What a Holiday Means, Own Space, Own Pace. By Yeoh Siew Hoon Friday, 13th November 2009

Our writer steps back into Samui and experiences a different kind of home charm, a place where you get your own space and dictate your own pace.

Peace and tranquillity at Miskawaan, Samui

Samui used to be a regular hangout of mine when I was living in Hong Kong. I’d step on the island and immediately, all the stress would flow off my shoulders.

In those days of course, you didn’t have the airport you have today – still one of the best airports in the world that instantly gives you the feeling you’re entering a holiday zone. In those days too, you didn’t have all the shops and bars that have come up in Chaweng, and all the villas that have sprouted up in recent years, offering promises of what life could be like if you had the money to buy one …

But hey, if you can’t buy one, you can rent one for a few days …

This time, I was headed to Misakawaan, a collection of eight villas on Maenam beach, the quieter side of the island.

Maenam is a beach I know well – I used to stay at a place called Seafan and slept blissfully in thatched-roofed bungalows. One night, I woke up to the sound of scratching on the roof – and discovered it was mice coming out to play when the cats were asleep. It was that sort of home charm I loved.

Miskawaan offers a different kind of home charm – each villa comes with 3 or 5 bedrooms and each has its own pool, living/dining area and huge kitchen, and looking after you is a villa manager and her array of staff from butlers to chefs to kitchen helpers.

No, don't get me wet, says the buffalo to the child

It’s the kind of place you never want to leave, and I have to confess I didn’t throughout the four days I was there. Other than a foray out one evening to a local bar which offered karaoke as you drank Singha beer, I stayed in my cocoon.

It’s a very comfortable cocoon and I recommend it for anyone who needs serious de-stressing. It sits right on the beach front and every morning, you wake up to the sound of the sea and each night, you go to sleep, dreaming of the moon and stars.

“What did you do,” asked a friend, to whom the idea of doing nothing is anathema to his DNA. “What about this?” he gestured in the way a Crackberry knows only too well.

Well, Arthur, I gave devices a rest and what I did was I made friends with the dogs on the beach and in the evenings, I watched a water buffalo take his bath. I also swam, read, had massages, slept and oh yes, ate. A lot.

And if that wasn’t exciting enough for you, Arthur, one evening I saw a mouse – I wonder if it was the same one from Seafan – scurrying across the marble tiles and a lizard fell on me while I was sipping my wine in the “sala”.

As for food, which I know is important to you, Arthur, you can leave everything to the villa manager and the chef to sort out your meals – the Thai meals were delicious – or you can have a hand in it.

I was traveling with someone who loves to commandeer kitchens and so she took care of our feeding requirements. It’s good not to have to think of such mundane things as food when you are busy doing nothing.

Our villa manager, Khun Tal, was always at hand to ensure we were well looked after. I liked their style – always there, but never intrusive.

You felt like it was your own place. And even better, you dictate your own pace.

Isn’t that what most travellers want today, Arthur?

Just consider this quote by one of my favourite authors, John Irving: “... that's just what a good hotel does: it simply provides you with the space, and with the atmosphere, for what it is you need. A good hotel turns space and atmosphere into something generous, into something sympathetic - a good hotel makes those gestures that are like touching you, or saying a kind word to you, just when (and only when) you need it.”

Yeoh Siew Hoon, one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, writes a regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry for 4Hoteliers.com.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com

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