Coco International Properties have some great deals on the island, not least on the headland at Choeng Mon. Tong Son has its own small bay and is located half way between Bay View Village and The Tongsai Bay Cottages and Resort. Coco have built a housing development that exudes both charm and self-sufficiency; it consists of 5 communal complexes, all of which contain detached, well-spaced homes which are either for sale or for rent. Each property comes with a good-sized garden and car port that will take up to three vehicles. The houses look bigger and are a lot more sophisticated than many in the same range in Thailand. There's a cocooned feel to the entire area; it's safe but never dull. Every possible care has gone into making the interiors and exteriors look their pristine best. The gardening won't ever get out of control and give you a headache; all of it is done by experts, and to the highest standards.

community magazine was shown three houses, typical of Coco's designs. The properties have a contemporary, fashionable look, with a ground floor comprising a large sitting room and dining area, all of it open plan, with a main table for meals, and then an area where you can relax. Doors open onto the garden, fringed by banana trees and flowering shrubs, which when fully grown will afford necessary privacy. A beautiful kidney shaped swimming pool awaits you, a perfect place to while away the time before going back inside. Each property also has a separate utility room with generous space, a ground floor WC and a fully-fitted designer kitchen. Everything that you will need is already in place. It's impossible to fault the choice here.

In the kitchen you will find just about everything you could wish for: a four hob cooker with oven, with plumbed-in air extractor overhead, a fridge large enough for an entire family bent on chilled goodies, a waffle-maker, a coffee percolator, a blender and a microwave oven. Drawers contain excellent quality stainless steel cutlery, pleasingly heavy to hold. There are plenty of plates and glasses, and in case you feel like celebrating, there are champagne glasses, too. After all of this there is still space left over for a washing machine. Yet the kitchen does not have a packed feel to it and despite its professional look isn't a daunting space. There's a relaxed feel and you will find people drawn to it just as much as they are to the lounge area.

However, this being the Tropics, food is not just an indoor pursuit outside in the garden you will no doubt want to make use of the brick built barbeque. It's not a flimsy affair, and it will probably make you want to attempt something more than grilled chicken legs and sausages. Whether you are a couple or a family, the garden will be an enjoyable experience.

As open-plan as possible, the downstairs has a very congruent feel to it, and a rectangular geometry that is broken up by the flight of stairs that leads to the upper level of the house, with its landing and three bedrooms, two of which share an ensuite shower room. Once again, all the details have been considered. There's a lot more to the bathrooms than hot running water. Here you will find black marbled surfaces, huge mirrors and top-of-the-range plumbing. From the bedrooms on the first floor there are views of distant wooded hills and mountainous terrain of the headland. There's naturally a balcony too, large and semi-circular, which looks down onto the garden and pool. The 3 or 4 bedrooms in each house are filled with light, though should you opt for it, just roll down the heavy Indian cotton roman blinds for privacy. All details have again been thought of, right down to the thick toweling that is changed daily by the maids. It's guaranteed that your home will never look anything less than spotless. Maintenance here is never synonymous with simple neatening.

Each house is full of small grace notes: artfully curled bamboo shoots stand in a wooden vase; a cerise red cushion catches the eye for a moment; on the sideboard a carved wooden coaster depicts a falcon on the arm of its owner, who smiles absently over his shoulder. Details that are easily overlooked but wouldn't be if you lived here any length of time. It goes without saying that the decorations are not standardised throughout the properties. These are not houses that would be at all boring; you'd have fun discovering all the details you thought you already knew about.

A network of well-paved roads leads between the estates, and finally ends at Ocean View, with the sea peeking out at the end of a longish avenue, with a communal swimming pool before you step onto the beach proper. A club-house by the side; a great place to spend an afternoon in the shade. Wherever you are in Tong Son, the sea is never far away, and the beach is one of the most deserted on the island. Sand and some rocks, a small cafe-restaurant; it's idyllic, a small, unspoilt world on its own.

The houses all have substantial foundations: 4" concrete piling intersected by steel girders will afford very adequate protection. Whether for rent or for sale the properties are all furnished throughout. All bedrooms are equipped with both fan and air-conditioning. There are 5 communal complexes, Tropical Gardens, Grandview, Balinese, View Talay and Ocean View. Each has a large shared swimming pool, and this in addition to most lots having their own individual pool. The sale price varies from 200,000 US Dollars to a million plus. All the properties will be finished by March or April next year.

To find out more about Coco's latest deals please call Alan Sadd on 0 9874 6269 or 0 7742 2248. There is also a website, cocosamui.com, and if you are interested in rentals, it's worth looking at cocosamui-villa-rentals.com.