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Ko Samui
Thailand: A Magical Island!
Once you step off the SeaTran Ferry in Samui you'll see the
mountains and a little bit of a small city. There are tuk-tuks and
motorbike taxis waiting to take you wherever you want to go.
Probably you'll be heading to Chaweng or Lamai beaches as this is
where the majority of tourists go on Ko Samui, Thailand's island
paradise.
If you were adventurous you brought your motorbike over from Surat
Thani, driving the 65 km from the city and arriving at Don Sak Pier
for the hourly SeaTran ferry. The ferry costs only 250 Thai baht one
way for 2 persons and the motorbike - VERY cheap, as is everything
in Thailand. Ko Samui is a bit more expensive for food than other
places in Thailand, but overall, if you're coming from Europe or
North America you'll never be shocked at ANY prices you see.
Of course you can rent a motorbike in Ko Samui Thailand - and that's
a good idea if you have any experience riding them. If you don't - I
wouldn't suggest Ko Samui as a good place to learn. There are as
many or more traffic deaths on this small island as on the larger
Phuket island to the south. If you aren't drinking and driving and
feel safe enough, know that everyone else IS and you should never
feel safe driving around the island. On the other hand, if you are
quite familiar with driving motorcycles from your home or from
mainland Thailand then give it a try. Please keep in mind that it's
dangerous. Here are some tips at one of our other sites - about
driving in Thailand. Here is more about accidents in Thailand....
Ko Samui Thailand is an incredibly diverse place. There are so many
things to do that you could never do them all in one or 2 or even 5
days. Probably when you come you'll spend a day or so going to the
attractions, but you'll have seen many things that you wish you had
time for. That is usually the case. That's why visitors don't just
travel to Ko Samui once... they usually return to see what they've
missed - and also to relax by the beach and drink cold beer and eat
great Thai food on the cheap.
There is no specific age-group that is more represented in samui
than any other. There are older folks of retirement age that enjoy
the simplicity of it and usually they can be found in the out of the
way areas. The north and west sides of the island have some quieter
spots and some people prefer them.
The younger party hardy tourists are usually found in Lamai and
Chaweng beach areas since there are many bars that cater to them
there. There are food restaurants, bars, girly bars, massage houses
and shops of every sort on Samui. There are Adidas and NIKE outlets
and all sorts of outlets... not sure that they are all "jing-jing" -
authentic, but they seem to be close.
There are Indian restaurants, Italian, pizza, American breakfast
places... and lots more. There are a couple large places to shop
including a huge Tesco with many stores inside.
My wife and I love the hiking... we go to waterfalls and spend a
couple hours at each. Especially impressive is "Na Muang"
waterfalls I and II on the south side of the island -
counterclockwise from where the ferry drops you off. There are
elephant treks at both of these waterfalls and Na Muang II seems to
have the more involved trekking - tourists have HUGE smiles on their
faces after they finish that adventure - we've not done it yet, but
it's on the list. See - even WE have not done it all yet!
We've been to 6 waterfalls on Ko Samui Thailand that were all worth
the effort getting there...
I'm not sure many of you have been to Hawaii, but I'll make the
comparison anyway... Ko Samui Thailand is like a mini Oahu island.
It has a lot of traffic during high-season... it has very thin roads
and can be frustrating at times. It has some very beautiful out of
the way places that isolate you from the crowds - especially the
mountains which not many people even venture up! Nobody is up
there... it's a great place for a lunch with a view of the entire
hillside and shoreline. The sun is warm and yet the air is very cool
in the mountains - even in July or August.
There are guided tours that take you up - or you could chance it on
your motorbike. I've seen 2 girls go over the handlebars on the
slippery dirt hills up there because they used the front brakes on
their motorbike and not the rear. Not only do you have to pay when
you damage the motorbike (sometimes a LOT), but you have pay to fix
yourself! Medical facilities in Thailand are probably rated as
excellent if compared to the rest of Asia, so no worries there - but
still - play it safe while you're here and have more fun!
Ok, we'll write again about things to do in Ko Samui thailand...
enjoy it while you're here!
Ko Samui Maps >
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