It’s time to bring back old-school playtime. Here are six family-friendly villas in Bali and Koh Samui where play comes naturally — and screens become an afterthought.
Toy Story 5 hits a little too close to home. Bonnie has a new favourite — not Woody, not Buzz, not even Jessie. It’s Lilypad, a smart tablet, and she is obsessed. The toys that once sparked her entire imagination are now gathering dust while she stares at a glowing screen, tapping and swiping away.
It’s a kids’ film, for sure. But parents who’ve seen the film are squirming in their seats because there’s plenty of truth in it.
The latest installment of the hit Toy Story franchise makes no bones about what it’s really saying: screens are replacing the imaginative, interactive play that defines a childhood. Director Andrew Stanton put it plainly: nobody plays with toys anymore. Toy Story 5 shows us what we lose when we let screens fill every moment.
How do we defend childhood from the infiltration of screens? The answer, we think, is spending more time in places built for analog-style fun: a room with old-school board games, a sparkling pool full of floaters and water pistols, and a huge garden where kids can run wild.
Here are six family villas across Bali and Koh Samui where the agenda is playing all day and the real magic happens offline.
BALI
Manu Villas, Sanur, Bali
Despite being Bali’s original resort town, Sanur tends to fly under the radar and that’s a good thing. The area is made for families, with calm, shallow beaches, a coastal bike path and healthy cafes made for lingering. Manu Villas sits right in the middle of all this. This newly built beachside villa has a bunk room that children will stake their claim on approximately five minutes after arrival. The pool ahas a shallow end for the younger guests, and the slower pace of life here does the rest.
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Akashi Residence, Canggu, Bali
Designed by Alexis Dornier, Akashi Residence is a bona fide playhouse for kids and kidults alike. How many villas have a water slide that spirals through the central atrium and into the pool below? It is the kind of villa that makes everyone forget that phones and tablets exist (except to take a video of you going down that epic slide, of course). Six ensuite bedrooms sleep up to 12 across three floors (there’s an elevator, a thoughtful touch), an in-house chef navigates everything from nasi goreng to banana pancakes, and the gym and yoga deck mean the adults haven’t been entirely forgotten either.
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Nag Shampa Private Estate, Ubud, Bali
Its name translates to “incense of love” in Sanskrit, and within a few minutes you’ll see just why. Built by Sam and Isabella Branson in the rice-paddy hills of Tegallalang in Ubud, Nag Shampa operates on a different frequency to most villas. Kids learn the art of slowing down by making canang sari — the small, intricate offerings placed daily across Bali — an engaging activity that rivals anything on a screen. Jungle trekking, temple visits, and yoga round out the week for anyone serious about going offline.
THAILAND
Praana Residence, Koh Samui
Spread across the Bophut Hills with sweeping views of the Gulf of Thailand, there’s no shortage of things to do at Praana Residence. With six ensuite bedrooms, two infinity pools and even a tennis court, nobody will miss their phone here. The nursery handles the youngest guests, the rooftop Muay Thai boxing ring entices the teenagers who thought they were too cool for a family holiday, and the private cinema and billiards room sort out everyone else.
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Ban Suriya, Lipa Noi, Koh Samui
The name Ban Suriya translates to “sunshine house”, which feels about right for a beachfront estate on Koh Samui’s unspoilt coastline. The villa is built on a former coconut plantation with sprawling gardens for endless space to run and play. The beachside treehouse can occupy kids for hours on end, and if that doesn’t work, there’s always the water. Take your pick from canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and the 20-metre infinity pool. Seven full-time staff — nanny available on request — mean the adults are genuinely looked after, too.
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The View Samui, Taling Ngam, Koh Samui
With a name like that, you’re bound to expect a sweeping panorama. The View Samui doesn’t disappoint, with a 180-degree sweep of the Gulf of Thailand that does all the talking. There are five ensuite bedrooms for the adults, as well as an epic kids’ room: six bunk beds fitted with nautical circular portholes that look out onto the garden, with pull-out beds for the overflow. It’s a sleepover dream made real. Tiered lawns run down to a private beach on either side, sea kayaks are on standby, and a private chef means nobody has to think too hard about where to go for dinner.
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Toy Story 5 is, at its heart, about what happens when we stop having real, quality time with each other. The toys don’t lose to Lilypad because she’s better. They lose because she’s easier.
The good news? We’ve done the hard part: the villa-hunting and the subsequent vetting. We’ve made sure the bunk beds are good enough to jump on and the chef can handle a six-year-old’s strong opinions about pasta. All that’s left is book a stay and show up. The water slide, the canang sari lesson, the kayak waiting at the beach do the rest.
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