The Snake Farm

Get up close and personal with some snakes at the Koh Samui snake farm  (photo courtesy gonomad.com)

Needless to say, it’d certainly be in the best interest of any tourist to make sure he or she sees as many Koh Samui attractions during his or her visit in this island. Now, while enjoying the warm and relaxing Koh Samui weather is alright, a vacationer would be so much happier if he could set time aside for a visit to the Snake Farm.

This island attraction has gained international fame back in 2008 – the year when Thailand’s “Scorpion Queen” Kanchana Kaetkaew utilized the farm as the venue for setting a Guinness world record for holding a seven-inch-long scorpion in her mouth for two minutes.

Inside the farm is a reptile zoo, wherein guests are given the opportunity to touch or even handle docile snakes – that is of course, if they can stomach the riveting experience.

For those who’d prefer to watch other people doing the snake-handling, they’re in luck, as shows featuring snake wranglers coaxing the venomous beasts into showing deadly poses are held daily. While a wide range of snakes are utilized for these presentations, king cobras and massive pythons are considered by many spectators to be the biggest crowd-drawers.

Shows last two hours, starting from 11am and ending at 2pm. During the first segment of the show, snake charmers kick-off the production with a variety of poisonous snakes. Here, brave entertainers dance around the snake, while exhibiting moves that seem to aggravate the slithering beasts, and provoke them into taking defensive and offensive positions.

As daredevils continue to aggravate the deadly reptiles, the animals exhibit even more violent behavior, which includes lurching, exposure of their fangs, and even venom-spitting.

This segment is then followed by a display of cock-fighting. Unlike other shows, these birds won’t be wearing blades, so there isn’t any need to worry about the poor animals getting bloodied or killed.

Following the demonstration is the scorpion show, wherein a female entertainer is made to stand still as scorpions climb around her body. And finally, the king cobra is placed on stage, wherein an even braver snake charmer coaxes the killer to show-off its deadly attack moves.

Of course, the Snake Farm is just one of the many Koh Samui attractions for vacationers to enjoy. Paying a visit here is strongly recommended for vacationers who want to do more than relish the pleasant Koh Samui weather, go swimming, or engage typical activities most beach-goers are into.

Drinking and Driving Don’t Mix in Koh Samui

Drinking and driving is not the smartest decision you can make in Thailand

When the Koh Samui weather conditions remain dry throughout the week, what’s the best thing to do in order to enjoy a lonely night? For many of this island’s visitors, that’d be heading down to a club and getting intoxicated with the local crowds.

As tempting as this may be for anyone belonging to the younger generation, sometimes its important to limit alcohol consumption, most especially when the party-goer chooses to drive himself home instead of hiring a taxi.

From the law’s point of view, the permissible limit of BAC levels for drivers is 0.5 grams. But for the bloke who had his driver’s license for less than five year, this limit drops down to 0.2 grams. The Thai government is doing everything that it can to reduce the number of drunk-driving incidents. Anyone that’s caught driving beyond the accepted BAC levels will either be heavily fined, or sentenced to jail – depending on how bad the accident is.

Thai police come equipped with breath test detectors for catching drunks. They also setup outposts throughout the entire country – Koh Samui included – and are given a greater level of freedom when it comes to dealing with woozy drivers.

It’s not surprising that the government is trying to clamp down on the issue, as studies show that there are roughly 25,000 deaths caused by intoxicated drivers every year. The frequency of such related accidents is even worse during festivals and special holidays, and reach as high as 800 deaths per day.

In the worst-case scenario, a vacationist could easily contribute to the statistic of dead motorists due to intoxication. He may even bump the annual figures even higher if he has passengers, or crashes into another vehicle or individual.

In other cases, the tourist may be lucky enough to walk away from the vehicular accident, with nobody – including himself – harmed. However, this leaves him in a world of trouble with the law. Again, he’ll most likely be made to be a hefty fine, or spend the night cramped in a jail cell with other sadistic inmates who’ve been waiting to get their hands on a foreigner!

When out partying, it’s always best to leave the car behind, and take a taxi home instead. Koh Samui government highlights the importance of setting limits for alcohol intake for the sake of personal safety, as well as the greater good of all.

Tips for Avoiding Sunburns in Koh Samui

Don't let this happen to you!

The Koh Samui weather will be reaching its highest temperatures between March and June. This hot season is something that many vacationists look forward to, as temperatures average around 34°C, which is perfect for having a little fun under the sun at the island’s white sand beaches.

However, the management at ShaSa Resort & Residences say that the heat can elevate anywhere from 37 to 40°C, making it even easier to develop nasty sunburns through prolonged exposure to the planet’s closest star. They also warn that the cool breeze coming from the ocean can easily fool tourists into thinking they aren’t getting burned by that big ball of fire hovering in the sky.

Considering the dangers involved, several measures must be taken by any vacationer to negate the risks of developing sunburn. First tip is to lather on a little organic coconut oil – available for sale at local pharmacies -- all over the body before heading out to the beach. Alternatively, applying the innards of a ripe avocado to the skin may provide some protection from the sun as well.

