Exploring Koh Samui - Nexus Travel & Cruise
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Exploring Koh Samui
DEB'S THAI ISLAND HOLIDAY
Autumn 2019
As said by Helen Keller “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or
even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”
Those fortunate enough to travel will understand how travel revitalises the senses. It wakes
us up and freshens the spirit. Travel allows us to see the world with new eyes and from new
perspectives, removed from familiar surroundings where we can navigate almost without a
conscious thought. We "wake up" to discover not just new sites and new people, but an
invigorated sense of ourselves and our place in the world.
This is why I travel. I like to discover new destinations, explore new cultures and experiences.
My goal this trip was to do just that, and Koh Samui was the destination. In all my years of
being a Travel Agent I’d never had the opportunity to travel to this Thai island and after so
many years it was obvious a visit was well overdue. We were in for seven days of sun, surf,
food and culture, oh, and maybe a little bit of shopping. Koh Samui did not disappoint.
Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand,
surrounded by small islets with lots of beautiful scenery.
Known as the Oriental Pearl of Phuket, with an area of 229
square kilometres and all amenities suitable for relaxation,
this island getaway boasts beaches with jade-green water,
white shimmering sand and fascinating coral reefs.
Our arrival onto the beautiful Island was with Silk Air,
Singapore Airline's little sister. My first impression was how
beautiful the airport was and could see why it had been
described as one of the prettiest and best maintained
airports in the world. Complete with beautifully landscaped
gardens, rows of stylish shops and open air trams
transporting new arrivals to the island to the thatched roofed
baggage area. The only thing missing is a Hawaiian Shirted
Tattoo shouting “da plane, da plane”.
We quickly found our awaiting transport and
were whisked away by private car to our
Island resort, the Outrigger Koh Samui.
This lush beachside resort on the shores of
lovely Hanuman Bay boasts 52 intimate
suites and villas all very spacious with
plunge pools and warm sundecks to relax in
perfect privacy. To top it off, we were
greeted with warm Thai smiles and soon
found that nothing was too much trouble.
Outrigger Koh Samui is located in a quiet area, away from the busyness of Chaweng Beach
but only 10 minutes’ drive away. A comfortable 15 minute walk away is the town of Choeng
Moen with a number of restaurants and bars in town, however we actually stumbled across
what I would say was "the best Thai food I’ve every had", just a short 2 minute walk from the
resort, called “Pui Relax” . We had done our research on Trip Advisor and came up with this
as a good option from eating in the resort every night and, wow, it lived up to the 5 star
reviews and even better was the price - 3 courses, drinks and more Thai smiles, all for under
$10 per head.
Getting out and exploring the Island was high on
our agenda and we enjoyed visiting “Big Buddha”
located on the north-eastern tip of Koh Samui. The
12-metre seated gold Buddha is the most prominent
landmark seen from the air as you land at the
airport. Built in 1972, it remains the island's most
visited attraction and is subsequently surrounded by
market stalls. It is, however, still a working temple,
with devotees making offerings of flowers and
incense and banging gongs for luck. Don't forget
that this is a place of worship and appropriate
clothing is needed (ie: no beach-wear).
We visited Bophut Beach for a taste of the "real"
Thailand, on the island's north coast where on a Friday
evening this working fishermen's village is transformed
into a "walking street" marketplace. The market was
crowded but fun with local handicrafts, trinkets, clothing
and delicious street food all lining the main street. An
enjoyable evening was had by all and we even made a
few purchases to bring home.
A visit to Koh Samui would not be complete without a
visit to the popular Chaweng Beach and being the quiet
season, it wasn’t as busy as usual. Chaweng Beach is a
crescent of powder-white sand on the north-east coast,
it is the focal point of Samui's tourist industry and the
hub of activity day and night. As the largest beach and
one of the first destinations put on the tourist map in Koh
Samui, Chaweng Beach is home to the majority of
services and amenities for tourists, from the hotels to the
bars and restaurants. The beach district is also the
venue for all evening entertainment activities for the
whole island.
A highlight of our trip to Koh Samui was a day trip to
Angthong National Marine Park, one of the largest nature
reserves and national parks in Thailand. Angthong
comprises of some 42 islands, mostly uninhabited. The
islands are a stunning blend of imposing limestone cliffs,
evergreen forests, hidden lagoons, colourful coral reefs,
and perfect white sandy beaches. This is a fantastic day
and highly recommended to anyone visiting Koh Samui.
I can honestly say seven days is nowhere near enough
time to explore this incredible little piece of paradise and
I know we will be back. For anyone looking for an easy
escape to a beautiful island filled with hotels, beaches,
restaurants, shopping and plenty of things to see and do,
Koh Samui is the perfect Thailand getaway.
Deb travelled to Koh Samui, Thailand with her family
in September.
For more information about your own Thai getaway,
call us on 9756-7566 or pop in for a chat!
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