I'd been to Krabi once before and stayed in one of the big resort type hotels on Ao Nang beach front. While looking for a place to stay on a return trip together with 3 friends, I discovered this Villa purely by chance.

This place is a little paradise. Let me start with the location, which might be off putting for some because it's not directly on the tourist stretch. For me this was a huge advantage and actually made me feel like I was living in Thailand for the week, away from the masses of tourists all crowding the bars/restaurants and beach front in Ao Nang. The operator has cleverly eliminated the location problem by providing a mobile phone with which you can call their diver to pick you up in Ao Nang anytime between 8:00-22:00. If, like me, you don't like the idea of having to rely on someone to pick you up, you could do what I did and hire a moped. The streets are extremely good between the villa and the beach, although you need to be careful on the long driveway/dirt track up to the villa itself. This might be more difficult during the rain season. The drive takes between 5-10 minutes. Any bike/car you hire will be very secure here as the property is surrounded by a high wall with an amazing gate that reminded me of Jurassic Park.

The views from the villa are rather attractive with hills visible from the pool, and the trees/plants/bushes have all grown considerably since the villa's pictures were put on their website. The pool itself is absolutely stunning... big enough to take a swim, and looks safe enough for children to get in and out without problems.

If you have problems with mosquitoes, buy some citronella incense sticks and spray yourself if outside after dusk and you'll have no problems. I'm a magnet for mosquitoes and didn't get a single bite. The organisers have had the sense to put an electric vapor repellent in the bedrooms, and I noticed they'd also put one in the lounge area (perhaps due to my emailing them asking what measures I could take against mosquitoes).

Deocrationwise, this place was minimalist, but full of character with a Thai flair. I'd say the place looked enchanting when the lights were dimmed in the evenings. Personally, I would have preferred a slightly more comfortable sofa, but who needs a sofa when you have 4 sun loungers outside calling out to be used.

Other things I haven't seen mentioned are the water cooler which is provided free of charge with fresh drinking water, and the computer which is modern and fast, as is the wireless connection to whatever you take with you. I was also relieved that the company who organise everything didn't try to push us into doing any of the organised tours/courses of which they might have profited from. Instead they waited for us to contact them before giving us the possibilities. Technically, if you just wanted to be left alone during your stay, this would certainly be possible.

All in all, this villa has changed my perception of holidays in Thailand forever. Never would I return to one of these awful tourist trap hotels where you have to fight for a sun lounger or avoid other people in overcrowded pools. Should I ever return to Krabi, Baan Malisa and a moped would be my choice.