With airport access, year round sunny weather and unlimited possibilities for fun, it’s no wonder Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most popular islands for tourists.
Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most popular beaches and while there’s no direct Flight from Vietnam with a quick hop, skip and a jump soon you’ll find yourself floating in the warm water of the Gulf of Thailand. The third largest island belonging to Thailand (after Phuket and Ko Chang), Koh Samui covers an area of approximately 247sqkm, though the centre of the island is mostly uninhabitable jungle.
Once upon a time the island would have been a little known jewel where you could “get away from it all” and discover sleepy fishing communities and untouched beaches, but now tourism is the island’s main industry. Thankfully this shift towards tourism has been well guided and Koh Samui today is a funky beach destination for those looking to flop around on a beach or celebrate life under the sun.
Tucked safely inside the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui also avoids storms and rarely even has to endure strong winds. According to Siranee Anuntamek, the managing director of a local travel agent, it is sunny all year round even during the island’s wettest months of the year, which is usually from late September to November. When the winds do pick up during December to February it only goes towards making it ideal for bodysurfing, which personally I find to be the best way to spend an afternoon! In general on Koh Samui you can expect cloudless blue skies and a temperature of around 30 to 35 degrees Celsius during your stay.
All around the island you can find strips of white powdery-beaches fronted by crystal-clear water such as Hat Chaweng, Hat Lamai, Hat Maenam, Hat Bophut and Hat Bang Rak. Humble beginnings The first European tourists would have come trickling into Koh Samui in the 1970s and over the course of the 1980s the industry would have grown from strength to strength. Now the island attracts nearly a million international visitors every year and a number of significant infrastructure developments have further helped tourism flourish on the island.
For starters there’s an international airport which connects the island to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Pattaya, Phuket, Hong Kong and Singapore and then there’s numerous ferry connections that link the provincial capital of Surat Thani to the mainland and other tourist-friendly islands. A loop road (“Rob Koh”) creates a 52-km-long circuit around the island making lesser-developed or hidden beaches accessible for those looking to slip away from the crowd.
You can choose from some 600 accommodation options ranging from family-run guesthouses to five-plus-star beach resorts and boutique hotels which have sprung up all over the island offering prices and services that cater for all budgets and demands. Down on Hat Chaweng, one of the most popular beaches for tourists on the island, the warmth and the wide open spaces are a source of inspiration.
A handful of young European girls soak up the sun while happy-looking parents relax as their kids build a small sand castle by the waves. All along the shore Thai vendors quietly stroll around with sweet smile on their faces, cold drinks in their baskets or scarves, sarongs and souvenirs over the arms.
The natural hospitality and patience of the Thai people frequently melts travellers’ hearts. Coconut palms sway in the light breeze, the sun is high in the sky and Koh Samui is basking in its own paradise. Nothing seems more satisfying then simply lazing on the beach for the day. “Most of our guests here are from Germany or the UK and normally stay up to 2 weeks. Asian customers would normally stay for three to four days as they like a lot of action rather than relaxing,” says Sayan Srikan, the general manager of Rummana boutique resort.
Sayan originally comes from the North of Thailand but took the job in Koh Samui after he became enchanted by the carefree lifestyle here. Like the nearly one hundred thousand immigrants from elsewhere in Thailand and overseas, he is happy to make Koh Samui his home. Looking around, you wouldn’t blame him.
Celebrating life Koh Samui is awash with ways to have fun and celebrate life. Apart from the stunning beaches, excellent weather and great people, the island is also the new capital of health spas in the Gulf of Thailand and then there’s a never ending line of top quality Thai and international restaurants that will win over even the choosiest of diners.
When lunch calls I slip away to taste the local cuisine with a simple but delicious Thai set lunch that includes the yummy and spicy Tom Yum Kung soup, red curry with chicken, stir fried vegetable and steamed rice all for less than $4! For honeymooning couples restaurants on Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut and Maenam make suitably romantic settings with candle-lit dinners under the starry skies.
You can head out for a night of Thai culture at Baitong Restaurant in Banana Fan Sea Resort on Chaweng beach as well as a feast of fresh delicious seafood. Plenty of visitors also like to let their hair down after sunset and Koh Samui is also known for its vibrant night life, especially in Chaweng, where the fun spills out onto the streets and revelers dance late into night. Who can blame them for celebrating being on such a beautiful island with nothing to do except have fun?
(source:timeout)
Tag: Tourist , Vietnam , Tourism , Resort , Tour , Culture , Travel , Hotel , Flight , Asia Paradise found - Thailand
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