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Review submitted by Jarrod from Santa Ana, California (Submitted: 20 Jan 2013)
We adored our time here!! This is a very quaint little place - nice and quiet. The beach 5 min down the road is lovely and tranquil. Baan Tai area is a very small area but excellent with a few good restaurants and shops - but you definitely need a car if staying long term. We cooked a lot but enjoyed going to Mai Tai and Mama Moon restaurants down the road. It was nice to get to know the neighbours around this area - they were all so helpful and nice.
We liked the photos online, but didnt know what to expect when we arrived. We were thrilled to see that the photos did not disappoint! Its a beautiful villa, perfect for a family or even two couples. We stayed here for awhile (3 weeks+) and would come back again. It was such a joy to come back to our villa after day out. The only downer is that from 5-8pm the mosquitos are bad so you need to be inside or in the pool. With no window screens at all, we had to stay in the bedroom where the a/c was. Also Jacquie and Sue who work at the property place were such a help!
Review submitted by Michael from Lantana, TX (Submitted: 21 Aug 2012)
My stay at Ban Tai Tara 1 was amazing! My wife & I are in our mid-late 30’s and were looking for a modern villa with a private pool that was off the beaten path, but not so remote that we had to head for the hills to get to it. We did not want to rent a villa in a ‘compound’ or commercial development, but rather wanted an upscale property with privacy. The Ban Tai property was just that.
The villa appears to be recently built (or at least well maintained) and is furnished with modern and sturdy furniture and equipment. The pool is well serviced and maintained, and villa cleaners come 2 or 3 times per week. The grounds were my favorite part of the property. The villa is 100% enclosed (by an 8’ wall) and has 360 degrees of well-maintained foliage and tropical plants, also maintained by a grounds keeper each week. The location is on a small side street, off the main road so it is very quiet, and the local neighborhood has adopted the property as well. Homes across the street offer small shops for basic needs (laundry services, food, snacks, drinks, beauty parlor, massage, scooter/jeep rentals, etc.) and if that does not suit your needs there is a 7-11 shopette just a short walk away. Also, the neighborhood has a couple of rustic local restaurants where great food can be had for just dollars per person. The property is about 200 yards from the beach, which is very picturesque (the view has blue waters and small islands dotting the horizon) but it is not actually a beech that I would most likely go and sunbath or swim at as it was a bit rocky and the beach was quite narrow.
All in all, this is the gem of the island. I’ve been an expatriate for over 13 years and have vacationed around the world (and many times in Thailand & Koh Samui) and I can say with certainty that this is my new destination vacation spot.
Review submitted by Alexandra from Kuala Lumpur (Submitted: 19 Aug 2011)
We are a family with a 7 and 9 year old. The house suited us well as it had two bedrooms, a kitchen for early rising children to get a bowl of cereal and a short walk from one of the most undeveloped beaches on the island - with beautiful sand and good water quality. The street has all you could want from small shops selling fruit and groceries, a very good masseuse, a choice of restaurants varying from budget to a couple of small resorts on the beach. Our hosts were polite and very accommodating. The house is beautifully decorated and we appreciated the little extras Victor included such as a few groceries, insect repellant incense and lamp. It was a relaxed holiday made even better by a comfortable, private and peaceful residence.
Review submitted by Deb from Cowbridge, S. Wales, UK (Submitted: 10 Aug 2011)
We were over the moon with this villa! We booked it because of the photos and the descriptions both of the villa and the friendly neighbourhood. Just as someone else commented before us, it was exactly as described and shown in the photos. Everything we needed, beautifully presented and maintained throughout our stay and the friendly local people were the icing on the cake! The location was perfect, just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the main resorts but easily accessible for regular evening visits to Bophut and Chaweng. We didnt always want to go too far though, with the lovely beach practically on our doorstep and quite a few good bars and restaurants nearby. A couple of days we were content just to laze around and dip in and out of the lovely, comfortable pool. We enjoyed some really lovely evening meals at the Mai Tai restaurant and Mama Moons, just 2 minutes down the road from us. We also had many excellent lunches at the Boom Bay restaurant and Bar. down at the beach. Our only disappointment was that the Coma Restaurant was closed for staff holidays but never mind, it will be another treat to return for. Perfect - many thanks for a lovely holiday!
Review submitted by Peter from Bristol, UK (Submitted: 2 Apr 2011)
From 13/02/2011 to 01/03/2011.
We had an excellent holiday in this beautiful villa set in lovely tranquil surroundings with good local shops and restaurants nearby.
The photographs and information on the web site describe the villas perfectly.
The local beach is a short walk away and was very good, unspoilt and quite.
The owners, Victor & Chai were extremely helpful and nothing was too much trouble and any requests were dealt with immediately.
Also there were some very good restaurants a short car/taxi ride away in Fishermans Village.
All in all it is a first class villa and we will certainly be returning.
Review submitted by Janet from leicester (Submitted: 25 Mar 2011)
The property is exactly as the pictures show, The villa is in a little community with a great restaurant next door two shops over the road also a number of people who will do your laundry, taxis are available from a number of people on the same road as the villa. It is a 4 min walk to the beach. Victor was very helpful in finding us a chef and arranging a car and driver for the day ( which was an excellent day out highly recommend) it was no trouble to him to sort out anything, and the whole experience was brilliant being part of the small community everyone speaks and is really friendly. Ban Tai the area is not commercialised at all but if you want that it is all within a 20 min taxi ride
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 25 Feb 2011)
I like the Buddha carvings on the wall, they look really nice. I like that there are three bathrooms just in case everyone wants to go to the toilet. There is a lot of space in the refrigerator and lots of space in the kitchen. Shinobu Perloo aged 12, Japan
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 25 Feb 2011)
Super value at a great price. We had a wonderful time. Thanks.
Family Narovec from Czech Republic
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 25 Feb 2011)
We have had a relaxing and sunny holiday. Victor and Chai are easy to contact if you need to know anything. We have a few pleasant visits from Justine and Balckie, their dogs, which was a definite bonus. Both are well-mannered doggies.
All must have services are a few meters away - stores, laundry and the fantastic COMA restaurant with killer food and staff.
We have enjoyed our stay at Baan Tai Tara 1 and Koh Samui... beautiful beaches, islands and lots to see....
Thanks to Victor and Chai, all the people in the village who were very friendly. Tomorrow we fly home to Finland.
Petri Finland