Koh Samui, Thailand

Koh Samui is the largest of hundreds of islands in the calm, crystal seas of the Gulf of Thailand. At 250 square kilometres, it is the third largest in the Kingdom. Situated 400 km. south of Bangkok it's a gentle 45 minutes flight from Bangkok or an easy 1 hour and 40 minutes from Singapore.

In Just two decades, Koh Samui has blossomed into one of Asia's leading holiday destinations. Every year more visitors are drawn to marvel at it's beauty. On trip will tell why.

But there's a lot more to Koh Samui than it's miles of Golden beaches. With the ultimate variety of sports, nightlife and beaches, Koh Samui is quite simply the complete lifestyle destination. Explore it's spectacular interior; there are elephant treks, mountain bike riding, Go-Karting even Bungee jumping. Why not try a round of golf at the magnificently elevated Santiburi Samui Country Club. If water activities are more your scene amongst Koh Samui's lush backdrop you will be spoilt for choice from simply dipping into the warm blue waters to snorking, diving, parasailing, kite surfing, windsurfing, canoeing or big game fishing.

When the sun sinks beneath the distant horizon, downtown Samui wakes up with an upbeat dining and nightlife scene of its own.

Koh Samui Island is one of the most popular islands in Thailand, it possesses the characteristic beauty and offers a wide variety of activities. Originally, Koh Samui was used to be the area of coconut plantations, but after being discovered by backpacked travellers, it is noted by them as a peaceful and magnificent paradise some time 20 years ago. Since then, Samui Island began to be a relaxation heaven for the travellers who are looking for spending their valuable holidays in this paradise island.

Koh Samui is strategically located in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 84 kilometres east of Surat Thani mainland, or approximately 700 kilometres south of Bangkok which is called Coconut Island. It is one of the most famous and popular destinations in southern Thailand with an area of 247 square kilometres, where Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand after Phuket (the largest) and the second largest Koh Chang (of Trat Province). The topography of the island is formed of plains on both sides with a mountain range in the middle and 7 important streams. In addition, there is a 50-kilometer paved ring road covering the whole island for the convenience of transportation around the island. Moreover, Samui island stretches to a group of 48 surrounding islets including the famous Anthong National Marine Park.

Koh Samui is also very near to Koh Phangan where world's famous Full Moon Party is held every month.

Despite its fast-going development, Koh Samui has been able to maintain its charm of natural beauty – its classical image of a tropical beach resort destination fringed by coconut trees. Travellers can enjoy a mixed blessing of vibrant day and nightlife along with tranquillity which can readily be found over different parts of Koh Samui as the archipelago is a peaceful home for fishermen and also a natural den for seagulls and other rare birds.

The Southern dialect and the standard Thai language are spoken while English is understood in tourist areas and widely used in International standard hotels and resorts.
 

History of Koh Samui

The island was probably first inhabited about 15 centuries ago, settled by fishermen from Malay Peninsula and Southern China. It appears on Ming Dynasty maps dating back to 1687, under the name Pulo Cornam. The name Koh Samui is mysterious in itself. Perhaps it is an extension of the name of one of the native trees, mui, or it is a corruption of the Chinese word Saboey, meaning "safe haven".

Until the late 20th century, Koh Samui was an isolated self-sufficient community, having little connection with the mainland of Thailand. The island was even without roads until the early 1970s, and the 15km journey from one side of the island to the other involved a whole-day trek through the mountainous central jungles.

Today, Koh Samui has a population of about forty-five thousand, and lives on a successful tourist industry, as well as exports of coconut and rubber. It even has its own international airport, with flights daily to Bangkok and other major airports in Southeast Asia. While the island presents an unspoiled image to the public perception, economic growth has brought not only prosperity, but changes to the island's environment and culture, a source of conflict between local residents and migrants from other parts of Thailand and other countries. Reflecting Koh Samui's growth as a tourist destination, the Cunard ship MS Queen Victoria (a 2000-plus passenger ship) will dock at Koh Samui during its 2008 world cruise.

Geography

Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, about 35km northeast of Surat Thani town (9°N, 100°E). It is surrounded by about sixty other islands, most of which comprise the Ang Thong National Marine Park, but also include other tourist destinations Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan.

The island is roughly circular in shape, and is about 15km across. The central part of the island is an (almost) uninhabitable mountain jungle (peak Khao Pom, 635m) and the various lowland areas are connected together by a single road, that covers the circumference of the island.

There is one town, Na Thon, on the west coast of the island, with a major port for fishing and inter-island transportation. Each of Koh Samui's many beaches is also nominally considered a town, due to the number of hotels, restaurants and bars that have sprung up in recent years.

Weather and Climate

Unfortunately, visitors are sometimes incorrectly informed about the seasons of Koh Samui prior to their departure from their home. It is unaware by most of the visitors. For instance, we do not have the same rainy season as it does in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand. more here