Active Lifestyle in Koh Samui

Wake boarding is one of the many things you can do in Koh Smaui  to enjoy a healthy lifestyle 

Sports-minded tourists or travellers with lifestyles revolving around physical fitness need not forego of their activities when visiting the island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand. As a matter of fact, the Koh Samui highlights of their visit can include various sports and similar recreational activities. 

The tourist accommodations at the island’s beach destinations offer many choices in water-based sports and recreational activities. Among these are jet skiing, kayaking, kite boarding, snorkelling, and scuba-diving.

Tourists with an active lifestyle will be delighted to note that lists of Koh Samui things to do also include many land-based recreational pursuits. Some beach resorts, such as those at the southern tip of the island, feature their own fully equipped fitness centres. 

These facilities are at par with Western standards. Resort visitors who have a training regimen to keep will have at their disposal modern exercise equipment, such as electronic treadmill and state-of-the-art workout machines, in addition to the traditional free weights.

Many Koh Samui resorts also maintain tennis courts with lights for evening matches. Moreover, tourists who want to improve their lobs and volleys can avail of tennis lessons designed specifically for adults and kids. Those more inclined toward table tennis will likewise find the facilities they need in some beach resort clubhouses.

Visiting duffers won’t be away from their woods and irons either. Koh Samui is home to the Santiburi Samui Country Club located at the mountainous northern part of the island. This 6,930-yard, 18-hole, par 72 layout promises championship calibre of play. 

Its links are striking, taking golfers across winding fairways traversing coconut groves and creeks amid wondrous views of the Gulf of Thailand, cliffs, and mountains. The Santiburi course offers challenging play with its up-and-down-hill configuration.

Mini golf too is an option for Koh Samui tourists yet to earn their spurs in the full version of the royal and ancient game. A mini golf course is located near the Santiburi Samui Country Club at the forests overlooking the Choeng Mon beach resort. Called Mini Golf International and a member of the World Mini-Golf Federation, this is the only professional mini golf course in Thailand.

At Koh Samui, tourists can also have a sampling of Thailand’s home-grown sport muay thai or Thai kickboxing. Besides this Thai national sport, more traditional sporting activities are also widely played in the island. Several football clubs and associations in Samui regularly conduct tournaments and pick-up matches. More sedate games such as petanque and badminton also have many adherents in the island.

Cockfighting in Koh Samui

Cockfighting matches can be quite exciting

Is flying halfway across the planet worth a few days’ break in this tropical island? For almost every single individual who’s been here before, the answer is yes. Koh Samui attractions come in all sorts of forms to draw in the consistently massive stream of tourists throughout most of the year.

Koh Samui travel guides say that cockfighting is one of the most popular sports in Thailand today. Locals within the country have fallen in love with this form of competition since the establishment of Ayutthaya as the Thai Kingdom’s capital back in A.D. 1350.

Records indicate that by 1562, the Ayutthaya Kingdom was placed under Burmese occupation. Burma then decided to take Crown Prince Naresuan captive by the time he was seven years old in order to ensure the fidelity of his father, who was already a prominent prince during that time.

Naresuan was then trained by the Burmese King Bayinnuang in literature, martial arts, and military strategies during his stay in Burma, and was even regarded as one of the princes within the Burmese Palace. Amongst the many things the Crown Prince saw or learned during his nine years in the foreign nation, Naresuan developed a liking for cockfighting as well.

Today, this sport has managed to garner the attention and active participation of locals throughout Thailand. Unlike other Koh Samui attractions, making or losing money during each fight is possible, as spectators are permitted to bet.

A large number of participants and crowds in attendance have the potential to rake in plenty of cash for the ring operator. One big fight can generate more or less 200,000 baht (around USD6000), which is a large sum of money in Thailand.

While other countries that also participate in this sport usually attach a sharp blade or spur to the leg of each battling cock before a fight – which means the chickens will be fighting till one is severely injured or dead – Samui cockfights exclude such weapons.

This crowd-drawer is like the other Koh Samui attractions wherein no blood is shed (except for Muay Thai bouts). The winner of a cockfighting match is declared when his opponent either tires or stops fighting.

Lastly, although gambling is illegal in Thailand, guides say that fight promoters are usually able to obtain exemptions, thereby allowing big bets to be wagered.

Thai Dialects in Focus

There are various Thai dialects spoken across the country

Extended tourists’ stay in the island of Koh Samui, a very likely possibility given its many attractions besides beaches, will mean a prolonged exposure to one of the four major dialects spoken in Thailand. Southern Thailand, where this tourist destination is located, is a melting pot of Thai Chinese, Buddhists, and Muslims.

It is said that in venturing outside of the island’s tourist areas, the locals who will be encountered speak with a thick southern dialect, which can be hard to understand even for northern Thais. Hence, picking up a few phrases in the local dialect can serve as one of the Koh Samui highlights of a visitor enamoured to the island. 

This southern Thai dialect is called Paktay. It is generally spoken south of Prachuap province, and it is estimated that 4.3 million Thais speak this dialect or approximately 8 per cent of the country’s population. This dialect has several different varieties, with a very striking contrast between the rural and the educated Paktay. Speakers of standard Thai, the national language of Thailand, will more easily understand educated Paktay than rural Paktay.

