The Delightful Waters of Koh Samui

With waters like this no wonder Koh Samui is such a popular attraction

From water springs life, a truism that holds even more true in Koh Samui, a major tourist destination for Thailand whose pulse beats to the lapping of the waves around its impressive coastline. Koh Samui beaches, flaunting pristine white sands, constitute but one of the trademarks that have endeared the island to tourists, both foreign and local. Off these beaches too are the marine offerings in the crystal clear environs of the Gulf of Thailand, enabling activities that have molded Koh Samui as top international travel destination.

Tourist-oriented establishments have made the island’s affinity with the sea as central to their development. At the southern end of Koh Samui, for instance, the ShaSa Resort was built with its own section of a beach for guest to better partake of the bountiful leisure activities the island’s waters have to offer.

Year-round sea offerings

What’s even more fascinating, an exploration of the island’s waters is practical the whole year, given Koh Samui’s favourable tropical environs. Besides swimming, the diversity of the island’s marine life can be enjoyed anytime of the year. This being so, Koh Samui has etched a prominent mark in the map for sites of divers seeking venues for their holidays. To top it off, you don’t need to be as skilled as the disciples of Jacques Cousteau to enjoy the island’s underwater world. Snorkelling too can provide as much fun as scuba diving at the near-shore reefs around Koh Samui.

For seasoned scuba divers, of course, there’s no substitute to going all out to the deep and experience the challenge of drop-offs at dive sites around the island, which are varied, colourful, and diverse. Must-visits for these intrepid of the deep are the National Marine Park and Sail Rock, day-long sorties to which can be arranged with local dive tour operators. A trip to any of these destinations also need not be confined to diving, as kayaking can also be incorporated into the itinerary.

Exploring nature and more

This opens more delightful discoveries to be unravelled. One of the most memorable experiences that can be had, for example, is an interlude with the hidden lake at the Ang Thong Marine National Park. In addition to this “golden bowl” are the groups of fifty limestone rock islets, which too have made the park so attractive to nature explorers.  Paddling amid these intriguing rock formations can indeed trigger realisations that Koh Samui and its waters have so much to offer.

Diving the Koh Samui Coral Reefs

Breath-taking coral reef and fish can be found in Koh Samui

One of the best ways to get the most out of a visit to Koh Samui is by plunging underwater; and this is for a good reason. Tropical coral reefs, immensely more brilliant and colourful than anywhere else in the world are one of the prime Koh Samui attractions. 

Diving, indeed, is one activity that would be among the best ventures for any tourist bound for Koh Samui. Visitor enjoyment of the island’s coral reefs forms part of most tourism promotion materials enticing people to this remarkable Thai destination. Posh tourist establishments, such as the ShaSa Resort lording over Koh Samui southern edge, will have a brochure or two on how diving around the island can be enjoyed best.

Dive lessons onsite

Even those yet uninitiated to the skills needed to enjoy the underwater offerings of Koh Samui can have some elementary training in scuba diving in the island itself. Many of the dive shops and tour operators in Koh Samui have certified PADI instructors who can walk the tyros through the basics of diving.  Diving lessons and tours won’t be too expensive to take, and could be packaged in one deal.

Beginners, of course, should not forego of certified instructors and dive masters, in the interest of safety.  Diving with a group is ideal, and at the very least done in pairs. While diving can practically be enjoyed in Koh Samui anytime of the year, the best underwater visibility is from May to September. At these times, the monsoon season is relatively more quiescent and, therefore, the Gulf of Thailand waters tamer and clearer. This being so, an interlude with the marine life inhabiting the coral reefs can be more enjoyable.  Transit to and from dive sites would be more convenient too.

Diving in good company

As a parting shot, the diving community in Thailand, as in most parts of the world, is an environment-conscious lot. Local divers are one in spirit with advocacies seeking to preserve the ecological balance in our planet. Certainly, visiting tourists would find their company as delightful and enlightening in any adventure in Koh Samui’s deep.

Rare Experience in the Koh Samui Triathlon

Enjoy the Triathlon in Samui. It's one of the only ones held in Thailand annually
Photo Courtesy samuiindex.com

As any sports aficionado would know, joining a triathlon is a gruelling experience that can somehow be lightened in a competition held amid a fascinating venue like the island of Koh Samui in Thailand.  You need not be a competitor though to enjoy this annual event, which is usually, scheduled each April as yet another addition to the things to do in Koh Samui. 

Just watching the triathletes, many of which are also tourists, take up the challenge would be as exciting, with the series of sports discipline they had to undergo en route to the finish.  Seeing competitors huff and puff along the way would be enough for some spectators to wonder how these intrepid souls managed the will to get up in a fine morning and pursue a race that would surely faze the uninitiated.

Test of will and endurance

Conceivably, not a few of these triathletes are billeted at posh accommodations like the ShaSa Resort at Samui southern tip where they could have taken a more leisurely stroll along the beach. Yet, they have chosen to test themselves in a gauntlet of sports undertaking which starts with a four-kilometre swim, followed by a cycling leg for 122.6 kilometres. 

