Traveling Koh Samui Thailand

Often called just Samui, Ko Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, some 700km south of Bangkok and about 80km from the eastern coastline of southern Thailand.

An island of great natural beauty and variety, Samui is home to about 40,000 full-time inhabitants, 90% of whom are Buddhist. The palm-fringed shoreline and coconut and fruit cultivation of the coastal lowlands rise to a central granite massive, the slopes of which are cloaked in virgin rainforest.

Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and the largest island in an archipelago of over 80 (mostly uninhabited) islands which form the Ang Thong National Marine Park, a kayaking and snorkeling paradise. At 25km long and 21km wide, Samui is big enough for serious exploration by the adventurous and fit, but can be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car.

In the last five years, Samui has become as popular as Phuket, and at times as trendy. Bo Phut has become the romantic boutique darling of Samui, if not any beach destination in Thailand. It has also managed to retain the legendary status among Asian backpackers that it has held for the past quarter century.

Despite its upmarket trend, Ko Samui still offers something for everyone.

The best time to visit Samui is during the hot and dry season, from February to late June. From July to October it can be raining on and off, and from October to January, there are sometimes heavy winds. Prices soar from December to July, whatever the weather.

What to see:

Most people come to Samui to laze on the beaches, snorkel in its azure water or churn life up with a whirl on the jet ski.

In Ang Thong Marine National Park it is the most popular activity in Samui to take a boat trip around this picture-perfect archipelago made up of around 40 small islands. Sheer limestone cliffs, white-sand beaches, hidden lagoons and dense vegetation all add to the cosmetic beauty. The park lies 31km northwest of Ko Samui, and encompasses 18 sq. km of islands, plus 84 sq. km of marine environments.

Samui's strangest attraction by far is the ghostly mummified monk at Wat Khunaram. The monk, Luang Phaw Daeng, has been dead over two hundred years, but his corpse is preserved sitting in a meditative pose and sporting a pair of sunglasses.

What to do:

The best diving is in the Ko Tao area and plenty of dive trips from Samui end up there. The fee for diving is different depending on where you start, and there are a two-to-four-day certification courses you can take.

Any travel agency worth its salt should be able to book a sea-kayak tour.

When it comes to pampering, Samui is in a Spa renaissance. With around 25 classy Spas, offering everything from private treatment suites with lotus-filled Jacuzzis built for two to salt-water floatation tanks, relaxation is unavoidable.

Samui with its lush forests offers the ideal spot to go for bird watching. The wilderness of the area has made it a nesting ground for several rare species of birds

On Samui, some companies conduct various workshops and courses on windsurfing.

There are snooker clubs at the main beaches in Thailand and they are popular with the local Thais. More popular with the western tourists is pool which can easily be found at the island's bars. At most bars, pool can be played for free.

The exciting new and trendy activity, skyboarding, has finally reached Samui and the Ko Samui Kite Center based at the Samui Orchid Resort in Laem Set offers a complete range of courses from beginners to the advanced. The ideal time of the year for this activity is from November to March.

It seems as if everyone watns to learn how to cook Thai cuisine these days, and Samui offers a fine place to try our hand at cooking local specialties.

What to eat:

Samui is well known for its coconuts, which are available everywhere and quite tasty. Being an island, seafood is generally a good choice, although in high season demand often exceeds local supply. The larger beaches have a number of international restaurants as well (often run by Thai-farang couples) with Bophut having a particularly good reputation.

Southern Thai food in general is renowned for its spiciness. Much of the cuisine has its origins in Malay, Indonesian and Indian food. Favorite dishes from the south include Indian-style Muslim curry (massaman), rice noodles in fish curry sauce (Khanom Jeen) and chicken birayani. Popular local food are salted eggs and delicious rambutan too.

Dual pricing is regrettably common: some restaurants have two menus, one for tourists and the other for Thai people, at about 1/4 of the foreigner prices. Main courses in a standard, low-key Thai restaurant should be under 100 baht (except some seafood dishes), so if prices seem unreasonably steep, head elsewhere. Always check prices and menu first so you don't have to argue when the bill is served

Nightlife:

Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai have the most nightlife, but many bungalows and hotels all over the island have small- to medium- sized bars.

Soi Green Mengo is the heart of Chaweng's pumping nightlife scene, with loads of bars concentrated on one long alleyway. All the watering holes, some sleazier than others, seem to constantly change names.

Bo Phut's nightlife scene is mellow and quiet and completely lacking in girly bars. That said, the place is hardly lacking in entertainment, with a few great pubs along its waterfront and in the Fisherman's Village. Most double as restaurants.

Touristy seaside towns are infamous for their seedy Pattaya-style hostess bars, but there are other avenues for meeting, eating and partying in more tasteful settings. Lamai is beginning to lean away from that scene in areas.