To celebrate my sister and her husband’s 25th wedding anniversary, we thought it would be ideal to hire a villa somewhere in the region that could accommodate the six of us comfortably and meet everyone’s needs.

Everyone wanted to be within walking distance of  a good beach. My sister loves a beach for her long morning walks and her husband likes the sea to have waves, but the rest of us didn’t want anything too scary!  We definitely didn’t want a beach where we would be hassled by hawkers.

My twenty-something nieces wanted to be able to lie next to a pool and tan but they also wanted to be able to do a bit of shopping and go to a bar or night club if they felt like it. We didn’t want restaurant food every night, but we also didn’t want to have to do our own cooking.

I remembered that our production manager, Sherah, had honeymooned at Miskawaan Villas in Koh Samui, Thailand, and loved it. The complex had villas with three or five bedrooms, and they were near the beach.

Everyone agreed that it sounded perfect, but you know what it’s like to be the one who has recommended the venue and organised things – it’s a bit nerve-wracking until you get there and see it for yourself.

The Miskawaan minibus picked us up from the very cool new airport at Koh Samui and we were at the villa within 20 minutes of collecting our baggage. Arriving anywhere at night adds a dash of intrigue, and it was all very inviting and beautifully lit. We were impressed with the size of the living, entertainment and outdoor bale area, and the big kitchen that has been thought out to the last detail. It even has an “everlasting” coffee machine, designed by Porsche to keep the brew piping hot for hours.

We all oohed and aahed about the rooms and their en suite bathrooms, which are partly out of doors. But the real surprise was the realisation that we weren’t just near the beach – we were right on it! Only in the morning could we see just how lovely the view was – white sand and gentle waves rolling in.  This was really the icing on the wedding anniversary cake.

Breakfast is laid on for you, and you can hire a Thai cook to prepare other meals for you if you like. We took up this option for a couple of days and it was fantastic; we just chose from her repertoire and the staff went off to buy the necessary ingredients. 

In nearby Nathorn is the Sunset restaurant, which does very basic Thai food at great prices; and yes, it does have a view of the sunset. We spent hours there. There’s a Tesco supermarket for basics, and you can shop at the handful of market stalls in the area; I bought a shirt and a shell ring. But I went out only once; I just wanted to enjoy the villa.

The youngsters headed down to the pubs in Chaweng one night, but us “oldies” were happy to play cards, read and watch a couple of the DVDs kept at the villa. One night, we lit some large paper lanterns that we had bought from a little store down the road. It was a bit of a mission to light them, because they were so huge, but it was a wonderful sight when finally they were airborne and we watched them float off into the sky.

It was all so pleasant and relaxing. The staff members were lovely, very discreet, and they didn’t hear our noise at all. A wonderful location, lovely décor and excellent layout together with their friendly service made this holiday a memorable one for all of us.

www.miskawaan.com