|
This design means
you can rent either a one bedroom apartment, or
the two (three) bedroom Penthouse, or the whole
four/five bedroom . So if you are on your own,
with your partner, or part of a larger group,
we can offer you the right sort of accommodation.
And if you are intending to rent the whole villa,
our design allows you to stay with your family
and friends but you will not have to live ‘hand-in-glove’
with them all the time.
And whatever
style of accommodation you choose, you get, free
of charge, panoramic sea and jungle views allowing
you to enjoy romantic, breathtaking sunsets.
Please note
that Koh Tao Star Villa enjoys these beautiful
views because it is up a hill. There are also
quite a few stairs. As such it is unsuitable for
the elderly or infirm and it is not ideal for
children under the age of 10.
Are you looking
to do some SCUBA diving whilst you are here on
Koh Tao? Perhaps you are a SCUBA virgin thinking
about doing your Open Water course; Or you are
already qualified and intend to extend your experience,
perhaps even complete an Instructor Development
Course so that you can teach SCUBA diving; Or
you are an experienced diver and are thinking
about Tec Deep or Cave diving courses.
Facilities
Our large
games room is available to anybody staying at
Koh Tao Star Villa. It provides an excellent communal
area where you can enjoy a free game of pool or
darts. There is also a small home gym including
a x-trainer and light loose weights. There is
a space to sit and relax, toilet facilities and
a mini bar so you can buy beers, soft drinks or
a snack .
We provide
a free taxi to and from the pier in Sairee. Please
ensure that you communicate to us when and how
you are arriving on Koh Tao.
There is
a free taxi service to and from Sairee and we
can normally run this at times to accommodate
you.
We have a
selection of books and board games available for
you to use.
We provide
you with a mobile phone so you are able to contact
us should you need. The phone is also pre-programmed
with a selection of useful numbers including taxi
drivers.
We can arrange
a traditional Thai massage or other massage treatments
in the privacy of your own room.
Breakfast
can be served in your apartment or on your terrace
and we have a small but exceedingly tasty breakfast
menu to choose from.
There is
a selection of menus for some of Koh Tao's best
restaurants should you require a food delivery.
Private yoga
lessons can be arranged on your terrace.
And don't
forget, if you are you looking to do some SCUBA
diving whilst you are here on Koh Tao (at any
level from Open Water to Tec Deep or Cave Diving).
Location
Gallery
Koh Tao
(Turtle Island) is the northern most island of
the Samui peninsular, some 70 km from the east
coast of Thailand and about 38 km north of Koh
Pha Ngan (home of the Full Moon Party).
A
little history
From 1933 to 1947 the island was used as a prison
for political prisoners. Its location meant that
there was no means of escape by swimming and,
in those times, even taking a boat meant taking
your life in your own hands. In 1947 the then
King of Thailand granted a pardon to all these
prisoners and they were transported to the mainland.
Soon after a small but steady flow of people began
to come to Koh Tao to farm coconuts and fish.
Then in the 1980’s adventurous backpackers discovered
Koh Tao and tourism has powered growth here ever
since.
Preserving
Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a tiny island, just 7 km by 3, and
to this day it remains a green jewel in the clear
blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Indeed many
of the dive schools, business owners and local
government officers on Koh Tao are committed to
maintaining its natural beauty and bio diversity.
For more information on the ecological work undertaken
by the Marine Branch of the Save Koh Tao Community
Group, visit: www.marineconservationkohtao.com.
Koh Tao Star Villa would like to pay particular
tribute to Dev and Chad at New Heaven Dive School
and Nathan at Crystal Dive Resort for their efforts
in this endeavour. The good news is that more
and more dive schools and other businesses are
becoming involved in these efforts.
Koh Tao Star
Villa is committed to ‘Eco-tourism’ (a very much
over used term in our opinion) and maintaining
this tropical paradise. We would like to think
that our guests will also play their part in ensuring
that their visit here has a positive (rather than
a negative) impact on the island. So, if you wish
to get involved and get your hands dirty, let
us know, and we will be more than happy to bring
you along to some of the sites that we are helping
to develop or protect.
