Napasai, A Belmond Hotel, Koh Samui

Accommodation at Napasai, A Belmond Hotel, Koh Samui is in villas and pool residences that sleep up to four guests. The choice runs from one-bedroom villas, some with a garden and some with a sea view, to a two-bedroom oceanfront pool residence.

Some rooms overlook the sea, others sit in gardens and some have a pool of their own, so the choice depends on whether you want the view, the garden or the pool.

The resort has an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor one and a children's pool, a fitness centre, a spa with a sauna, massage and a solarium, and a yoga room. Watersports equipment can be rented, and fishing, diving and windsurfing are also possible, along with a tennis court, a library and a golf course within 3 km.

Dining includes a restaurant, a bar, BBQ facilities and 24-hour room service, and a breakfast service with Asian and continental options is included in the price.

For getting around, there is an airport transfer, car hire, a shuttle service, a taxi service and tours, along with free parking on site, valet parking and bicycle parking.

Mae Nam is a quieter part of Koh Samui, with a village feel and a stretch of coast calmer than the island's busiest resort strips. Baan Tai beach, the nearest beach to the resort, lies 650 m away, so a swim or a walk on the sand is easy to fit into the day. The area keeps a local character, with small shops and everyday life along its roads.

The Mae Nam morning market is 1.6 km away, a good place to see local life early in the day. Fisherman's Village in Bophut, 6.9 km away, is a small harbour quarter with shops and restaurants along its lanes, and the Big Buddha, 9.6 km away, is one of the island's best-known temples. Samui Airport is 10.6 km away, a taxi or car ride from the resort, so the sea, the market and the temples are within a short drive while the airport is further off.

A good day can start at the Mae Nam morning market, continue to the Big Buddha and Fisherman's Village in Bophut, and end back on the sand at Baan Tai beach. Wat Plai Laem, a temple complex with a large Guanyin statue, is also worth a visit on the way round the island.