Jan

2

Koh Samui Holiday Guide

January 2, 2008 |

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Siem Reap Air Boeing 717 taxiing at Koh Samui International Airport

A holiday on Koh Samui
A tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is a major beach destination on the Southeast Asian backpacker trail. It also boasts high-end resorts and plenty to keep travellers happy, day and night. You can arrive by catching a flight from Bangkok or from other destinations in Thailand. There are also direct flights from Malaysia. Most people come here for the sea, sun and sand but there are more active water sports available if you don’t feel like just sun-bathing all day.

Flights to Koh Samui
Koh Samui Airport mainly handles air traffic to Bangkok but a handful of other domestic destinations are available, including Phuket and Chiang Mai in the north of the country. International connections are few but there are flights available from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Hong Kong, most of which fly a few times a week.

Getting to and from the airport has got much simpler thanks to a new shuttle bus service which can be arranged and paid for in advance. Taxis and minibuses are also available outside arrivals. Getting around the island can be pricey by Thai standards as taxis often refuse to use their meters. Many people therefore opt to hire a motorbike which results in a fairly high accident rate.

Sightseeing on Koh Samui
Koh Samui doesn’t offer many sights beyond the beautiful Gulf of Thailand and the sandy beaches. Some of the best coastal spots include the busiest beach Chaweng as well as Lamai and Mae Nam. Most of the beaches are highly developed but restrictions on the height of construction means the island isn’t a concrete jungle.

If you plan to get away from the beach for a day or two and have indulged in water sports like diving, sailing and kayaking then head to Bang Rak to see the Buddha statue or go to any one of the waterfalls on the island the best-known being Na Muang.

Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
Koh Samui serves up a feast of fresh seafood every day, much of which is cooked in a Thai style in coconut curries and spicy salads. International restaurants are common in the large resorts and at Bophut on the northern coast. Beware of places that try to charge foreigners more for the same dish than the locals, a common problem.

Chaweng is the centre of Koh Samui’s nightlife where there are plenty of bars, clubs and seedy venues to suit all tastes. Every beach will have a bar scene so you will never have to move very far to track down a cold beer. In Bophut, the bars are a little more upmarket and less in your face if you are just looking for a quite drink by the beach.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
Every beach has a handful of shops selling postcards and other tourist knick-knacks such as beach wear and handicrafts. Head to Chaweng for the greatest compliment of shops, but in truth Koh Samui is not really one of Thailand’s premier shopping destinations, instead wait until you get back to Bangkok.


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