Villa Tawai is a unique three bedroom off-grid luxury eco villa nestled in the rainforested foothills of Khao Ko mountain overlooking the fishing village of Chaloklum, Koh Phangan, Thailand.
Is Tawai for you?
Villa Tawai is an off-grid eco villa, so attention must be paid to water and electricity use. Please see the 'Off Grid Living' section below for details.
The two resident cats are an essential part of the villa's pest control regime and need to be fed twice daily.
Access to Villa Tawai involves driving up a fairly steep road. The villa also has a very steep driveway. Many people prefer to walk up the the driveway as it is not suitable for beginner bike riders or car drivers. Please see here for more details.
For safety reasons, Villa Tawai is not suitable for children under 12 years old.
Off Grid Living
Villa Tawai is 100% off-grid. This means that there is a limited supply of electricity and water. To ensure that neither run out, please understand that it is essential that the following guidelines are followed:
Save water in the shower
- The water heats up quickly so there is no need to run the shower and wait for the water to get hot
- Turn off the water whilst applying soap and / or shampoo
Do not turn off the air conditioners unless the windows and doors are open
The most efficient way to use the air conditioners is to always set them running between 27 and 29 degrees when going out. A temperature range of 25 to 29 degrees is recommended when the rooms are occupied.
Leaving airconditioners constantly running has many benefits including keeping out the damp, reducing wear and tear on the ac units and has been proven to use less electricity overall.
Avoid using the oven and / or washing machine on rainy or cloudy days
Local laundry services are cheap and reliable. On sunny days, aim to use the washing machine and oven during the peak charging hours (10am to 4pm) as far as possible.
Only flush human waste
The waste water treatment system ends with the nutrients from the waste leaching odorlessly into the ground in the surrounding forest. It is therefore essential that the following items are never flushed down the toilet:
- Toilet paper
- Female sanitary products
- Bleach or 'blue toilet water' tablets
- Dental floss
- Hairballs (e.g. from a hairbrush)
- Anything that does not come out of your body
Charges may apply if the sewage system becomes blocked.
Be mindful of leaving high power devices on by accident
Leaving the oven on all night or running an airconditioner with the doors and windows open will very quickly drain the batteries.
Charges may apply if excessive power is used and the generator is required.
Be mindful of leaving taps (faucets) running
Charges may apply if significant water loss occurs and has to be replaced using a local water delivery service.
Save water in the kitchen
- Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need. An over-filled kettle takes much longer to heat up which wastes both water and gas
- Use the dishwasher instead of washing up by hand. Washing up by hand uses more water
Finally, please please please do not use these:
Any abrasive sponge or pad will damage the white quartz kitchen work surface. They will also damage cutlery, taps (faucets) and other surfaces. Please do not use them anywhere in the villa.
Villa Tawai from the air
What makes Tawai an eco villa?
Green Electricity
Villa Tawai is not connected to the grid electricity supply. The villa is fitted with a state of the art solar system controlled by a custom smart home solution. The system has the capacity to run the villa for up to 48 hours without sun, but should the batteries ever go flat, a 3-phase generator provides sufficient backup power. The generator is rarely necessary outside of monsoon season.
Sustainable Water
Villa Tawai does not use ground water, as in the long term the island's underground water supply cannot support the number of villas and swimming pools that have been built over recent years. Villa Tawai has a large-scale rainwater collection system capable of collecting and storing over 100 tonnes of rainwater. The water is filtered through two settling tanks and a sand filter before being supplied to the villa. In addition, to save plastic bottle use, Villa Tawai also has a drinking water tap in the kitchen where the water has been further filtered through a particle filter, carbon filter and finally a UV filter to make safe the collected rainwater safe for drinking
Waste Managment
Villa Tawai does not pump black and grey water into local rivers or the sea. Instead, modern cesspit tanks are used in combination with traditional Thai leach tanks so that the nutrients contained in the villa's waste soak into the forest's soil without creating unpleasant odours. Villa Tawai also has a grease trap fitted to the kitchen sink waste disposal to ensure the optimal functioning of the leach tanks and to protect the biome in the cesspit tanks.
Insulation
Villa Tawai is constructed with insulated double-skin walls. This provides both heat insulation to save excessive power use by the airconditioners and a good degree of sound insulation.
Saving Trees
Villa Tawai was built was built around the surrounding rainforest with minimal disruption. Only two, small, non-native trees were cut down to make space. Re-wilding is taking place by applying coconut husk mulch and planting out in areas where the subsoil was exposed during the build.
Wildlife
Villa Tawai is surrounded by rainforest. Nature lovers may get opportunity to see:
- Macaques
- Giant Black Squirrel
- Grey Squirrel
- Slow Loris
- Large Birds of Prey circling over the village
Warning: Beware! You may also encounter:
- Snakes
- Centipedes
- Scorpions
- Mosquitoes
Welcome to the jungle!