On the secluded northwestern tip of Koh Samui’s glassy Laem Yai Bay, Bill Bensley, architect of the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai, has scattered 60 gorgeous hillside villas and 10 private residence rentals among the coconut trees. The villas all come with expansive Gulf of Thailand views (including from the tub), as well as decks with big plunge pools, shaded daybeds, and a stocked wine fridge.
The resort has a small, effectively private strip of white-sand beach by the main infinity pool, as well as sea-facing daybeds at the laid-back beach bar, where the attentive staff whips up an array of cocktails. The adjacent dining pavilion, Pla Pla (meaning “many fish” and named for its fresh-catch menu), is a romantic dinner spot, and the restaurant KOH Thai Kitchen & Bar highlights indigenous dishes like tom kati talay, a coconut soup studded with seafood, tamarind, and kaffir lime leaves. Massages inside one of the spa’s tree house–inspired treatment rooms knead away any last trace of real-world stress. —Hannah Summers
