From southern Thai islands to coastal Vietnam, and from the Indonesian archipelago to the cultural heart of Cambodia, Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s most celebrated travel destinations. Luxury resorts in the region increasingly entice travelers with exclusive private villas offering unparalleled opulence and seclusion. Here is a look at some of Southeast Asia’s most distinctive private villas.
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A Presidential Beachfront Pool Villa
Used recently as the location for a finale of US hit TV show The Bachelor, this majestic villa enjoys pride of place directly in front of tranquil Tubkaek Beach, some 30 minutes’ drive from the popular town of Krabi. It can be reserved as a three-bedroom unit or combined with two adjoining family beachfront villas to create a 7-bedroom wonderland of saltwater pools, canals, and balconies. Designed as a retreat for multigenerational family vacations and intimate wedding celebrations, Banyan Tree Krabi’s Presidential villa commands no less than 466 sqm and a palatial 1,240 sqm as a seven-bedroom arrangement. Among the additional amenities, guests will find four Smart TVs, a fully equipped kitchenette, a Nespresso coffee machine, a safety box, a Bluetooth clock radio, pillow menu, wine fridge, private pool and jet pool, as well as private gardens, terraces and balconies galore. Among several luxury options for guests - a private barbecue on the terrace of the beachfront villa with one’s own chef!
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The Ultimate in Privacy in Southern Vietnam
Azerai Ke Ga Bay, an elegant and sophisticated beachfront resort in southern Vietnam, offers three extraordinary private villa options for guests. The 130sqm Pool Villas and 145sqm Pool Deluxe Villas feature private plunge pools (larger in the Pool Deluxe Villa), writing desks and spacious bathrooms with views to a private garden and a tub for soaking. The spacious Ke Ga Bay Villa is the ultimate couples retreat, boasting 185sqm of space with a master bedroom upstairs with ocean glimpses and multiple relaxation areas below including a large pool and terrace. The tasteful décor of the villas display a muted color palette of whites and granites echoing the shades of local sand and stone of the bay. Azerai Ke Ga Bay, situated 2.5 hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City, overlooks an expansive 5km stretch of white sand along the East Sea. This lush and private resort is nestled in 4.5 hectares of verdant gardens and its distinctive location provides a tranquil setting, ideal for relaxation and rejuvenation.
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French-Cambodian Style, Luxuriously Updated for Modern Tastes
The two-bedroom Royal Villa at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor offers the ultimate in residential luxury, with a butler, pool access, master king and twin bedrooms, a spacious living and dining room and private terrace, three bathrooms, and a kitchen with views of the landscaped gardens at the historic heritage hotels’s iconic swimming pool. The 318sqm villa can accommodate up to six guests and, like all of the rooms and suites at the hotel, it is elegantly decorated in the French-Cambodian style of a bygone era, luxuriously updated for modern tastes. Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor was named one of the world’s “500 Best Hotels” by the industry-leading Travel + Leisure magazine in April for a third straight year. Originally opened in 1932, the hotel was built as a rest stop for archeologists and adventurers seeking to explore the ancient kingdom of Angkor Wat, which is today one of the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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Spacious Oceanfront Luxury Villas in Da Nang, Vietnam
Fusion Resort & Villas Da Nang launched earlier this year in central Vietnam. The spacious beachfront resort overlooking the East Sea is spread across more than 15 hectares, with the palatial Five Bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa standing as the epitome of coastal bliss. Spanning an expansive 717sqm of indoor space, the villa comprises a majestic two-story main house featuring four king-size ensuite bedrooms and a twin room, complemented by large dining and living areas. The villa also offers a 150sqm private lounging area and pool, providing the utmost in tranquility on Non Nuoc Beach. Fusion Resort & Villas Da Nang offers 85 upscale private villas in addition to a 157-key hotel tower.
