 |
| Postcard perfect Lamai Beach, Ko Samui, Thailand. |
The discussion "Samui" way mutual frigidity inwards Japanese, but I incertitude that is what this island's namesake way inwards Thai! While "Ko" way isle inwards Thai, "Samui" may genuinely last named later a native tree called mui or later a Malay word, saboey, important "safe haven". This isle inwards the Gulf of Thailand is rattling tropical too definitely non "Samui" or cold.
There are therefore many overnice islands inwards Thailand, it was hard to pick out where to flora ourselves for a week. Ultimately, nosotros chose the e'er pop Ko Samui for its ease of access (if you lot regard a 12-hr prepare ride, 1.5-hr double-decker ride, 1.5-hr ferry ride, too hanging off the dorsum of a songthaew truck, easy...), beautiful unspoiled beaches, too a diverseness of activities.
As alongside most islands, there's the busy side too a to a greater extent than placidity side. The surface area called Chaweng is the top dog tourist hub alongside plenty of bars, restaurants, hostels, too resorts. It's gotten busier alongside the convenience of an international airport, too nosotros listen some cruise ships direct maintain started docking here.
Ko Samui is also pop every bit a divergence indicate for the famous Full Moon Parties on nearby Ko Phangan. Tens of thousands of partiers brand a trek to this isle every calendar month to political party all nighttime nether ane of the most beautiful views of the moon.
Just off the northeast coast is Angthong National Marine Park, a serial of 42 unique islands, too was the inspiration for the movie, The Beach. This whole surface area is a diver too snorkeler's dream every bit well.
It's overnice to direct maintain access to all the modern conveniences, but nosotros similar to last away from the political party crowd, therefore nosotros decided to rest on Lamai Beach. Even inwards Lamai, most beach front end properties direct maintain been overtaken yesteryear resorts, leaving the guests of piffling bungalows too hostels to walk a ways for an accessible beach. We didn't desire that.
It was hard to honor actual beach front end lodging on a budget, but nosotros prevailed. For $44/night, nosotros are staying at Samui Beach Resort. It's simply a serial of bungalows alongside a mutual puddle too restaurant, correct on Lamai Beach. The rooms are basic too clean. We idea the cost was smashing for beach front end without forking over hundreds of dollars a nighttime at a nicer resort. We could've kept to a lower budget too establish plenty of decent places away from the beach for less than $20/night, but what would last the indicate of that?
Right now, it is even therefore the tail terminate of the rainy flavour too the lull earlier the tourist high season; therefore nosotros await a rattling placidity calendar week of simply hanging out, hopefully avoiding likewise much rain, getting some sun, too researching our side yesteryear side trip into Cambodia.
Here's what we've been upwards to.
The best way to larn simply about the isle is to rent a motor bike. It costs virtually $7/day too $3 to create total upwards the tank. Note the "Hello Kitty" license plate (so Asian), too the gasoline is sold inwards recycled whiskey bottles all along the road. We beloved the wooden scooters for kids instead of wooden ponies that we're used to! Start 'em immature riding these mopeds...
Views from the island...
Just because nosotros stayed at a budget resort didn't hateful nosotros couldn't indulge at the nicer resorts. We hung out at the nearby Dinky Rock Bar too Hotel. It was a rattling swanky resort that stands for "Dual-Income-No-Kids". Not a household unit of measurement friendly resort, but friendly to "no-income" couples! Cash is cash.
Just because nosotros stayed at a budget resort didn't hateful nosotros couldn't indulge at the nicer resorts. We hung out at the nearby Dinky Rock Bar too Hotel. It was a rattling swanky resort that stands for "Dual-Income-No-Kids". Not a household unit of measurement friendly resort, but friendly to "no-income" couples! Cash is cash.
Our resort is also situated correct side yesteryear side to the infamous "Grandfather-Grandmother Rock" or Hin-Ta too Hin-Ya. Both are natural stone formations alongside amazing anatomical likeness to the manly someone too woman someone parts. As you lot tin imagine, it's quite the tourist attraction.
We also splurged on a gourmet Thai dinner at Eat Sense Seafood Restaurant on Chaweng Beach. The ruby ruby fish dish too stuffed calamari were to give-up the ghost for. The criterion Thai condiments include Thai fish sauce, chili infused vinegar, sugar, too ruby pepper flakes. No mustard too ketchup inwards these parts!
