Hin Kong, the west coast of Koh Phangan

Hin Kong is a quiet village on the west coast of Koh Phangan, between Thong Sala and Sri Thanu. No busy street, no clubs: a coastal road lined with unassuming cafés, a few restaurants with their feet in the sand, and the bay, wide, calm, facing due west. That orientation is what made the place's name: every evening the sun drops straight into the sea, and Hin Kong beach becomes the front row of the show.

The villa sits on the hillside above the village, a few minutes from the shore. From Hin Kong everything is close and nothing intrudes: Thong Sala and its night market are a quarter of an hour by scooter, the beaches of Sri Thanu and the yoga café quarter just to the north, Haad Yao and its clear water a little further. The ferry from Koh Samui or Surat Thani lands at Thong Sala; count fifteen minutes by road from there.

To stay in Hin Kong is to choose the peaceful version of Koh Phangan, the one of sunsets and silent mornings, while keeping the whole island within reach.