OMG, I Want to Rent This House spotlights the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. From open-air villas to an adult treehouse, we explore all the places that you should book for an unforgettable getaway.
Villa Kalipay, Cape Yamu, Thailand on Vrbo: We’re all for romantic rendezvous, tête-à-tête vacations with your one true love. But those holidays are for the cozy days of winter when cuddling up beside a crackling fire is the only item on the agenda. Summer is not for love…it’s for planning a big trip with friends and family in a fabulous (read: expensive) vacation rental.
Sure, the quality time you can spend with your near and dears is nice, but, more importantly, when “the more the merrier” is your motto, your rental can become ever grander while your cut of the bill grows ever smaller. (Priorities, right?!)
One of those exquisite stays can be found at Villa Kalipay, a dream seaside rental on Cape Yamu, just 25 minutes from Phuket. For just over $1000 a night, you and your nine closest friends can holiday in an exclusive enclave in one of the year’s most popular travel destinations.
To enter your new (and unfortunately temporary) chateau, walk past the resident pond filled with exotic fish (hello, neighbors!) and step through the teak front door into a truly unique home.
The owners of Villa Kalipay recruited local artists and artisans to help furnish and decorate the space, so you’ll spend your vacation practically living in a Thai museum of design…which, we feel the need to point out, is no excuse to forgo a visit to an actual museum.
With five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, everyone in your party can sleep in the luxury and comfort they demand.
But the real queens or kings of the trip will be determined by who snaps up the master bedroom, which not only has a spectacular view through floor-to-ceiling glass windows, but also an outdoor shower that is shielded by a wall of palms and frangipani. (Never fear, lovers of indoor plumbing, that amenity is also on offer.)
Sure, you’ll want to make all the typical touristy Thai stops on your trip to Phuket—meet an elephant, visit the Big Buddha, peruse the night markets, and discover the islands of Phang Nga Bay—but when you’re renting a house this gorgeous, there’s a lot to be said for staying even more local.
After you’ve gotten your fill of the big city, spend your days watching the fishing boats from your panoramic view of the Andaman Sea or lounging around your—you guessed it—very own infinity pool.
When all that relaxing gets to be too exhausting, head down to one of the nearby beaches or sign up for a day of yachting around the bay. (Yachting is always encouraged.)
Normally when it comes to vacations, we prefer to celebrate our superior taste for luxury and leisure in the company of a setting sun. (Happy hour, ’nough said.)
But here on the east coast of Cape Yamu, it is the sunrise that will really inspire awe. Take your coffee on the outside deck overlooking the water for the perfect view of the sun’s debut.
(Editor’s note: the sunset over the mountains is still phenomenal.)
You may not be able to make yourself a permanent resident of Villa Kalipay, but when it’s time to pack up those bags and surrender the master, you can leave with your head held high knowing that your Thailand jaunt was undoubtedly better than all of your rivals lighting up your Instagram feed. Vacation well done.
Book Your Stay: Villa Kalipay on Cape Yamu in Phuket, Thailand: $1,066/night via Vrbo
