The Districts of Samui

One of the most popular destinations in the whole of Thailand, Koh Samui can be found in Surat Thani Province. Covering an area of 228 square metres, this is Thailand’s third largest island and people travel here from all over the world to spend a week or two soaking up the sun on the beach.

There are a number of different beaches located around the island, all with distinctly different characters set to appeal to different desires, entertainment needs and paces of life.

The vibrant district of Chaweng is by far the most popular resort on Samui, not least because it contains the longest beach on the entire island. Most of the largest bars and clubs can also be found in Chaweng, while the restaurants here cater to every taste.

The district of Lamai is also popular with those who are looking for vibrant nightlife options, while the fisherman’s village of Bophut is famed for its chilled out vibe and chic French-owned cafes and restaurants.

Just a short drive away, the quiet bay of Ao Bang Po is the perfect place for snorkeling, swimming and meditation, whilst Ao Tong Takian is a small cove north of Lamai beach. Also known as Silver Beach, this is a good place for people who crave tranquillity.

Bang Rak, is situated just two kilometers east of Bophut. The big attraction in this area is the 19-metre gold tinted statue of Lord Buddha, which overlooks the entire bay. Climb the steps to the top for an excellent view over the island.

Food shopping in Samui

If you live here or are coming on holiday and going self-catering it is good to know where to buy your supplies. We do have a good selection of supermarkets to choose from and they are names that many Europeans will recognise like Tesco.

Tesco and Big C are great for buying almost everything you would if you were back at home in these types of stores like bread, butter, milk, soft drinks, beer and meat. The selection will not be entirely like home, but it is still possible to buy simple things like beef, pork and chicken.

If you’re a big group or will be catering for a large group Makro is the place to go for bulk buying. Many businesses use this store and it is much the same as any other cas-and-carry across the globe.

Don’t forget our island has many markets scattered across the towns and villages where you can pick up fresh produce of fruit and veg as well as meat and other local delicacies. Products here will tend to be a little cheaper than the stores, although you won’t be able to buy any imported meats of veg.

Playing pool in Chaweng Beach

One of my favourite past times in Samui is shooting pool with some friends. Our best gathering was always at the Sportsman Inn, close to Zico’s in Chaweng, but alas that has been demolished so where do we go now?

There are quite a few places up and down the beach road that have a pool table but they are not always to people’s liking. The Wave in the south of Chaweng has just had a pool table installed and what makes it better is the large flat screen TV to watch sports on when you’re having a break!

Farther up the road in central Chaweng you will be met with a number of bars offering pool tables. You may want to check it out first as some of these places are beer bars or lady bars for ‘single men’ so you don’t want to take the wife and kids in.

Bondi Aussie Bar & Grill has a fancy table with their logo embroiled into the table cloth, in case you forgot where you were. Upstairs in the number one Irish bar in town, Tropical Murphy’s, they also have a few good pool tables.

There is also The Islander Bar & Restaurant near to Starbucks that has two very good pool tables up on the first floor. A lot of these bars have weekly competitions for tourists and locals alike. Everyone pays an entrance fee and the winner of the tournament will walk away with a percentage of that take and some will sometimes go to second and third place.

Of course there are many others bars across the island that offer pool tables but there is simply too many to list. It is a great way of making new friends but watch out for the local Thais playing pool; they are nine times out of 10 very good at the game!

Motorbike insurance in Samui

I had a Facebook message from a friend yesterday about his proposed trip here in a few months time. He said he’d just watch a BBC (TV station in the UK) documentary about motorbike insurance in Samui.

My immediate reaction was to laugh at him, instead I just wrote back, ‘motorbike insurance and Thailand don’t go together.’ When anyone hires a motorbike here, like the little twist-and-go or the semi automatic with no clutch, it is very unlikely to be insured against theft damage or anything else for that matter.

It will in many cases have the Thai compulsory insurance which comes with the tax each year and will be a bright sticker on the bike. However, if the bike was to be stolen while you are hiring it, it will be your responsibility to pay for the cost of a new one to the owners. There is no way out of this, you won’t be able to leave the country.

How unfair, true, but alas this is Thailand and it is hard to gain fully comprehensive insurance for something that can be wheeled away or picked up and chucked on the back of a truck so easily.

What did annoy me about this show was, so I’m told, the undercover reporters asked tourists why they weren’t wearing helmets! My god, Koh Samui must have one of the highest death rates for motorcyclists in the world for the size. It doesn’t look cool, but your head looks a lot better in one piece inside a helmet that splattered all over the floor!

If you hire a motorbike, ask for a chain and lock, a helmet for each person and make sure you park it in a safe place. And for the sake of your family, don’t drink and drive!

Alternatives for getting to Samui

As many of you out there will be fully aware, getting to Koh Samui is really not a cheap option from Bangkok if you choose to fly. Bangkok Airways built the only airport on the island and they also run it. For years it was just their airline that flew here so the cost of flights was pretty much up to them.

Then a few years ago we all heard that Thai Airways were going to be given the chance to fly to Samui, great a little fare competition we all thought, not a chance! The price has increased over time and it is still extortionate to fly here from anywhere in Thailand.

There has been talk of a new airport that will be built by the government but that has not surfaced. Instead we are all constantly on the lookout for cheaper, faster alternatives.

The bus or train is by far the cheapest at anything between 500 and 1,500 baht depending on the standard of comfort that you seek. Hiring a car can be great fun but the cost will be almost equal if not more than flying if just one person.

