|
Koh
Samui :
|
|
|
Surat
Thani
Gateway
to the South
Tourists
in Surat Thani usually find themselves dealing with tour
companies, the train or the bus station, or the pier,
some 45-minute bus ride out of town. Surat Thani is the
embarkation point for Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh
Tao. Coaches from Bangkok stop here for passengers to
change buses to Khao Lak, Krabi, Phuket, Koh Lanta and
the Phi Phi Islands.
Surat Thani’s local highlights include Monkey schools
and Khao Sok National Park, famous for its wild lotus
flower; the largest of its species in the world. Hiking
around the park, which has many waterfalls, is a great
way to spend a day. There are also privately-run bungalows
near the park for those who wish to hike and stay overnight.
Every October Surat Thani hosts the Chak Phra Festival;
a fantastic spectacle of land and waterborne processions
of revered Buddha images.
To make resort reservations in Khao Sok National Park,
contact the Royal Forestry Department in Bangkok, tel.
(02) 579 4842, 579 0529.
|
|
How
to get there
|
|
|
Direct
flights from Bangkok and Krabi
|
|
|
Bangkok.
Hua Lamphong Station via Surat Thani.
|
|
|
Bangkok.
Air-conditioned bus from Southern Bus Terminal via
Chumphon and Surat Thani. Also from Khao Lak, Krabi,
Phuket.
|
|
|
Daily
boats from Koh Phangan,
Koh Tao, Surat Thani
and car ferries from Donsak.
|
Bangkok
Airways
Tel: (02) 229 3434, (077) 425011,
(038) 412382 |
|
|
|
Dive
Center
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bophut
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Sports Divers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chaweng
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Big
Blue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bug
Diving |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Calypso
Diving |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Captain
Caveman |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Discovery
Dive Centre |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dive
Indeep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dive
Point |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Easy
Divers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Diving Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
International (SIDS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The
Dive Shop |
|
|
|
|
|
|
IANTD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lamai
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mui
Divers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pro
Divers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Maenam
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ABC
Divers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Abyss |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Crystal Diving |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
island of Koh Samui boasts a worthy selection of hotels
and resort complexes all offering a host of services and
tourist amenities. Top family pastimes include elephant
and pony trekking and mountain biking, all available around
the beaches of MaeNam and Bophut. The island has a huge
population of coconut trees, which are regularly tended
to, to reduce the risk of injuries from falling coconuts;
To prevent this problem, trained monkeys clear them from
the trees. This skill is re-enacted at the Monkey Theatre
outside Bophut village. All these excursions can be booked
directly at your hotel or resort but accessing any of the
island's amenities independently is done just as easily
onboard the islands buses; simply tell the driver where
you want to get off, or carry a tourist map and point at
your destination!
The general lifestyle on the island moves along at a slow,
relaxed pace: as yet there are no brash high rise facilities
offending the skyline. The sensibly maintained tropical
image has established Koh Samui as 'the' most popular holiday
destination off the East Coast. The island does however
kick into high gear during the later hours when numerous
bars, clubs and discos open for business. All manners of
musical tastes are catered for, ranging from salsa to jazz
and reggae to high energy dance and techno.
With
the exception of a couple of beach dives the majority of
the dive sites are all reached by boats in around ninety
minutes. All the local sites are visited as two dive day
trips, which conveniently begin when the operators pick
you up right on your very door step.
|
|
| Hotel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chaweng
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Natien Resort |
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Princess
Village Resort |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Resotel (munchies) |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Amari
Palm Reef |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Central
Samui Beach Resort |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Poppies
Samui |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Regent
Beach Resort |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Bayview |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lamai
Beach
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Aloha
Resort |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Samui
Laguna Resort |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jungle
Park Resort |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pavilion
Resort
|
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Maenam
Beach |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coco
Palm Beach |
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lolita
Bungalows |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Health
Oasis Resort |
$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Santiburi
Dusit |
$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
those of you intending to explore Koh Samui beyond the
boundaries of your resort you can now do it somewhat more
comfortably than in recent years, as at long last the
roads have been upgraded, which is more that what can
be said for the driving! Its been so long since it was
possible to get around at speed that some motorists might,
or rather should, get a quick practise in first.
The best place to thrash away any cobwebs or simply learn
how to avoid oncoming traffic is on the islands go-kart
track just outside Bophut.
Another
way to get around is to hire a taxi or use the local bus
service. If you do however opt to rent a motorbike, take
it easy along the beach roads as there can be a lot of
loose sand and even potholes on the surface.
|
|
|