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Paradisiacal Privacy in Phuket
One of Phuket’s most desirable properties, Trisara is renowned for its paradisiacal privacy. Its collection of residences perched directly over the resort’s bay — which range in size from two-bed units to multi-bedroom configurations—rank among the most spectacular in Thailand. The pick of the residences is Villa Sawan, an eight-bedroom “resort within a resort”. Home to ocean-facing views, lush gardens, and use of a cove with a private beach at the foot of the property, Villa Sawan is the ultimate exclusive escape. Guests can take a dip in the Andaman Sea or unwind by swimming laps in the 25-metre swimming pool. Staff are available and on-call throughout the stay. The villa also features a home cinema, a well-equipped gym, and spa facilities. Expansive suites, sea-facing verandahs, and extensive swimming pools are prominent in all the residences’ blend of indoor and outdoor spaces that lend themselves to intimate gatherings. Adding lustre to the proceedings is the fact that all the villas are catered for by a dedicated maid and chef who prepares home-cooked Thai and Western dishes on demand and by request. With privacy guaranteed, the residences are also perfect for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, marriage proposals or celebrations with extended family or with groups of friends.
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Infinity-Edge Pools With Mesmerizing Sea Views
Laguna Lang Co has burnished its status as one of Vietnam’s most alluring integrated destinations courtesy of its recently launched three-bedroom Banyan Tree Seaview Pool Villas. Laid out along a jungle-clad mountainside at the northern end of the property and perched at an altitude of 45 to 75 meters above sea level, the ultra-luxe villas rank among the most desirable accommodations in the nation. The villas, each of which spans an expansive 260sqm, offer three bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass that optimizes the mesmerizing sea view. Private living spaces feature tasteful, contemporary furnishings, carefully chosen artworks and subtle exterior and interior design influenced by the traditional architecture of Hue, Vietnam’s former imperial capital, which is an hour’s drive north of Lang Co. Each unit has its own outdoor heated infinity-edge pool. Long views over the ocean towards Laguna’s 3km-long stretch of private beach are arguably the most outstanding feature of the villas.
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A Famous Indonesian Architect’s Former Abode in Ubud
Once the private retreat of one of Indonesia’s foremost designer-architects, the Hadiprana Estate at Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, is a sanctuary within a sanctuary. The 570-square-meter (6,135-square-feet), two-bedroom villa features private en-suites, with the master bath anchored by a secluded, sunken outdoor Jacuzzi. A spacious deck and bale surrounds a 10-meter long swimming pool. A museum-worthy collection of art and artifacts, collected by the late Hendra Hadiprana himself, graces the white-washed brick walls and complement the modern Balinese furnishings of this completely private residence.
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Multigenerational Travel a Breeze at Cavernous Oceanfront Pavilion
Alma’s crisp and contemporary three-bedroom oceanfront pool pavilions each command some 224sqm on the buttermilk sands on Vietnam’s Cam Ranh peninsula. The luxurious pavilions each afford a private pool with an infinity edge, four bathrooms, a vast living room and kitchen just a few steps from Long Beach’s aquamarine waters with islands strewn offshore. The design of the oversized accommodations caters to multigenerational travel for up to four generations; there’s a bathroom and toilet each for the children, the parents, the grandparents and either the great-grandparents or the in-laws. A big fold-out sofa and a large table in the living room encourage families to come together to talk, share a meal and play board games.
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Dreamy Villas For The Honeymooners
The Anam Cam Ranh, a luxurious 12-hectare resort overlooking Long Beach on Vietnam’s Cam Ranh peninsula, is home to two exquisite villas just for honeymooners, each replete with a private pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna room and daily afternoon tea. With a design inspired by Vietnam’s Indochine era, the 180-square-metre ‘Honeymoon Villas’ are both set on 400 square metres of lush hillside land located adjacent to the grounds of the resort’s tranquil 10-treatment room spa. The picture-perfect one-bedroom villas each feature a separate living room, jacuzzi, steam and sauna room and private terrace with sun loungers overlooking a glassy-surfaced 40-square-metre private pool. The villas’ romantic appeal draws on the Indochine period with the likes of imperial style roofs, big-bellied water vases, lanterns, and customized mosaic tiles.
