Third Largest Island of Thailand - Samui

Imagine an island nestling in the quiet azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand fringed by coral reefs with beaches of powder supple white sand framed by a backdrop of coconut trees, their fronds dancing in the mild wind. The palms extend upward to the central uplands, thick with blooming tropical vegetation. The shoreline and lower slopes are awash with coconut palms making Koh Samui the 'Coconut Capital of Thailand'. It is said that the island transmit 2,000,000 coconuts per month to Bangkok. This green view is mixed together occasionally by black granite stone. Some of these rock formations appear to flout gravity by hanging spectacularly touching the hillside. This tropical bliss is called Koh Samui. A 250 square kilometers rounded island which is about the same size as Penang.

Koh Samui translates from Koh, the Thai word for island, and Samui, which is maybe likely comes from the Chinese "saboey" meaning safe wharf. The lovely island first came to the awareness of world explorer when it started bring in up in discussions in many of the cheap hotels that then around Bangkok's Hualamphong Railway station some 30+ years ago. It was difficult to get to, obliging special negotiation with fishermen in Suratthani. When you arrived at the island, there was no road and so those intrepid holidaymakers drop from beach to beach by boat. In the past years businesses have changed vastly.

The island is now served by an international airport that looks more like a botanical garden than the customary tradition of functional 'air station'. Flights depart hourly for the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and connect the island to additional destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Pattaya and Phuket. Nathon the capital plays host to government buildings and banks and serves as one of the ferry ports serving the Thai mainland. The road skirts the 635-metre mountain that sits centrally on both sides of the landmass and takes in the main resorts of Lamai and Chaweng. Lamai is the smaller of the two and present a calm and maybe cleaner beach. The latter accommodate, perhaps, a younger and more vigorous tourist. Further on lies Bangrak is better known as "Big Buddha Beach" with 93 steps to reach the top, as it takes its name from the huge Buddha statue at the eastern end of the bay.

Be sure of this, whatever your savor Koh Samui will be able to endow with a venue for a holiday that will remain long in your memory. So if you are planning a trip of a lifetime whether it be for tourism or health this magical island is a venue well worth considering.