Our Contribution
to Maintaining The Natural Beauty of Koh Tao
At Koh Tao Star Villa we are very proud of the
steps that we have taken, and continue to take,
to make our Villa as environmentally friendly
as possible: we use natural gas to power our hot
water system - it is far, far more efficient and
much cleaner than the electricity produced on
the island; we are completely self suffient for
water - hardly a drop of rain that falls on our
roof goes to waste - so, not only do we not draw
on the very limited ground water supply of the
island, but we reduce the amount of run-off and
surface errosion that takes place; our septic
tank ensures that nothing nasty gets pumped into
the ground; whilst our grey water gets used to
water the garden. We look forward to the day when
all the hotels and resorts on Koh Tao can boast
of their 'eco-credentials'. Untill then, we can
only hope that travellers will vote with their
feet and forego the less reputable operations
on the island.
About
Koh Tao
Though it is most renowned for its SCUBA DIVING,
Koh Tao can now offer you a wealth of activities
to enjoy both in and out of the water. In fact
it is difficult to know where to start. Oh, I
know – what about the fabulous white sandy beaches
and rocky coves that are dotted around its coast.
Many of these provide excellent snorkelling and
if you get up early enough or go later in the
day, you can swim with the baby reef sharks at
some of these sites.
There are
mountain trails for the more active, ten-pin bowling,
mini golf, rock climbing, flying trapeze lessons,
speed boat trips around the island, Muay Thai
(Thai boxing), yoga, all sort of adventure sports,
or, for the less energetic, Koh Tao is blessed
with fantastic scenery, great sunsets and many
idyllic hideaways where you can watch the natural
world go by.
And then,
to follow you hectic (or maybe not so hectic)
day, perhaps a massage or some other spa treatment.
This, like the yoga, can be experienced on your
spacious terrace overlooking the sea and the jungle.
Also, to
expand the mind even further still, how about
Thai language lessons. Learn to speak basic Thai
and some convenient, easy to learn, everday expressions.
Jom, cofounder of Mind Your Language, has been
teaching for over 10 years and will be delighted
to help make your stay in Thailand a little more
memorable.
All this,
and there is a range of bars and clubs to suit
all tastes, just as there are different cuisines
from around the world on offer from a host of
restaurants. Truely an island with something for
everyone.
Koh
Tao Star Villa and its place in the natural order
Koh Tao Star Villa is set in just under an acre
of grounds about a kilometre from the hubhub of
Sairee. The surrounding jungle is dotted with
banana, mango, papaya and coconut trees; and from
the vantage point provided by your terrace, you
will be able to enjoy the daily spectacle of the
sea eagles cavorting in the clear blue skies of
early morning and late evening; enjoy balmy evenings
playing pool or chess and listen to the daytime
sounds of the tropical jungle become even more
evocative at night.
Watch the
sun go down from your terrace (about 80 meters
above sea level) and on clearer days you can see
the mountains of the mainland in the distance.
And at night, turn the lights off, lie back and
watch the splendour of the universe wheel across
the night sky. On a good night when the moon is
new, you might see 3 or 4 shooting stars - except
October when you can see a whole lot more. We
have even had the pleasure of watching the space
shuttle pass above our heads.
Behind KTSV
is a Buddhist temple, preserved as a retreat for
monks on strict sabbatical from around Thailand
and Myanmar. It is even possible to climb the
rock behind the Villa (from the temple side) to
see a fantastic 360 degree panorama of the island.
Burmese
youngsters come to pray to the Buddha on a Thai
Holiday.
Getting
Here
In the past Koh Tao was a very difficult place
to get to and boat crossing were often delayed
for days at a time. Fortunately travel links with
the island are now, you will be glad to know,
much better. After arriving at Bangkok airport
you have a number of travel options:
The easiest
is to catch an internal flight to Koh Samui airport.
If you wish
to fly with Thai Airways, it is possible to fly
from your home country to Koh Samui without having
to collect your luggage and check it in again
at Bangkok. Be careful, though, to ensure you
land in Koh Samui in time to catch the ferry,
otherwise you will have to spend the night in
Samui.
Bangkok Airways
also offer flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui.
