Villa Karpe Diem

A word from the owner

“We had been exploring counties in South East Asia for more than 2 years before agreeing that Ko Samui was where we wanted our 2nd home in Asia. We had visited SEA countries extensively, but in our hearts, kept coming back to Thailand, drawn by the warmth of the people and the beautiful island life.

We took the plunge in 2010, with 3 key criteria:
– the view over the water was paramount, so we did not want the myopic view of a beach villa – somewhere high for security and the best 180 degree water views that only a mountain villa could provide
– location, location, location – is everything, and we wanted to buy on the most prestigious mountain, located in Chewang Noi; minutes from the nightlife, and yet adequately secluded from the bustle, on the most prestigious spot in Ko Samui
– we wanted to secure the largest plot the mountain had to offer – to guarantee absolute privacy

We initially purchased a plot size of 2,750 square metres, knowing there was a possibility to purchase a further 1,500 square metres in a few years. When this became available in 2013, we snapped it up.

We sought out a little known, but visionary Thai Architect in a tiny office in the streets of Nathon, Bodin Stritakul. The first plans were drawn by pencil and ruler by me in Bodin’s office, and then he got to work. A year or two later, Bodin got to work on his personal ‘dream’ project and created ‘Moonshadow Villa’, which catapulted him to be regarded as the best Architect in Thailand.

The two of us worked closely for almost four years, picking materials, some of which were not available in Thailand at that time and therefore not used in other interior villa finishes. We wanted to ensure that an abundance of glass, stone and wood, especially bamboo, blended in with the eco system of the mountain, and worked tirelessly to ensure absolute minimum disruption to plants, trees and rocks. We incurred extra cost and additional build time, to integrate these into the project or to build around them. From starting the build in 2012, the villa was finished in January 2016.

As a globally mobile investment banker, as a family, we were consistently in a state of flux. The name of the villa, Karpe Diem, that is a play on words from the Latin ‘Carpe Diem’ meaning ‘seize the day’ or otherwise, ‘to live for the moment’ was chosen by our son. From our very first visit to the completed villa, there was an aura of serenity, peace and calm; accentuated by the most beautiful 180 degree views. It was literally a few days off as a family, where time stood still for us, and it was truly difficult to leave, back to the bustle of Hong Kong.

We completed a full gym, massage room and spa 9-10 months later, towards the end of 2016, utilising the extra land we purchased. The last few years we have contemplated adding further separate bedrooms located around the villa, as there is certainly space for that, or even adding one or two extra floors underneath the current living space as there is approximately 20 metres of height to do so, and the infrastructure is already in place. For the time being we did not embark on further projects, but it is a comforting thought that we could effectively double the size of the existing villa, if we so choose.

Over the past few years, we have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, hosted groups of friends, and cherished many wonderful memories at the villa. We rent out Villa Karpe Diem to a highly select group of guests for approximately half the year, and the accolades have been wonderful to receive. Each year since the villa has been built, we have won multiple awards each year, be it for design, management or service. In 2019, the Rolls-Royce Owners Club and the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club approached us to partner with them for the prestigious 100-year anniversary of Bentley Motors, on the basis that they felt that Villa Karpe Diem was extremely closely aligned to their and their members values, affluence and the experience it would offer them. This was a humbling experience from our perspective, given we built this villa as as second family home, but truly recognises the inherent value of the Karpe Diem brand, and for which we are grateful.

Iconic for?

Design, Privacy, Space and Location – Karpe Diem Villa is truly one of a kind, built on the most prestigious hilltop in Koh Samui this twin pool Villa sits on a massive plot of land ensuring total privacy and seclusion overlooking the gulf of Thailand.