Over New Year holiday in 2013, the Johanson family from Sweden spent a week in a private villa just off Chaweng Beach. Here is their testimonial.

"My mother in law turned 70 in September and instead of having a large party she invited the entire family to Thailand over New Year. It was such a good idea because due to our busy schedules we hardly ever get to spend some quality time together. So after Christmas we packed our bags and headed to Thailand for some much needed sun, sand and sea.

When we started planning the trip last year we actually thought we were going to stay in a nice resort that one of my colleagues had recommended. We were travelling with my brother and his family who also have two children so we wanted somewhere where they could play and we didn't have to worry about them getting bored. We did talk briefly about a private villa, but quickly discarded that option thinking it was too expensive. However, after having seen the price of all of us staying in the resort over New Year, which is high season in Thailand, we decided to have a second look at the villa option.

We were really surprised at the amount and variety of villas available on the island. We had no idea it was such a popular holiday option, but after doing a little research it quickly turned out that, given our situation travelling to many people of different ages together, that it was the only right option for us. So we contacted a few agencies and asked for recommendations. In the end we decided on this beautiful villa near Choeng Mon Beach where all the children could stay together in one room and all of us adults also had our own bedrooms that we could retreat to if we needed some relaxation.

The villa was perfect for us because there were so many facilities. The kids had a private pool where they could play for hours every day and it was surrounded by a large deck where we could keep an eye on them and also relax ourselves. A wonderful housekeeper was there everyday to make sure everything ran smoothly and she was great with the children too, playing with them and entertaining them with little games and treats. A cook was also on hand and everyday we had the option of choosing what we wanted for dinner and he would go to the local market to buy fresh seafood or meat for that evening's dinner. It was a wonderful holiday and I would recommend anyone travelling in a family group to stay in a private villa. There is a different, more relaxed atmosphere and much more opportunity to spend some quality time together than you get in a hotel."