One activity nosotros (okay...mostly Akiko) genuinely wanted to create was stand upwards up paddle boarding. Living inwards the Midwest, it's been hard to honor someone who rents out boards to try. We establish Wilfrid alongside Samui Windsurfing at Lamai Beach who rents out SUP boards therefore nosotros made an engagement for a quick lesson. Fortunately, the body of body of water waters were quite calm on our commencement twenty-four hours therefore that nosotros genuinely succeeded inwards standing upwards for lengths of time. The side yesteryear side twenty-four hours was a stormier, rougher twenty-four hours therefore in that location was some white H2O waves breaking nigh the shore, which made for a challenging time. Overall, SUP'ing was a fun activity for enjoying the persuasion of the isle too getting some skillful practice too sunshine along the way. Akiko is addicted too volition sure as shooting last looking for to a greater extent than opportunities to SUP!
Waking upwards to sentinel the Sun rising is a must when we're on the body of body of water facing east! The tempest clouds rolled inwards almost daily, therefore the sunrise was a serial of ominous looking clouds casting an orangish glow inwards the grayness bluish sky. Very beautiful too ane of a kind.
And, of course of report our weblog wouldn't last consummate without to a greater extent than nutrient too gulp pictures. Thank goodness nosotros left our mediocre wannabe American nutrient at our resort eating seat to honor two authentic Thai places simply downward the street. As if nosotros didn't direct maintain plenty Thai nutrient already, nosotros enjoyed some of the best Thai fried rice, Tom Yum Gai (Thai hot too sour chicken soup), Thai beef salad (could last H2O buffalo salad...), Mekong whiskey sauce chicken wings, fresh kokosnoot juice, too on occasion, it's simply likewise darn hot to gulp beer straight. It's a lot to a greater extent than refreshing over a drinking glass of ice. Sorry. We're also highly addicted to Som Tum, spicy light-green papaya salad.
Oh, too at the terminate of all that...a Thai massage inwards a bamboo hut yesteryear the beach for less than $10. Now that is paradise (sans the mosquitos, of course).
Well, that sums upwards our fabulous week. The alone affair missing was beingness able to hang out alongside our friend, Jeremy, who nosotros idea would last able to escape his chore from PRC for some beers too relaxation inwards Thailand, but alas, it didn't go out that way.
What next? We've been reading books on the history of Kingdom of Cambodia too re-watched the Killing Fields to prep ourselves for our trip through Cambodia, coming upwards soon.
Waking upwards to sentinel the Sun rising is a must when we're on the body of body of water facing east! The tempest clouds rolled inwards almost daily, therefore the sunrise was a serial of ominous looking clouds casting an orangish glow inwards the grayness bluish sky. Very beautiful too ane of a kind.
And, of course of report our weblog wouldn't last consummate without to a greater extent than nutrient too gulp pictures. Thank goodness nosotros left our mediocre wannabe American nutrient at our resort eating seat to honor two authentic Thai places simply downward the street. As if nosotros didn't direct maintain plenty Thai nutrient already, nosotros enjoyed some of the best Thai fried rice, Tom Yum Gai (Thai hot too sour chicken soup), Thai beef salad (could last H2O buffalo salad...), Mekong whiskey sauce chicken wings, fresh kokosnoot juice, too on occasion, it's simply likewise darn hot to gulp beer straight. It's a lot to a greater extent than refreshing over a drinking glass of ice. Sorry. We're also highly addicted to Som Tum, spicy light-green papaya salad.
Oh, too at the terminate of all that...a Thai massage inwards a bamboo hut yesteryear the beach for less than $10. Now that is paradise (sans the mosquitos, of course).
Well, that sums upwards our fabulous week. The alone affair missing was beingness able to hang out alongside our friend, Jeremy, who nosotros idea would last able to escape his chore from PRC for some beers too relaxation inwards Thailand, but alas, it didn't go out that way.
What next? We've been reading books on the history of Kingdom of Cambodia too re-watched the Killing Fields to prep ourselves for our trip through Cambodia, coming upwards soon.