Kerem Luxury Beachfront Villas

Worth getting out of bed for

Kerem Luxury Beachfront Villas’ setting is resplendent in its greenery, and at the foot of the palm-swathed hillside is a spit of golden sand – the hotel’s private beach, with salas for guests to get cosy in – and ancient rock formations giving way to the blue of the Thai Gulf. With leafy buffers and largely private villas all around, the chic Plai Laem neighbourhood is peaceful and picturesque with panoramic views over teeny isle Koh Som and out to Koh Phang Nga. But you’ve got your pick of sunbathing spots and always pleasantly warm waters protected by coral thickets, with Thongson and Cheong Mon close by. While it’s secluded and sedate enough for honeymooners, (gentle sunrise yoga sessions, cooking lessons and massages will divert you while onsite), this is no snooze – to the west you can visit the famous Big Buddha, gilded and serene at the top of a ceremonious staircase, and Wat Plai Laem with its 18-armed bodhisattva and spectacular storytelling murals. Bangrak Market has stalls of plenty and colourful bowls of piled-high delicacies. And, the Fisherman’s Village, laid out around Bo Phut Beach, is the island’s neon-flecked nerve centre for nightlife, shopping, massages and cute boho cafes. It’s here that you’ll find floaty dresses and Unicorn rubber-rings, bars with swing seats, and beach parties with revellers sprawled on bean bags; and it’s famous for its sense-stirring night market. To the east of the hotel there’s noted beauty Chaweng Beach, another aspect of the Gulf from Lad Koh Viewpoint, and the Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, popular due to their uncanny resemblance of male and female genitalia – take your cheeky selfie and stop for ice-cream topped with caramelised pineapple. Head inland to do a mini tour of the island’s enchanting waterfalls (Na Mueang, Tan Rua, Khun Si), some of which you can bathe by; explore the folkloric statues of Namtok Tar Nim and its Magic Garden; and pay your respects to the mummified monk at Wat Khunaram. Take a wild day trip to Angthong National Marine Park for sightings of dusky leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, leopard cats, wild boar and otters, alongside flocks of exotic birds and rainbow shoals of fish. It’s a popular diving spot, and the dazzling archipelago was the setting for some scenes of The Beach. If you’d rather sample the marine life, hire a traditional junk boat and go fishing with a local – the hotel’s chef can help you cook up your catch on your return. There are few wrong times to visit the island, but November is when you might spy migrating whale sharks, and you’ll see the sky and water lit aflame as flowery offerings are floated out and paper lanterns are borne aloft during the Loi Krathong Festival.

Local restaurants

It’s all here, the punchy umami, playful sweets and sours, the cool and the fiery: Koh Samui is as culinarily exciting as you’d expect, with a slightly heavier focus on seafood (naturally). As a tourist hotspot, some eateries play it safe with Thai favourites (not that we’re complaining), but resort restaurants up the amour ante, and holes in the wall, humble hang-outs and street eats add authenticity to the scene. Krua Bophut is set on the beach and has all the ingredients for a memorable date night: twinkling trees, sand underfoot, marry-me views… And, while the set menus don’t reinvent the wheel, they give it a good spin, with the likes of green-papaya salad, lemongrass and prawn soup, coconutty green curry and deep-fried ice-cream. Zazen too is something of a romantic, with tables bathed in red lights. Its ‘Thai Discovery’ menus give a good overview of local flavours, but it’s worth flying to the French side for lobster with almonds, confit tomatoes and truffled potato purée and salmon fillet with a mustard crust and coconut mash. And, to elevate things – quite literally – book at Six Senses’ Dining on the Rocks, an on-high deck at the tip of a headland overlooking the Gulf, or Tree Tops further along the coast, where you dine on platforms tickled by palm fronds. But, the best of Thai eats are usually bang-for-your-baht snacks, soups and skewers at humble stalls and low-key cafés. In the Fisherman’s Village and Chaweng, sniff out wok-charred rice noodles swimming in an unctuous porky gravy with hunks of meat; skewered pork belly, neon yellow with spice, cooled by pickled cucumber salad; whole tiny birds or fat smoky sausages on a stick, dunked in sauces that sing; offal in a sweet-pungent ooze of blood, star anise and cinnamon; and either durian or coconut ice-cream (served in the shell so you scrape the flesh off with each bite) for dessert.

Local cafés

‘Sticky rice’ is a reason all by itself to visit Thailand, comfortingly doused in coconut milk and topped with fruit and ice-cream; Bar Baguette does an especially alluring iteration, although it’s also known for its healthier brunch bites: bruschetta with scrambled eggs, hearty salads, bolognese tacos… They also do a full English here, if you’re craving one. On the bougie-r side of street food is Oyster Bar x Samui, a stylish hole in the wall, where you sit on a stool and try top-tier European molluscs, topped with gold or caviar if you like; scallops the size of a small child’s fist; and langoustines sunk in lemon and butter.

Local bars

Koh Samui’s a little less party-hard as, say, Phuket or Pattaya, but it still goes hard when it comes to hedonism. Chaweng is your good-time go-to, with late-night revels aplenty (just swerve the two red-light districts). Ark Bar centres the action around the three pools at its beach club, with DJs holding court and explosive fire shows. CocoTams is more chilled-out, with swing seats and bulky bean-bags on the sand, cocktails packed with tropical fruit and dangerously large globe glasses of sangria.