Second tip is to be wary of the “broken-cloud-effect” – although very cloudy days (like the ones accompanied by rainfall) means less UV ray absorption for beachgoers, partly cloudy overcast Koh Samui weather has the tendency to amplify these harmful rays, especially UV-B frequencies, by up to 25 per cent.

For those looking to get a few tones darker during their tropical vacation, the third tip is more of common sense, but is often neglected: don’t get impatient to get brown. The management at ShaSa Resort would like to remind its valued guests that Thailand is pretty close to the equator, meaning the intensity of UV rays will always be stronger in comparison to that of countries further away from the earth’s middle portion.

Fourth and last tip is to set a time limit the duration of sunlight exposure – very light-coloured individuals are advised to start with ten minutes of exposure before 11am, or after 3pm, to be safe.

Always keep in mind that Koh Samui weather is quite deceptive, especially with all that sea breeze blowing in from the ocean. The management at ShaSa Resort would also like to remind tourists to pack sunblock and sunglasses before departing for this sizzling hot island, as well as limit their duration of exposure to the sun to steer clear of painful sunburns.

When Is The Koh Samui Weather At Its Best?

View of the ShaSa hotel in Koh Samui (photo courtesy ShaSahotels.com)

Anyone traveling from countries, which experience cold weather throughout most of the year, should take a break from that weather and visit the island, Koh Samui weather is mostly hot and sunny during most months, making this getaway attractive in the eyes of travellers from around the world.

As mentioned earlier, the majority of the months are hot and sunny, but not all every month has great weather – there are certain times of the year where the island experiences torrential rain showers. In some instances, this can last several days up to a week, which in turn can lead to flash floods, and ultimately ruin any vacationer’s carefully planned holiday.

However, it should be noted that tropical storms hitting the islet relentlessly is a rare occurrence. Moreover, while the months October to December are the usual times of year when the rain keeps coming, it usually pours during the late afternoons only. Furthermore, the rain typically last for five to thirty minutes only, making it hardly a nuisance to a tourist’s plans.

Regardless, traveling during the other months would be a wiser choice – why risk the rain when the can be avoided in the first place? With that being said, seasoned travellers like to come to this tropical paradise during January, February and March, mainly because the Koh Samui weather is expected to be hot and sunny.

During April, the temperature is at its highest. This sudden spike of heat is appreciated by the majority of foreign visitors, but may be a little too uncomfortable for people coming from colder climates. Luckily, Songkran (which is the Thai version of New Year) is celebrated between April 13 and 15. During this time, locals and tourists cool themselves off by engaging a variety of water-related activities.

From May to September, the temperature drops a few degrees, which generally is a more comfortable temperature than the month of April. Throughout the year except during the raining season, tourists are able to go to this tropical island to do tons of outdoor activities within the island. This may include kayaking, playing volleyball; going on cruises to adjacent islands, or having a little party with friend on the beach!

Nevertheless, the weather in Thailand is great for most of the year – the duration in which the rain pours usually isn’t that long, so there’s basically no bad time to go to this tourist hotspot!

What Kind Of Clothes Should You Wear On the Island

What type of clothes should wear when you come to the island of Koh Samui? (photo courtesy of flickr.com)

Don't know what to wear in Koh Samui? Well, it's just a matter of two factors – one is the cultural consideration while the other is the yearlong tropical climate. Here, we'll discuss how to combine the two and feel at home while exploring what this beautiful island has to offer.

For starters, you should be aware that your shoulders and knees must be covered at the minimum, when visiting various temples and shrines. Flip-flops are also taboo when dropping by these sacred places. The key here is to be observant and sensitive to your environment. In Thailand, most women dress modestly and you'll never see any Thai guy walking shirtless on the streets. When taking a trip to the gorgeous beaches such as those in Koh Samui, topless sunbathing and swimming is a big no-no. In addition, avoid dangling in your bikinis when strolling outside the vicinity of the shorelines. Put some tank top or sarong on.

To cope with the tropical climate, avoid wearing jeans and anything polyester unless you want to combust right on the spot. The locals have acclimatized to the weather that's why they can pull-off wearing those outfits even on a bright sunny day but for the average Joe, who's used to moderate temperature and cold winter days, walking in jeans and polyester under direct sunlight is like being baked alive. Shoes and socks are also a hassle to wear if you're planning to visit multiple tourist spots and shops that require you to leave your footwear outside. Therefore, your best bet is nice sandals or slippers, which you can easily wear and remove.

Adapting to Koh Samui weather is easy as long as you don't wear any white dresses, skirts or shirts especially during the rainy season. There's no cultural reason to it, just the fact that Koh Samui's roads can be a bit rocky and dusty. And it's the kind of reddish dust that's hard to remove on white clothes. Of course, it's much worse when it's raining hard as the puddle of mud could really ruin that white dress of yours. Generally, you should opt to wear light cotton when traveling here.

No matter how tempting it is to wear your bikini everywhere when you are away from the Koh Samui beaches, you should always remember to wear appropriate attire when going to nearby shops, restaurants, and other establishments. During formal occasions such as having dinner in a fancy restaurant, you can show respect by wearing a modest dress for women and collared shirt for men. Moreover, you can add a cardigan or a light windbreaker if it happens to be a rainy day.