The airport at Surat Thani offers a lot more affordable flights to Bangkok and beyond and it is possible to get buses direct from the pier on mainland Thailand. Also I am still hearing that Lomprayah will be launching an all-in-one ticket which will cover a catamaran ferry to mainland, and then bus to the Surat Airport followed by a no-frills flight to Bangkok.

Non-spicy Thai dishes to try

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will know there are a few things that I don’t get on with, boats and Thai food; boats simply because I’m scared of the water and Thai food, because I don’t like things too spicy.

Now the wife has said for a while that I must try to eat Thai food because it simply cannot be healthy for me to live on steaks, burgers and chips, personally I think, add a beer and I’ll be fine.

However I have given in to demands and agreed to try some other Thai dishes that would appeal to me as they are not spicy. Firstly she took me to a little shack of a place on the Tesco road into Chaweng, passed the lake and more into town.

She ordered Pad Thai for me and straight away I turned my nose up, not ever tasting it before. Well knock me for six, it wasn’t spicy and was really tasty. The next day we ventured back along the same road, but to a different shack; this time I was given something that resembled sweet and sour chicken and was very tasty.

Now for the past week I’ve been taking myself for lunch and trying all types of different Thai food that is not spicy. I’m ashamed to say that for all these years I’ve actually missed out on something very tasty in Thai culture.

If anyone wants to give me any more recommendations on what to eat, which is not spicy I will gladly welcome them and report back to you.

Getting to mainland

This may not have crossed many people’s minds, as we all have our own ways of getting around but which way is best to get to mainland from Samui? I have always used the ferry at Nathon, the Seatran, as friends told me Raja was not as good.

I never go that often in a car so I don’t have a queue jumper for Seatran so I always have to queue from 02:00 and manage to get on the 07:00 or 08:00 ferry to Donsak. This time I thought I’d try the Raja, drove down to the port at 04:00 and was on the 06:00 sailing. To be honest I will use Raja from now on as there is little difference.

When I’m not using a car I will go the tourist route, but insist on the big boat still, not those crazy speed boats that feel like they’re going over on every little wave. It usually consists of a short stop in Nathon followed by a long trip over to Phuket, Hat Yai or wherever else I am going.

Just recently I’ve heard that Lomprayah will launch a fast service to Donsak with connecting buses to places like Phuket and Surat Thani Airport. This is great in my eyes; a fast crossing with connecting services to your final destination. I hope it does make a splash on to the market and give some of the others a run for their money.

Beach jet skis

If there is one thing that Koh Samui is famous for is its beautiful beaches. With beaches come tourists and with tourists come people wanting to make money.

Across most of the island’s beaches there are some sort of motorised sports on offer from jet skis through to speed boats. The hot favourite in Thailand are jet skis and they can be immense fun; if operated properly and safely.

Make sure you follow the instructions given to you from the person that is hiring you the jet ski. These tattooed guys, albeit may not look the smartest, do know their job well as they do it all day, every day.

Also make sure you give the jet ski a full inspection to check for damage, noting down on a sheet of paper all scratches and/or dents. If you have a camera, don’t be afraid to take pictures of the damage that is already there.

One more thing to mention before any of you go ahead and hire one of these noisy beasts; if you do damage it you will be expected to pay up there and then and this is well worth thinking about as you go zooming through the waves seemingly without a care in the world.

Flying like a gibbon

I’ve done a few excursions on Samui in my time here, not the temples or the religious trips though; I’m more of an adrenalin junkie type of guy, 4×4 off roading and things like that. Just last week some friends were over from the UK and said they wanted to try out the Canopy Adventures…

Canopy Adventures is where you get to fly through the trees on zip lines about 80ft in the air. There are two things I don’t like; boats and heights but I thought I couldn’t let my mates down!

The first hairy thing was the ride to the site on the north of the island in the back of a 4×4 pick-up truck. You go down some narrow lanes and the last little climb to the starting point has got to be at least 45 degree gradient.

Once there we sat down and we were given full instructions on safety measures, the equipment and how much fun we were going to have. A short trek up the hill to the starting point was a killer but the view of the waterfalls and surrounding forest was amazing.

With two instructors taking six of us around I did start to lose my fear of heights; only slightly. One instructor went down first so he could presumably catch us at the other end. It was an awesome ride although the sudden rain shower was a bit of dampener.

In all there are six zip lines to fly down and only one of them was a bit hairy with my slight 13 stone struggling to slow down. After the zips we got to relax in the waterfalls for a little while before being taken back home in the afternoon. The wife pointed out to me over a beer that my fear of heights was not brought up once throughout the whole journey.

Fishing off Koh Samui

There are many activities to enjoy while holidaying on Koh Samui from swinging on zip lines through the jungle to visiting interesting sights such as the Big Buddha statue, the Mummified Monk or even the Tiger Zoo. Another trip that is growing in its popularity is fishing.

I’m not talking about fishing on a lake but rather out at sea where big fish can be caught. Not being a big fan of boats myself, I have not had the chance to experience it but many friends say it offers excellent value for money.

Depending on how many people you can get together, the half or full-day trips can cost as little as 1,000 baht. This price includes transfer, food and water for the day as well as equipment and bait. Night fishing trips are also available and can offer a welcome break from the endless of nights of beer intake!

Over fishing is a problem in this part of Thailand due to trawler boats illegally dragging nets over coral reefs. There are many reputable companies around Samui so make sure you ask a few questions before booking a trip to make these guys know what they are doing.