Thai-Lao Dialects

A Koh Samui travel tour, which extends to central Thailand will more or less enable such a comparison. The dialect spoken in this part of the country is called Thaiklang, which is similar to standard Thai. This dialect is more dominant than its southern counterpart. Among the estimated 25 million standard Thai speakers, 14.4 million also speak Thaiklang. Notably, standard Thai is the dialect spoken in the central part of Thailand. Being the national language, standard Thai is used by the government and the media.

The areas in the northernmost part of Thailand speak kam muang or yuan, the northern Thai dialect. Essentially, these regions include the Thai provinces north of Tak, Sukhotai, and Uttaradi. Roughly 4.8 million locals speak this dialect, or almost 9 percent of the Thai population. Speakers of the northern Thai dialect can often understand standard Thai, which is used in schools and in the media.

The northern dialect and standard Thai, however, aren’t mutually intelligible. Isaan Thai is the dialect in northeastern Thailand. It is actually a Lao dialect but has been heavily influenced by the Thai language because of people-to-people contact among nearby regions. All told, there are about 12.2 million Thai-Lao speakers, accounting for a little less than 23 percent of Thailand’s population. 

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.

Top Five Dishes in Koh Samui

There are many must try dishes in Koh Samui including the depicted Som Tom  

No matter where any individual is in the world, there’s bound to be a restaurant that serves Thai cuisines. These mouth-watering dishes have made significant impacts on culinary industries across various nations, and have helped foreigners understand Thailand’s local culture a little better through the appreciation of good cooking.

Koh Samui itself is a holiday destination of choice through many aspects, including tongue-tantalizing meals. Those staying in ShaSa resort are given an excellent selection of local chow to feast on courtesy of Beyond the Sea. Alternatively, they can also head out to various other restaurants outside the establishment to see how well those businesses fair in preparing local gourmet food.

But when stumped as to what to order, Samuians have come up with a list of the top five best dishes to order, of which the first one is Moo-Sa-Te. This tasty meal consists of sweet-flavored grilled pork sticks laced with juicy sauce derived from curry powder and turmeric.

The second must-try dish is called Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himmapan, which is basically stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts. This slightly sweet and salty bird isn’t spicy, so it’d definitely be a great choice for those who can’t handle the level of spiciness of other cuisines. Also, the crunchy cashew nuts included in the meal helps accentuate the unique flavorful of the chicken.

Third on the list is Tom Yam Koong, which is spicy shrimp soup in English. This cuisine batters the tongue with spice and sourness with the use of kaffir lime leaves, galangal, shallot, chili pepper, and fragrant herbs.

Tom Yam Kai is the fourth entry on this list – commonly referred by westerners as spicy chicken soup, this cuisine features an impressive blend of lime, chili, and fish sauce that’s guaranteed to please any tourist who can handle a little spice in their meals.

Fifth, we have Panaeng – also identified as meat in spicy coconut cream, this dish is prepared using beef, pork or chicken. Those who’ve sunk their teeth in this tasty treat say that its flavors resemble that of Thai red curry. However, a notable difference between the two meals would be Panaeng’s thicker and richer coconut milk sauce.

It’s imperative that the Koh Samui highlights of any vacationer’s holiday include food tasting. Those staying in ShaSa Resort have the outstanding opportunity to experience authentic Thai dishes within the business’ restaurant, as well as other diners nearby.

Enjoying Coconuts at Koh Samui

Nothing beats a cold coconut drink on a beach

At Koh Samui things to do never seem to run out – foreigners will have the time of their lives on this island, which features the perfect balance of unspoilt natural beauty and tourist-oriented businesses. For many of this tropical paradise’s visitors, adopting the islander healthy diet (and implementing it in their lifestyle back home) is one thing they’d like to achieve during their stay.

That said, Koh Samui travel guides say that including the coconut in any eating and drinking regimen is a must for those who wish to stay fit and healthy. But regardless of all its life-enhancing attributes, misinformation surrounding this wonder nut is constantly being spread, most especially throughout the western world.

According to these erroneous facts, the fruit’s oil contains saturated fat, which can clog arteries and cause various heart problems.

False info such as the one listed above have been fabricated by organizations such as the Corn Products Company (CPC International) and the American Soybean Association (ASA). These groups are economically motivated to slam the reputation of the coconut. Companies that create products derived from this natural occurring good have already affected revenues generated by other firms using products derived from other fruits and vegetables.

So just like any other giant company that’s being bothered by its rivals, Koh Samui travel guides explain that these organizations have resorted to distorting scientific evidence in an attempt to turn consumers off towards purchasing goods coconut-based products.

Here’s what tourists need to know: although this super nut does contain fat, it’s way different from the unhealthy variation that most people think it to be. Its fat is called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which is metabolized differently from the fats found in other oils.

In addition, despite most of its fat is the saturated type, several studies suggest that not all saturated fats are detrimental to health. Coconut oil is proven to raise HDL cholesterol, which is the “good” type needed by the body.

Coconut water has also been shown to be beneficial for human health. 11ozs of this liquid contains significant amounts of potassium, 15 carbohydrates, and a gram of protein, making it great for workouts – one of those important Koh Samui things to do during any vacation, especially for fitness concerned individuals.

However, Koh Samui travel guides say that 11oz of this nut’s water does contain 60 calories, therefore, it should be taken in moderation, preferably during or after workouts.