Arranged over three luxurious levels and encased in floor-to-ceiling glass, the design-led Villa Aqua offers an idyllic holiday escape. Located steps away from the white sands of Natai Beach, less than half an hour from Phuket airport, the villa has spectacular views of the Andaman Sea from its 4 upper level bedrooms. This L-shaped villa features an 18-metre infinity pool, indoor and outdoor living and dining spaces, well-equipped family/TV and games rooms, private spa, and crisp, clean décor. With a professional staff team that includes a manager, private chef and housekeepers, Villa Aqua needs no filter.

On the south-west coast of Phang Nga province, just over the bridge from Phuket, Natai Beach is a sleepy stretch of powder-soft white sand that has been shaken awake in recent years by those seeking a luxurious yet peaceful escape. Lining the 10-kilometre-long beach are some of Thailand's most exclusive private villas and resorts, yet interspersed with these luxury hideaways are rubber plantations, coconut groves and water buffalo fields, giving Natai a distinctive blend of rugged rural landscapes and cutting-edge holiday homes that somehow coexist without imposing on one another. The beach itself is happily free of the beach chairs and braying vendors that blight so many sandy shorelines in the Phuket region, and visitors here might walk for hundreds of metres without seeing another soul. Kokkloy, about five kilometres away, is a small but bustling town with banks, small local shops, markets and a mid-sized supermarket where provisions may be sourced. Those seeking nightlife excitement, shopping centres and a greater range of restaurants and activities will need to travel by car 20 to 40 kilometres south to Phuket.