Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

While Koh Tao is known as a diving retreat and Koh Phangan is a party place, Koh Samui has evolved over the decades into Thailand’s premier luxury island escape. There are local treasures such as The Jungle Club – a stunning resort and celebrated restaurant that islanders travel to from far and wide, alongside well-known global brands. Samui is home to prestigious luxury heavyweights such as the Four Seasons, Six Senses and the Ritz- Carlton. The founders of the Samujana estate were ahead of all the five-star giants though, and therefore able to cherry pick one of the best pieces of land on the entire island. From a perfect hilltop perch on the northeast of the island, all of Samujana’s lavishly appointed villas, a handful of which are for sale and the rest for holiday rental, afford spectacular views over the sea. John Kinder is a co-founder and owner/developer who initially started out with plot of land, and after falling in love with the area, then bought a completed villa. Following that John continued by building ten more villas and collaborating with a group of dedicated owners to oversee the development of the estate and to establish the management company. Recounting how his journey with Samujana began, John says, “The land was discovered by two friends of ours in the 90s, Steve Hayward and Tom Hall. There was very little built in this area of Samui and no proper roads. They visited a small restaurant on the site where Villa 7 is now located. They immediately fell in love with the view and felt that with the right architect and vision, a villa estate would fit perfectly with the