And to cap these all, there’s still a 30-kilometre marathon run to tackle, thereby compiling a total distance of 156.65 kilometres for the entire triathlon race. Given the triathlon’s incomparable test in athletic ability, it comes as no wonder that each finisher of this race, regardless of placings in the order of finish, are typically given the honorary title “Iron Man” (or “Iron Lady” for the females).

Fat purse for champions

The top finisher of the Koh Samui triathlon this year, Australia’s Courtney Atkinson, finished the race with a six-hour clocking and earned the 800,000 baht top prize. In the distaff side, Melissa Hauschildt was only 10 minutes behind Atkinson and pocketed half a million baht in prize money. With such a generous purse, it comes as no surprise that this Koh Samui event continuously draws the elite in the world of triathlon. This year, the world’s top ten of these competitors were among the total of 200 participants in the race.

The support of local and authorities has contributed much to the success and popularity of this race. The Samui municipal government along with the support of Department of Tourism–Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Thai Airways, and the Tourism Association of Koh Samui organizes the triathlon itself. 

Koh Samui: A Tropical Paradise to Discover

 

One of the best tropical paradises in the world is located in Koh Samui, Thailand

The island of Koh Samui in Thailand has a character so diverse that just a single visit is unlikely to be enough to fully unravel everything that this tropical paradise has to offer. For this reason, a great number of tourists return to this third largest among Thai islands. What they seek are repeated interludes with the storied Koh Samui attractions, which seem to be a continuing source of unending delights and surprises.

It isn’t uncommon too that many travellers have chosen to make a permanent home in Koh Samui and weave their life to this island offering more than just delight to the senses. Some stayed for good in Koh Samui because the living here is relatively easy and the way of life not only less expensive but also rich with the laid-back lifestyle not likely to be found in bustling metropolitan centers. Koh Samui offers a natural splendor that perfectly creates a setting conducive to a tempo so unhurried that life can be enjoyed each tick of the minute.

Where the island weaves magic

Moreover, visitors need not look hard at places by which to partake of the magical spell of Koh Samui. Splendid accommodations in the island are plenty, an epitome of which is the ShaSa Resort cradled by lush forests and greeneries at Koh Samui’s southern tip. Essentially, the island amazes with its combination of an agreeable climate, stunning panorama of mountains and seas, quaint local flora and fauna, as well as the ubiquitous pristine white beaches.

Then there’s the hospitality of the local residents, vaunted for their friendliness even to strangers. Partaking of their cuisine and charming local customs likewise can be a memorable experience. For those Westerners who chose to tarry a bit longer, the availability of expert but inexpensive medical care locally counts as yet another reason for an extended stay at Koh Samui. As appreciable, there are international institutions of learning in the island, facilities that helped convince many expatriates and foreigners that the island is indeed worth having as their permanent base.

An amazing fusion

But for the tourists at large, Koh Samui’s beckoning call will be the island’s many natural wonders and the leisure activities so deftly woven into it without sacrificing modern-day conveniences. Taking a trip to Koh Samui means the joy of swimming in crystal clear waters or diving its coral reels teeming with colorful marine life and other amazing sea denizens. A sojourn in the island likewise opens relaxing choices such as the spa treatments, which too have become a trademark to the generous offerings of Koh Samui.

Mapping Out Koh Samui Destinations

The easiest way to get around Koh Samui is by boat

Tourists or travellers arriving in Koh Samui can pretty much easily orient themselves to the various attractions in this island located at the east coast of Thailand. Those coming in by ferryboat will make their landfall at Koh Samui’s Nathon pier on the island’s west coast. Flying in, on the other hand, will mean landing at the Koh Samui international airport at the island’s northeastern peninsula.

Arrival by boat, hence, will mean immediately having a glimpse of the Lamai and Chaweng beaches located at the west coast of Koh Samui. Airline passengers, for their part, will have a bird’s eye view of a neighbouring island Koh Pangan which can be reached either by ferry from Nathon or shuttle boats from the Koh Samui northern beaches of Maenam and Bophut.

Moving around the island

Locating a Koh Samui hotel for accommodations or where an advanced reservation has been made won’t be much of a problem. There’s only one major circumferential road around the island. Tourists who prefer more luxurious lodging facilities will be pleased to note of the many options available, among which is ShaSa Resort at the southern end of Koh Samui.

Visitors arriving by plane will surely notice that the central part of Koh Samui is comprised of a mountainous tropical jungle, which sure is an inviting proposition for nature trekkers. However, this area is military land, and for those truly determined hikers, some prior clearance from authorities should be the first step to take. As a more convenient alternative, the nearby Koh Pangan Island also has forested areas for trekking, in addition to its beaches as equally fabulous as Koh Samui’s.

Mix of local transport modes

There are several modes of transport in moving around Koh Samui. Taxicabs are available, but the tourists should better be prepared to do some haggling on fares. As in many popular travel destinations, taxi drivers in the island are wont to charge tourists higher. They can ask between 200 and 300 baht for a single trip and forego using their taximeters, a practice frowned upon by local authorities yet it persists.

The less expensive option would be taking the local songthaews, modified pickup trucks with benches at the back. The fares charged in these public transport vehicles ranges from 50 to 60 baht. Renting a car or a motorcycle are also added options. Notably, traffic in the island flows on the left side, requiring extra caution for those accustomed to driving right-hand side.