To check
out these flights, click: Thai
Airways or Bangkok
Airways
From Samui
to Koh Tao takes about two hours and there are
two operators: Seatran Discovery have two crossings
each day: 8.00 am and 1.30 pm. Lomprayah also
offer two services each day: 8.00 am and 12.30
pm. The Seatran pier is about 10 minutes from
the airport whilst the Lomprayah pier takes about
30 minutes to get to. Both companies offer a free
taxi service from the airport to their pier. If
sea conditions are bad, you should know that the
Seatran ferry stays more upright that the Catamaran
but the Catamaran will work in higher seas than
the Seatran ferry. October and November tend to
be the season for higher winds and, therefore,
higher seas.
To check
out these ferry crossings click: Seatran
Discovery or Lomprayah
As an alternative
to the domestic flight to Koh Samui, you can make
your way from Bangkok to Chumporn overland. We
have found that the best way to do this is by
first class air con overnight sleeper train. It
does get you to Chumporn at an unearthly time
in the morning (about 4.30ish) but at least you
can go for a walk, stretch your legs, there is
a buffet car, and you can lie down and have a
nap (depending on how well you sleep normally).
Unfortunately we cannot book these in advance
for you, but if you are planning a short stay
in Bangkok, they can be easily obtained there
For an excellent service when making domestic
travel plans from Bangkok, we suggest you speak
to Dave at www.justdiveit.com.
Or you can
travel by first class coach from Bangkok to Chumporn.
Both ferry companies run these coaches and sell
combined coach/ferry tickets. Again, these can
be arranged very easily once you arrive in Bangkok.
A
small detour on your way to Koh Tao.
If you are thinking of spending a few days in
Bangkok before heading south, you may want to
consider taking a couple of days out to visit
Kanchanaburi – famous because this is where you
find the ‘bridge over the river Kwai’. This town
is just a couple of hours bus journey west from
Bangkok and there is a host of stuff to do here.
If you want to know what we would recommend.
Accommodation
The
Apartments
There are just two one-bedroom apartments at Koh
Tao Star Villa. Both these luxury apartments are
very spacious, with clean, elegant lines and furnishings.
They share a huge terrace overlooking the surrounding
jungle, Sairee Beach, and the Gulf of Thailand
– it is truly a view to die for. And with a free
taxi service to and from Sairee, there is no reason
to stay amongst the hustle, bustle, rattle and
hum of Sairee Beach, its bars, and its parties.
The lower
level of Koh Tao Star Villa has two self-contained,
fully furnished, one bedroom apartments. These
can be rented individually or together. They have
interconnecting doors (double doors to improve
security and soundproofing). Each of these apartments
have the following facilities:
• Spacious
apartment with a minimum floor space of 66 square
meters.
• Fully equipped, open plan kitchenette.
• Remote controlled ceiling fan throughout.
• Fully fitted bedroom with queen sized bed and
low noise LG air conditioning.
• Ensuite bathroom with powerful hot water shower,
western standard fittings and power point for
razors.
• Large living room with double french doors opening
onto the spacious, well lit, covered terrace.
• 32" wall mounted LCD TV with home LG cinema
system.
• Media player with access to nearly 3 terra bytes
of movies, TV series, documentaries and music.
• Satellite TV with many movie, sport and radio
channels plus the usual Discovery, History and
Net Geo channels, etc.
• Free wifi internet connection.
• Mini bar.
• Free coffee, tea and drinking water.
• Free access to games room providing a pool table,
dart board, small 'home' gym, seating area and
mini bar.
• BBQ area available for personal use.
• Daily maid service.
• Panoramic sea, jungle and sunset views.
• Free taxi service to and from the pier at Mae
Haad to ease your arrival and departure.
• Free daily taxi service to and from Sairee Plazza
if required.
• Laundry service available at local rates.
• Use of a mobile phone pre-programmed with many
useful numbers.
The
Penthouse
The Penthouse is, without question, one of the
best properties available for rent on Koh Tao.
The vaulted ceiling and open plan design are instantly
striking, giving the sense of space and light.
Its views of Koh Nang Yuan, the surrounding jungle,
Sairee bay and the Gulf of Thailand are mind blowing.
All of this plus customer service that goes "the
extra nine yards" – what more can anyone
need?
The upper
level of Koh Tao Star Villa is a huge, fully furnished,
two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. We call this
The Penthouse. The Penthouse has the following
facilities:
• Spacious
accommodation with a total floor space of 173
square meters.
• Open plan lounge and kitchen with three sets
of double doors providing 'outdoor living, indoors'.
• Fully equipped kitchen with utensils, cutlery,
plates, glasses, sandwich toaster and gas cooker.
