| Home |  |
Villa Sales | |
Villa Rentals | |
Media Centre | |
Latest News | |
Contact Us | |
Partner Directory |
A SLICE OF PARADISE
Country Life International – Autumn / Winter 2007
International Property News
Penny Churchill picks the top five developments win exotic settings which meet buyer’s demands for discreet luxury.
As life in the global business village becomes ever more frenetic, the world’s movers and shakers are taking over from honeymooners and backpackers in the search for a 21st-century nirvana. However, the Robinson Crusoe lifestyle is not for them. To meet the growing demand for serenity, security and capital appreciation in tropical surroundings, five-star “boutique” resorts, where discerning investors can buy a slice of paradise for the price of a two-bedroom flat in Chelsea, are springing up in far flung corners of the globe.
Heaven in Koh Samui
Tourists already spend £ 200 million (pounds sterling) a year in dreamy Koh Samui, Thailand’s third largest island, an hour’s flight from Bangkok and 13 hours from London. Spared the ravages of the 2004 tsunami, the unspoilt coastline of Koh Samui is the target of a new breed of eco-developers, who are as committed to protecting its fragile beauty as the Thai authorities themselves.
Koh Samui’s land prices have soared by 50% in the past three years. During this time, Dhevatara Properties – whose founder, Stephen Owen, lives on the island – has created two small gated developments on idyllic beachfront sites surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The properties comprise a series of pavilions grounded around private courtyards amid landscaped gardens, and each development has its own generators and back-up water supply. Only two villas remain unsold at the company’s flagship scheme of six graceful Thai-style homes at Dhevatara Cove, which overlooks Lipa Noi beach on the island’s west coast. The 9,400 sq.ft. Baan Saranjai has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a study, a large kitchen, and a living pavilion surrounding an infinity pool, and is for sale for US$2.95 million (about £ 1.46m (pounds sterling)). The even bigger 10,150 sq.ft. Baan Chom Tawan, which has six bedrooms, is on offer at US$3.15 million (about £ 1.56m (pounds sterling)).
Meanwhile, five of the eight four-bedroom villas at Dhevatara Cove’s sister complex, Dhevatara Residence, which has sweeping views of trendy Bophut bay on Koh Samui’s north coast, are currently for sale at price ranging from US$1.25 million to US$1.9 million (about £ 508,483 to £ 942,553 (pounds sterling)), according to size. For further details, contact Dhevatara Properties (+66 (0) 2654 3484; www.dhevatara.com).
