WYK & Co

Living the Villa Life with The Luxe Nomad @ The Headland Villa 3

Our family of six just recently returned from an epic trip on Koh Samui. It was our first time visiting this iconic island and it didn’t disappoint. Beyond the natural beauty and intrigue of Koh Samui, we also experienced our first true luxury villa. It may have ruined us for all future travel!

The Headland is a development of 5 villas perched atop cliffs in the small village of Taling Ngam (the quieter side of the island where locals live). The villas were wonderfully designed to optimize privacy and maximize integration with the nature around them. For our family, Villa 3 was the ideal fit. The villa is two pavilions joined by a beautiful deck and overhead covering of glass and bamboo (so no getting caught if it happens to rain). The private pool is stunning and the patio, overlooking the sea, has sweeping 180° views.

SLEEPING

This villa has two bedrooms and a mezzanine loft which also functions as a 3rd sleeping space. Bedroom 1 can accommodate 4 people. There are two twin beds on the ground floor and then a loft in this room with another 2 twin beds. If you have older children, the loft space would absolutely be a favourite. We have a 2 year old and so the staff suggested bringing one of the beds down from the loft and creating a 3rd sleeping space on the main floor and removing the ladder (safety first people). This worked perfectly for our 3 older kids. This bedroom has a large ensuite with a rain-head shower; so the kids had a complete space to themselves. The other detail of this room that makes it great for kids is that there is a small door into the adjoining suite. So middle of the night bad dreams and wake-ups were easy to manage. This room has movable sliding panels on 2 sides and looks out over the pool and beyond to the sparkling sea.

The main bedroom has a large, very comfortable, king size bed with a romantic canopy and enough space in the room to also accommodate a baby cot (which we needed and was provided). Lots of shelves and closet space in the bedrooms made unpacking and staying organized easy. This room has soaring ceilings and an overhead fan which meant that often we didn’t need the air conditioning. Windows line two sides of this room so those same pool and ocean views that we enjoyed during the day, were there to wake us up every morning. Another large ensuite bathroom also joins this room. Both en-suites included a separate back entrance which proved useful when returning from the beach or in from the pool. It was great being able to enter directly into the bathroom to clean-up after a day of fun in the sand and waves.

The mezzanine loft space is located in the other pavillion and is accessible by a back outdoor staircase. Depending on the needs of the group, this room can be set up as two twin beds, plus a sofa bed or as one kind size bed and a sofa couch. The villa’s TV and entertainment system is located here as well. There is a full cable TV package with news from all over the world, multiple movie channels and about 10 kids channels as well. Our kids deemed this area “the clubhouse” and it was quickly one of their favourite spots to unwind. There is a 3rd full ensuite located in this upper area as well with beautiful views and a stunning vanity that opens up to the trees behind the mirror. You’ll feel closer to nature even while inside.

THE LIVING SPACE

We are huge fans of open-concept living spaces and so the kitchen, dining and living areas of this villa were exactly to our taste! This room is surrounded by windows on 3.5 sides (only one kitchen wall that is fitted with cupboards and the fridge offer no view). The huge table and large sectional couch provide ample room for a large group (or large family like ours). The fully-equipped kitchen was fantastic! Everything you could possibly need to create amazing meals was provided. Additionally, they provide the option of having a chef come in and prepare meals for you for a reasonable rate. A gas BBQ is also provided and so we took advantage of this and grilled almost every night.

THE OUTDOORS

The panorama views and deep-blue infinity pool are truly the cherry on top for this gorgeous home. The pool has a large shallow shelf that is perfect for small children and there is also a large sun shade that can be installed as the pool faces west, gets full afternoon sun, and serves up striking sunsets. Comfortable lounge chairs, and two separate eating areas are situated throughout the outdoor space providing guests with lots of options whether you are sun or shade loving. Morning coffees el fresco were that much better by sitting out and listening to the sea.

THE LUXE NOMAD STAFF

What took this villa experience from great to fabulous were the staff that manage and service The Headland Villas. Khun Lek, the onsite Manager, went above and beyond to ensure our family was comfortable, had everything we needed, was available to help us order meals from local restaurants, and arranged activities for us. She was only a text message away and always responded with enthusiasm, kindness and courtesy. Her staff took exceptional care of our family each day of our stay. We were asked upon arrival what time we would like breakfast each morning and the next morning the staff arrived to prepare us a beautiful breakfast in our villa. An incredible spread was laid out on the dining table every morning around 8am and the ladies quickly noticed which foods were our kids favourite and made sure there were always extra the following mornings! A pool man arrived with the ladies to clean the pool, sweep up any tree bits that may have fallen over night and to ensure that a stack of fresh pool towels were out and ready for the day. Once we were finished breakfast, the ladies cleaned up and then went through the house doing a quick tidy, making beds, and ensuring fresh towels were hung in all the bathrooms. They even arranged everything in the fridge nicely.

SET SAIL AND EXPLORE THE 5 ISLANDS, SNORKEL KOH TEAN, AND PLAY WITH PIGS ON KOH MADSUM. SEE IT ALL RIGHT HERE.

Around 5pm each day the dream team would arrive again to turn down beds, arrange fresh flowers throughout the villa, light candles in each bathroom, and quickly tidy anything that we may have disrupted during the day (and let’s be honest, with 4 kids, there was always stuff everywhere).

KOH SAMUI HAS IT ALL. CHECK OUT THE ACTIVITIES, BEACHES, AND EATS.

We admit that on our first day when we were told the staff would be through twice a day, we worried that it might be intrusive. We will say though that this team is extremely discreet, kind, and efficient workers. We so enjoyed getting to know them during our stay and appreciated the way they engaged our kids. They undeniably made this trip feel like a vacation for us. As anyone who has traveled with kids knows… it’s lots of fun, but it’s not exactly relaxing. By having breakfasts looked after, dishes cleaned and put away, beds made and bathrooms cleaned every day, it meant that we as parents didn’t have to do those things. It gave us more time to engage our kids, or just sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching them play.

The Luxe Nomad truly knows how to make a villa experience…outstanding!

VILLAS – THE ULTIMATE FAMILY VACATION

Deciding between the convenience of a hotel and the relaxed vibe of a vacation rental is a mixed bag. A villa is the best of both worlds when it comes to family travel. You get all the luxury of a hotel with the amazing service and attention to details. And you also get all the perks of being at home. Especially when traveling with children, having a kitchen, separate bedrooms, and extra bathrooms, makes a huge difference. We absolutely loved our stay at The Headland Villa 3 and we highly recommend it to anyone, but most emphatically for families and groups.

Have you ever stayed in a villa before? What was your experience like?

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