If your tropical fantasy consists of sugary-white beaches, swaying palms, and pristine water, look no further than Ko Samui, located in the Gulf of Thailand. Nestled on its own private bay, Tongsai Bay is a holistic luxury eco-retreat and sustainable resort hidden amongst coastal cliffs and tropical flora. From the island’s green, dinky airport, it’s a quick ten-minute journey to the northern peninsula, passing the island’s sprawling marketplace where street vendors serve steaming bowls of Pad Thai and fresh coconut. When you arrive at the 27-acre resort, the feeling of calm is immediate.

After crossing the polished hardwood floor of the open-air reception, its entrance lined with mango trees and lily ponds, the view of the half-moon bay steals your attention. Acres of pristine jungle surround a beach of white granulated sand and gently flowing water. It makes all the journeying to get here feel worth it.

It’s easy to see why the resort is named precisely after the cove it sits on, and why the owner Khun has largely kept this view intact. Unlike the glassy Ziggurats that occupy the opposite end of the bay, Tongsai Bay is a holistic Luxury Eco-Retreat and sustainable resort that’s very much in keeping with its natural surroundings.

As you might expect, it took a tremendous amount of work to build a luxury resort here, in an overgrown patch of jungle with no infrastructure to speak of. It’s claimed that the owner slept on a mattress on the beach while the resort was being built, to make there was no damage to local wildlife. There’s now a white flowing gazebo bed in its place, a cute homage to the resort’s 33-year old story.

Tongsai Bay has 83 chalets and villas that spill over the hillsides, plunging down to the beach and into the Gulf of Thailand. The resort features three restaurant areas, two swimming pools, a tennis court, a yoga room, and a gym – but somehow never loses its feeling of intimacy.

The cottages are beautifully secluded, with expansive terraces hidden by trees and foliage. Many feature outdoor bathtubs that overlook the sea. Rooms are furnished in a contemporary style, featuring dark walnut furniture, white-linen sofas, and oriental paintings. The canopied bed is irresistibly comfortable.

Set on a generous terrace hidden from view, The Tongsai Pool Villa offers an open-air gazebo bed, a bathtub, and an infinity pool that blends into the blue of the horizon. Nestled in tufts of the jungle, this is a hideaway fit for a Bond villain.

What really sets the resort apart is its abundance of wildlife. Slow loris hang from the trees, eagles glide above, monitor lizards scuttle in the bushes, and exotic species of crickets make fascinating noises, against a backdrop of birdsong. Twitchers are delighted with the resort’s diverse fauna – they’ve counted 67 species of bird so far, including the latest spotting, a rare Black-Naped Monarch.

Mark, the easy-going hotel manager, nicely encapsulates the philosophy of the Tongsai Bay: “We want to create an environment that encourages wildlife to the hotel” he says. “No tree or plant can be cut down without the owner’s permission.”

When it comes to sustainability, the attention to detail is impressive. Reusable ceramic bottles – no plastic waste here – contain fragrant lemongrass shampoo and shower gel. Rooms are stocked with homemade mosquito spray, made with citronella flowers grown on-site. Nothing is thrown away – even fruit peelings are reused to produce organic floor cleaner.

Guests are free to browse Tongsai’s stunning two-acre garden, where poorly plants are nursed back to health. The nursery offers a verdant supply of wild basil, galangal, and coriander, which visitors can also forage if taking part in a cooking lesson. Taught by the patient, ever-smiling Chef Eak, it’s an excellent opportunity to get to grips with Thai cooking – you’ll be impressed at how decent your renditions of crispy king prawns, spicy Tom Yum and Banana Leaf pudding turn out.

The resort supports the local Samui Elephant Sanctuary, a vital project that rescues elephants from a lifetime of captivity. In Thailand, elephants are treated cruelly as tourist attractions or made to haul timber until they drop. At this sanctuary, they’re free to enjoy their retirement across ten acres of forest. Their stories are heartbreaking. Visitors are introduced to a 60-year-old elephant called Dolly, particularly memorable as she’d “forgotten how to be an elephant” when she first arrived at the sanctuary. You’d never guess that now, as she strides happily towards visitors, seizing banana leaves from their hands.

Although compact, Koh Samui’s main boulevard is a lively jumble of giftshops, restaurants and bars, and there’s plenty going on – if you can summon the will to leave the tranquillity of the resort, that is. Fisherman’s Bay is an easy hop away, and the perfect place to toast the sunset with a cocktail.

Also worth indulging in is the optional five-course candlelit meal, set in a private nook of the beach. Prepared by the talented Chef Eak, who trained at the legendary Black Swan, expect a diverse feast of regional Thai dishes, excellently paired with wine. The papaya salad is the best you’ll find outside of Isan, where the dish originates.

If you’ve overindulged, there’s no better way to remedy the next-day hangover than a fresh ‘energise’ juice prepared by the hotel’s resident fruit chopper, Pu. Once you’ve spent a day or two here, it’s likely you’ll get to know the staff by their first names. And they’re some of the nicest people you could meet. Especially Pu, a big sunny personality; she’ll chop you a heart-shaped piece of fruit, and send you off into the day with a smile.

Before flying home, book a session at the resort’s spa, a green hideaway tangled in bamboo trees and vines. The Prana Thai Massage is perhaps the best treatment on the menu; a real deep-tissue pummelling, scented with fragrant lemongrass and menthol oil, it’s the ultimate way to unwind.

Nighttime is your opportunity to tune into the sounds of the jungle; a chorus of shuffling vines, birdsong, and exotic frogs. It’s rare to experience the jungle this up-close, from the comfort of such luxury. This is the true, uninhibited joy of Tongsai: its proximity to wildlife. Take some time to disconnect from the world, and reconnect with yourself at Tongsai Bay, your charming luxury eco-retreat in Thailand.