Blissful seclusion

NOT everybody who heads out to the resort islands of Phuket or Koh Samui do so because they subscribe to the sun-sand-drink-party-drink-again travel manifesto put out by the beach bars of Patong and Chaweng. They go to get away from it all, in an environment so secluded and self-contained that they do not have to bump into another fellow tourist for the duration of their stay.

Being this anti-social, of course, requires a fair amount of funds. Depending on the size of your stock portfolio or privately-owned conglomerate, your holiday decisions are likely to swing between "rent" or "buy" - not "non-smoking room with king bed and why can't breakfast be included in the room rate" minutiae.

Such is the premise of the private villas at luxury resorts such as Samujana Retreats and Residences in Koh Samui or Point Yamu in Phuket. Whether you book them for the night, the month or buy the entire villa as a holiday home, what you get is the privacy of your own home, with butler service. In the case of Point Yamu, there are full-service hotel facilities available including a spa and fitness centre. But in Samujana, it's like being in your own home - save for that stunning ocean view beyond your infinity pool - with your own domestic staff to clean and cook all your three meals a day.