Akuvara
Akuvara, in the ancient Sanskrit language, means “The Sea” and this absolute beachfront Samui villa has as much sea as anyone could wish for. Akuvara lounges next to the island’s most delightful yet quietest beach, Lipa Noi. With its ultra-modern design featuring huge expanses of glass to make the most of the view, the villa can sleep up to eight people in four pavilions. It’s perfect for families or for groups of friends intent on a lazy tropical beach holiday, with five-star meals made to order and every whim met by the superbly trained staff with their big welcoming smiles.
Koh Samui is not a big island – it’s just under 230 square kilometres, and much of that is still pristine forest-covered hillside – but it offers a wealth of fun and interesting things to do. Let your villa manager know what sort of activities you’re interested in and he or she will help guide your choices and can also arrange transport to take you there.
In the meantime, to whet your appetite, here are some suggestions.
- Dusit Deva Cultural Centre is a slightly eccentric garden filled with creatures from Buddhist and Hindu myths. Kids will love it.
- Koh Samui has two golf courses; Santiburi (18 holes and really distracting ocean views), and Bophut Hills (nine holes).
- Treat the family to Sunday Brunch by the pool at the internationally famed Nikki Beach Club, just a few minutes away along the beach.
- Visit nearby Nathon Walking Street Night Market on Thursdays or the bigger Fisherman’s Village Night Market in Bophut on Fridays.
- Go island hopping! The Ang Thong National Marine Park encompasses a cluster of islands – the ones you can see from Akuvara . The heavily jungled islands are carefully controlled to keep them in pristine natural condition. A trip to them is a must.
- There’s a kite surfing school on the beach at Nathon where you can rent a rig or learn how to do it.
- Regular Thai boxing tournaments are staged at the largest stadium on the island, the Petch Buncha near Chaweng. These are not tourist demo fights; they are the real thing.
- Samui has a number of spectacular waterfalls. We would recommend starting with the Namuang Falls. Take your bathing costume; there’s a very inviting pool at the base of the falls.
- Have an adventure atop Khao Pom mountain on ATVs or the zipline, or just gaze out at the scenery below from the viewpoint.
