· Thai Islands - Ko SamuiKo Samui, Thailand · Added 22nd Nov 2007
The Gateway - Ko Samui
Don't let the single runway and the open-sided thatched-roof terminal at Ko Samui's airport fool you. Samui is the largest island on the Gulf of Thailand side of the Malay Peninsula. It's so big that it doesn't really feel like an island. Instead, Samui often serves as a springboard to the solitude found only on smaller isles. Still, there are loads of fabulous beaches, with dozens of hotels lining the shoreline. You probably don't want to spend a full week on Samui, but it's worth taking a day or two there to get over jet lag before heading onward.
One reason to hang around is the $45 all-day boat tour through Ang Thong Marine Park, a collection of 41 largely uninhabited islands between Samui and the mainland. While on the tour, you can kayak to shore, hike to a waterfall, and snorkel in sheltered coves. Several companies offer slightly different versions of this popular tour, but they all include a short clamber up to the top of Ko Mae Ko to see the pristine, fully enclosed lagoon hidden at its center, a spot that helped inspire the plot of The Beach. Sea Safari Thailand is one of the least expensive operations and throws in a hokey 20-minute elephant ride at the end of the tour.
Chaweng Beach has both the best strip of sand on Samui--a wide swath of soft, pale yellow that extends for nearly four miles--and the most choices for lodging and dining. Somewhere between the pricey resorts on the north end of Chaweng and the $3 backpacker hovels at the beach's center lies The Island resort. Its layout is pretty typical for Samui: tidy cottages on either side of a shady cement walkway that's a short stroll from the shops and travel agents on the dusty main road. Call ahead to snag thatched cabin 801, where you can step off your front porch right onto the sand.
The food at The Island is scrumptious, and in the evening tables are moved out onto the sand so guests can dine by candlelight. Also, try Budsaba, a romantic collection of thatched wooden huts called salas on the grassy grounds of the Muang Kulaypan Hotel. Each hut is barely large enough to fit a table and four people reclining on cushions. Dinner costs only about $16 per person, and live traditional Thai music plays as cool sea breezes tickle your toes (as per local custom, shoes come off before you sit at the table).
Lodging:
- The Island Chaweng Beach, 011-66/77-230-751, rft.co.th, $25--$35 with fan, $35--$83 with A/C
Food:
- Budsaba Restaurant Muang Kulay-pan Hotel, Chaweng Beach, 011-66/77-422-305
Activities:
- Sea Safari Thailand 011-66/77-230-567, $45 all-day boat tour of Ang Thong Marine Park (snorkeling, sea kayaking, elephant ride)
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389.html
Don't let the single runway and the open-sided thatched-roof terminal at Ko Samui's airport fool you. Samui is the largest island on the Gulf of Thailand side of the Malay Peninsula. It's so big that it doesn't really feel like an island. Instead, Samui often serves as a springboard to the solitude found only on smaller isles. Still, there are loads of fabulous beaches, with dozens of hotels lining the shoreline. You probably don't want to spend a full week on Samui, but it's worth taking a day or two there to get over jet lag before heading onward.
One reason to hang around is the $45 all-day boat tour through Ang Thong Marine Park, a collection of 41 largely uninhabited islands between Samui and the mainland. While on the tour, you can kayak to shore, hike to a waterfall, and snorkel in sheltered coves. Several companies offer slightly different versions of this popular tour, but they all include a short clamber up to the top of Ko Mae Ko to see the pristine, fully enclosed lagoon hidden at its center, a spot that helped inspire the plot of The Beach. Sea Safari Thailand is one of the least expensive operations and throws in a hokey 20-minute elephant ride at the end of the tour.
Chaweng Beach has both the best strip of sand on Samui--a wide swath of soft, pale yellow that extends for nearly four miles--and the most choices for lodging and dining. Somewhere between the pricey resorts on the north end of Chaweng and the $3 backpacker hovels at the beach's center lies The Island resort. Its layout is pretty typical for Samui: tidy cottages on either side of a shady cement walkway that's a short stroll from the shops and travel agents on the dusty main road. Call ahead to snag thatched cabin 801, where you can step off your front porch right onto the sand.
The food at The Island is scrumptious, and in the evening tables are moved out onto the sand so guests can dine by candlelight. Also, try Budsaba, a romantic collection of thatched wooden huts called salas on the grassy grounds of the Muang Kulaypan Hotel. Each hut is barely large enough to fit a table and four people reclining on cushions. Dinner costs only about $16 per person, and live traditional Thai music plays as cool sea breezes tickle your toes (as per local custom, shoes come off before you sit at the table).
Lodging:
- The Island Chaweng Beach, 011-66/77-230-751, rft.co.th, $25--$35 with fan, $35--$83 with A/C
Food:
- Budsaba Restaurant Muang Kulay-pan Hotel, Chaweng Beach, 011-66/77-422-305
Activities:
- Sea Safari Thailand 011-66/77-230-567, $45 all-day boat tour of Ang Thong Marine Park (snorkeling, sea kayaking, elephant ride)
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389.html