• Two spacious, fully furnished bedrooms with
king sized beds and low noise LG air conditioning.
• Each bedroom has wide screen TV and DVD player.
Front bedroom also has satellite TV and media
player.
• Remote controlled ceiling fans throughout.
• Two bathrooms each with powerfull hot water
shower, western style toilet and luxury basin.
Power point for razor.
• Mezzanine floor has large furnished office with
library. Can be used as a third bedroom if required.
• Living room has vaulted ceiling and access to
large terrace and veranda.
• 40" wall mounted LCD TV with Yamaha, Dolby
7.1 home cinema system.
• Media player with access to nearly 3 terra bytes
of movies, TV series, documentaries and music.
• Satellite TV with many movie, sport and radio
channels plus the usual Discovery, History and
Net Geo channels, etc.
• Free wifi internet connection.
• Mini bar.
• Free use of DVD and CD library.
• Free coffee, tea and drinking water.
• Free access to games room providing a pool table,
dart board, small 'home' gym, seating area and
mini bar.
• BBQ area available for personal use.
• Daily maid service.
• Westerly aspect with panoramic sea, jungle and
sunset views.
• Free taxi service to and from the pier at Mae
Haad to ease your arrival and departure.
• Free daily taxi service to and from Sairee Plazza
if required.
• Laundry service available at local rates.
• Use of a mobile phone pre-programmed with many
useful numbers.
The
Villa
Koh Tao Star Villa, with almost 400 square meters
of living space, is one of the largest, most spacious
properties available for rent on Koh Tao. It has
quality in depth and every little detail has been
attended to. Perched on the side of the hill,
it is overlooked by a huge granite boulder and
there is a temple just up the hill. And all of
this is less than 5 minutes by scooter from Sairee
beach.
Essentially
'The Villa' is the combination of the Penthouse
on the upper level and both our self contained
one-bedroom apartments with en-suite bathroom
and spacious living rooms on the lower floor.
This way, you can stay with your friends and family,
but you will not have to live 'hand-in-glove'
with them all the time.
The Villa
therefore provides a total of 4 bedrooms (or 5
if you need, utilising the office in the Penthouse)
and 4 bathrooms. Renting the Villa means the entire
place is for the private use of you and your party.
This may well be the best private accommodation
on the island.
• Spacious
villa with over 390 square meters of living space.
• Four fully furnished, air conditioned bedrooms
- three with en-suite bathrooms.
• Four bathrooms each with powerful hot water
shower, western style toilet and luxury basin.
Power point for razor.
• W/C on games room floor.
• Three living areas including the spacious Penthouse
open plan loung/diner with vaulted ceiling.
• Each living area has a wall mounted widescreen,
LCD TV, home cinema system and satellite TV.
• On the Penthouse level, this includes a 40"
TV with Yamaha Dolby 7.1 home cinema system.
• The two bedrooms in the Penthouse have a king
sized bed, wide screen TV and DVD player. One
is also equipped with satellite TV.
• A large fully equipped kitchen on the Penthouse
level and a fully equipped kitchenette in each
of the apartments below.
• Remote controlled ceiling fan throughout.
• The mezzanine floor provides a furnished office
and library. This can be used as a fifth bedroom
in required (not suitable for young children).
• Large terrace areas - one covered and one open.
• Media player with access to nearly 3 terra bytes
of movies, TV series, documentaries and music.
• Satellite TV with many movie, sport and radio
channels plus the usual Discovery, History and
Net Geo channels, etc.
• Free wifi internet connection.
• Mini bars - one in each Apartment, one in the
Penthouse and one on the games room level.
• Free coffee, tea and drinking water.
• Free access to games room providing a pool table,
dart board, small 'home' gym, seating area and
mini bar.
• BBQ area available for personal use.
• Daily maid service.
• Panoramic sea, jungle and sunset views.
• Free taxi service to and from the pier at Mae
Haad to ease your arrival and departure.
• Free daily taxi service to and from Sairee Plazza
if required.
• Subsidised taxi service to ferry you around
the island.
• Use of a mobile phone.
• A wide selection of books, DVD's, CD's and board
games are available for your use free of charge.
• Laundry service available at local rates.
• Use of a mobile phone pre-programmed with many
useful numbers.
|
