Ban Suriya

Beyond the beach, one’s gaze is drawn to the warm, sapphire-blue sea and the deep blue silhouettes of islands on the horizon; the perfect setting for each evening’s spectacular sunset. Ensuring that guests have every opportunity to appreciate the delights of Ban Suriya to the full, the staff of seven seem to be equipped with emotion detectors that tell them what you want before you know it yourself. The chef satisfies your every culinary whim with a tempting array of Thai and international dishes. Indeed, his skills are such that many guests at Ban Suriya opt to dine-in for every meal. Between mealtimes, the possibilities for relaxation and holiday pleasure are endless: lounge in or around the pool, play a game of giant chess, pool or foosball, retire to read quietly in the sunken library, work out in the private gym or enjoy a massage in the spa room or beachside tree house. Or take full advantage of the beach and ocean on your doorstep. A doze on a deckchair in the shade, or a quiet paddle in one of the villa’s two kayaks, or atop the stand-up paddleboard. After sunset cocktails and a seafood barbecue at the alfresco dining table, gather for a movie at the open-air cinema. The perfect end to another perfect day at Ban Suriya.

Ban Suriya faces west across the sea, it’s elegant sleeping and living pavilions set within palm-tree shaded gardens, oriented around the 20-metre swimming pool. Entering the two-storey, split-level living pavilion, one arrives first in the dining area. To the right are two lounges (one upstairs and one down) and to the front is the well-stocked library. The modern kitchen lies to the left of the dining area. Enormous glass doors open onto a huge wooden deck, the garden and the pool. Four of the villa’s bedrooms face the pool, the fifth is privately positioned at the front of the garden – almost on the beach. Tucked away to the right of the living pavilion, are the sixth bedroom, the games room and the gym.

Ban Suriya’s large, airy, two-storey living pavilion is fronted by huge glass doors looking out onto the gardens and the sea view beyond. Meals are served (unless otherwise requested) at a 12-seat glass-topped table set below a delicate sculpture of a dandelion flower. The room also has a well-stocked drinks fridge and a coffee maker.

A few steps from the dining area is the beautifully equipped kitchen, open on two sides and with a huge worktop and stools for casual breakfasts or Thai cooking lessons from the villa’s supremely capable chef. Guests are welcome to cook if they wish – though, understandably, very few choose to do so.
Down a couple of steps from the entrance hall is the library, with its wide comfortable sofas and a stock of about 300 books. But bookworms may find themselves distracted by the underwater view of the pool through a wide window in the library.

Next to the dining area, the lower-level lounge is furnished with an armchair and soft sofas, and equipped with a huge TV with DVD player, a satellite TV connection, an iPod dock and an Apple TV 4K box for use by guests who have Apple movie accounts.

Above the lounge is a mezzanine room of similar size which doubles as a second sitting room or office, with comfortable lounging chairs and a desk for those who simply cannot tear themselves away from their computer. Bring your own; the villa has no computer for guests, though it does have a printer, and WiFi is available in every room and throughout the grounds and onto the beach. Tucked behind the lounge is a spa room, with full bathroom and massage bed.

The villa’s large gym, with its wall-to-wall glass doors that open onto a metre-deep plunge pool, is well equipped with weights, exercise balls and a punchbag for boxers. Guests can have lessons in Thai boxing, or sessions of yoga, Pilates or other exercise regimes from an expert. Just ask the villa manager to make an appointment for you.

Next to the gym, the games room has comfortable sofas but – more important for kids – a foosball table along with Wii and PS2 handsets that connect to a huge TV. There’s also a big selection of DVDs, including plenty of children’s favourites.

The villa is arranged around a huge wooden deck with sun loungers for all guests, and a sunken area with a tree-shaded table for alfresco eating. This area can be – and frequently is – used for large weddings or other social events.

No villa is complete without a pool, and Ban Suriya’s is large and inviting – a blue-tiled infinity-edge delight measuring 20 metres by five. To one side, between the pool and the deck, is a swim-up bar.

The land Ban Suriya is built on used to be a coconut plantation, and many of the stately trees were preserved, now presiding over the expanse of lawn between the deck and the beach. In one corner is a sacred Tonsai tree while in the opposite corner is the Tree House, the perfect place for an open-air massage or a game of pirates, perhaps.

For those who just can’t lie in the sun or lounge in the pool all day, the villa has a swing hanging over the beach, a ping pong table, a pool table, and a giant outdoor chess set on an upstairs terrace. For the more energetic there are two kayaks and a stand-up paddleboard.

And then there’s the beach. Lipa Noi Beach has to be one of the world’s most delightful yet little known tropical gems. Soft white sand with almost no one on it. Warm blue sea with islands in the distance. And at sunset, the perfect venue for a sundowner or two.

BEDROOMS

SURIYA MASTER SUITE

On the polished timber floor of the Suriya Room (the “Sunshine Room”) an uber-comfortable king-size four-poster bed surveys the garden and beach through huge glass doors. Below, down a couple of steps, is the lounge area with an enormous armchair and wide-screen HD TV with DVD player. The room also has a Bluetooth sound system.

To one side of the bed is a massage table and, beyond that, a massive freestanding bathtub. Blinds can be raised so that guests in the suite can enjoy a massage or a soak in the bath with a view of the garden and the ocean beyond. The master’s ensuite bathroom is fitted with an indoor-outdoor rain shower and double vanity.

BUTTERFLY ROOM

There’s no mistaking the cheerful Butterfly Room – the entire wall behind the bedhead is covered in images of butterflies. This room, which is located next to the Suriya suite, has a king-size bed and an ensuite bathroom with indoor-outdoor rain shower and double vanity. It is equipped with an HD TV with DVD player and Bluetooth sound system.

SHELL ROOM

The Shell room lies to the rear of the gardens, next to the games room, gym and plunge pool. This marine-themed room has twin beds and an ensuite bathroom with indoor-outdoor rain shower and double vanity, HD TV with DVD player and Bluetooth sound system. It is also connected to the games room with its Wii and PS2 sets and, through another door, to the villa’s gym and metre-deep pool. This is an ideal complex for kids.

AQUA AND PEACOCK ROOMS

These rooms, each with king-size bed and ensuite bathroom, are right next to the pool. In fact, guests in Aqua can simply slide open a glass door and fall into the water. From Peacock a little more effort is required – four or five steps across a sun deck before falling into the water. Both have HD TVs with DVD players and Bluetooth sound systems.

WAVE ROOM

Aptly named, the Wave Room is the closest to the sea; shaded by a large sacred tonsai tree, its feet are almost in the sand. It, too, has an ensuite bathroom with rain shower, HD TV with DVD player and Bluetooth sound system.

STAFF & SERVICES

Villa manager; chef; housekeeping and service staff; 24-hour security. Additional staff (nanny/babysitter, masseuse, pilates/muay Thai instructor) available on request for extra charge.

FOR FAMILIES

Ban Suriya is extremely well-equipped and located for families with children of all ages. Facilities include: pool toys; beach toys; beach swing; high chairs; baby cots; bottle steriliser and children’s DVDs.

WEDDINGS & EVENTS

The huge pool deck at Ban Suriya, along with the expansive lawn, make the perfect setting for a joyous wedding or a big birthday bash. The proof of this is the fact that the villa hosts about 20 large weddings a year, with as many as 120 people seated for the wedding breakfast.

With room to sleep 15, the villa has ample space for the bride and groom and their close families, and we are happy to arrange for accommodation nearby for other wedding guests.

For weddings and private parties, surcharge may be applicable depending on number of guests. Please check with us for all costs and conditions.