrigerator [I requested it in advanced] to a baby bathtub for our littlest jet-setter. There is a 7-Eleven, pharmacy and clinic just three minutes walk from our Villa; all of which we have visited on separate occasions during our stay. The convenience of our location was most appreciated, especially when we needed access to a doctor who spoke good English.

Ban Haad Sai is an ideal choice for family gatherings, company retreats or groups up to 12 adults. As a hotelier who used to run the weddings' department, I envisioned a beautiful union of man and wife with an intimate reception. The setting is perfect for such celebrations with accommodations available for immediate family members!

I think I am addicted to Villa living after experiencing Ban Haad Sai. It is the best option for big travelling parties. But of course, it is most ideal to find a villa that has twice-daily housekeeping services and private chef options like what we've been offered. In my husband's words, "There really is no better accommodation for the price. The villa provides all that you need to simply relax and laze the day away along the beach. Exactly the reason why you're in Koh Samui."

Villa living could be better for the pocket too as compared to booking luxury hotels when travelling in a big group. Splitting USD1700 per night among seven couples [seven bedrooms in this villa]  comes up only to USD242 per night per couple. Worth it for the space and privacy that comes with it!

Just bring along mozzie sprays because there is no stopping those mosquitoes from feeding!

The next concern about living so close to the airport was, "Does it mean we are going to hear the noise from the planes every day?" my husband questioned.

We saw the planes! But we heard no buzzsaw noises throughout our stay.

Booking Information
Price stated on the website for Ban Haad Sai starts from USD1,787 per night inclusive of daily continental breakfast. However, each booking or enquiry gets bespoke quotes from the villa owners depending on season, availability and number of people in the travelling party. It is important to enquire for a quote for the villa of your choice instead of depending on the indicative rates stated on the website. 

Asian Luxury Villas offers vacation villa rentals in Thailand (Koh Samui and Phuket) and Bali. They have a portfolio of more than 330 carefully selected villas for an authentic holiday experience in Asia. 


Thank you Stephanie Hornby for photographing us in Ban Haad Sai. Read Five Reasons to Hire a Family Vacation Photographer when we went out to the beach with Stephanie for a location shoot! 
View our seven days Koh Samui trip in this photo album.



Our little Travel companions 
August 2017 - Ewan at 5 years old and Faye at 3 years old 
Click on our Travel tab to read all about our travel tips and tricks

Read about our stay at
Koh Samui Luxury Hilltop Villa: Baan Bon Khao


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A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life. 
We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.

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