Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.
Mohammed
Have you ever at some point dreamt of being stranded on a tropical island, then Ko Samui must surely to be on top of that list. The island epitomizes the dream with it's magnificent picture postcard beauty. Loads of palm-fringed beaches and quiet coves dot the coast and the forested hills of it's interior are teeming with coconut plantations. This superb locale lies some 650 kilometers or 400 miles south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand and is the countries third largest island.
Every year millions of holiday makers descend upon this island. It has a modern airport,
luxury hotels
and resorts, fine restaurants and plenty of water sports waiting to spoil your every whim. Hire a motor bike or jeep and travel the looping ring road around the island to gain access to
beaches
and places of interest.
Crystal Clear Water
Koh Samui Lifestye
Blue skies, white sand and warm waters are the main ingredients that attract so many visitors here. If action is what you are looking for, then head on down to one or both of the two main beach areas of
Chaweng
and Lamai, stretching an area of some 6 kilometers or 4 miles on the east coast of the island.
For pure luxury, Chaweng would be the more popular choice as Lamai is not as developed. Properties around here are not allowed to be taller than the palms, so there are no high rises on this island like that on the island of Phuket.
If you are wanting something quieter, then the northern side would be the answer as this area is mostly unspoiled and the only other major development is at Maenam Beach, the site of the deluxe Santiburi Resort. The western side of the island offers a couple of deluxe resort retreats at Ban Tailing Ngam.
There are loads of special attractions and areas for entertainment to keep you busy while on this island should you not be sun tanning on the beautiful beaches.
Big Buddha on the North Shore
Big Buddha Beach is a small bay with views overlooking two offshore islands. On one of these islands is a 12 meter high Big Buddha which can be seen from miles away. This is considered a well known landmark here. Other fun activities on Ko Samui are visits to the aquarium, the zoo, the butterfly garden and the snake farms. Should you wish to experience something altogether unique then there is some fascinating buffalo fighting to watch.
Yes! on New Years day in January and during the Songkran festival in mid-April you can witness friendly head-wrestling bouts in which two male water buffaloes are pitted against one another. This amazing spectacle can be seen at various venues around the island. Three such events take place in stadiums at Ban Saket, Ban Makham, and another just outside the town of Nathon. You will find many signs advertising these events should you be here during these times. Buffalo fighting in which the winning buffalo owner gets to take home millions of baht in prize money, is a fairly harmless event, unlike bull-fighting held in Spain.
Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park
Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park is part of a group of 41 exquisite tropical islands lying a short distance north west of Ko Samui. The park can easily be reached by boat from Na Thon which is Ko Samui's main town. Day long package tours will take you to Ko Wha Talab, the parks headquarters or Ko Mae Ko where you will find a clear pea green saltwater lake. Open daily from 8 am until 6 pm.
Revealingly beautiful scenery, crystal clear waters, stunning beaches, caves, and lagoons are some of the highlights here. These islands are also teeming with macaques, otters, birds and other extraordinary wildlife. A day trip is not nearly enough time to investigate most of the attractions, so why not stay here for a couple of days where you can rent a bungalow.
