Today, more and more people are choosing island states as their holiday destination. One of the most popular travel destinations is Thailand, Samui. This island belongs to the second most popular place, after Phuket. Despite the tourist boom that has hit the state in recent years, the nature here has been preserved almost in its original form.
Samui Features
Samui is the third largest among all the islands of Thailand and the largest in the Champon archipelago, which includes more than 80 islands, mostly uninhabited.
The main feature of the island is that it offers for the most part a relaxing beach holiday. Night clubs, of course, work, but the parties that take place there cannot be classified as too noisy. Due to the size of the island and the presence of a large number of beautiful beaches, you can find a quiet, deserted place by the ocean, even in the midst of the season. In addition, the weather on Samui is not subject to extreme swings, and due to the fact that the island is in the bay, even tsunamis are not afraid of it.
It is noteworthy that until the twentieth century, the island of Samui had practically no connections with the mainland, and there were not even roads there until the 70s, when the first tourists landed on it. Until now, it is not allowed to build hotels above palm trees on the island, so vacationers are mainly offered bungalows.
Samui Airport
Of course, the fastest and easiest way to get to the island is by air. At the same time, Samui has its own airport, which can be safely attributed to the sights of the island. This beautiful airport is private, owned by Bangkok Airlines. She carries out the majority of flights, although in 2008 the Thai Airlines company began operations there .
Samui Airport makes a lasting impression on tourists. Immediately after leaving the plane, the atmosphere of relaxation and celebration is felt.
The train meets the passengers with open wagons, which takes them to the arrival hall. Although the hall, this place can be called quite conditionally, given that the buildings at Samui Airport are practically without walls. Having received your luggage, visa and stamp in your passport, you need to exchange money and choose a way to get to the hotel. Directly at the airport, they offer a shuttle service to hotels, individual or group. You can take a taxi, however, if this is your first visit to the island, it will be difficult to understand the road patterns. And by choosing a group transfer, you can decently save on a trip to the hotel. Due to the lack of walls, Samui Airport allows you to enjoy the tropical beauty of the island all the time you stay in it.
Other means of transport on the island
Of course, the plane is the only transport on which you can get from Russia to Thailand. Samui also offers another type of transport, with which you can get to it after arrival in the country. This is a ferry service that is fairly well developed on the island. Communication with the mainland is carried out by ferries of the three main companies of Samui and high-speed catamarans. The first get to the island in an average of 1.5 hours, and catamarans in 40 minutes. There are also regular cruising boats that head to different islands of the archipelago. Thus, transport links between the islands and the mainland are well established.
In Samui itself there is public transport - songteo. This is a pickup truck, in which an awning covers the back, and under it there are benches for seats. There are also benches without seats, in this case the passenger is offered a handle, which you can hold during the trip. The island also has taximeters and mototaxis.
The beaches of Koh Samui
Each beach on this amazing island is unique in its own way. In total, 34 tourist beaches are located on it, among which there are closed, open and beaches on which it is comfortable to relax with children.
The most popular of them is Chaweng, where tourists most often go. The fact that it is located very close to the airport also contributes to the fact that it is most often chosen for recreation. Chaweng has a large number of hotels, beach bars, and is actively trading. Due to its popularity, this is the most populated beach, therefore, despite the length of 6 km, finding a secluded place does not seem real.
The second most popular beach is Lamai. It is not as crowded as in Chaweng, but the infrastructure is nevertheless well developed.
The rest of the beaches are not so popular, and therefore, offer more privacy. In general, the quantity and quality of beaches is one of the advantages of the state of Thailand. From its wide variety, Samui allows you to choose the one that is most suitable for every tourist.
Samui cuisine
The island has a huge variety of places where they offer delicious food. It can be inexpensive cafes with real Thai cuisine, and gourmet restaurants with dishes from different countries. Moreover, given the popularity of the resort among Russian tourists, Russian cuisine is also represented here.
Island cuisine is a true gourmet paradise.
Fans of the exotic can try the most unusual options, and supporters of traditional food can treat themselves to their favorite dishes. At the same time, the prices for Samui are quite affordable and allow everyone, without exception, to enjoy exactly what they want. While relaxing in this exotic country you can try a great variety of different dishes from chicken, rice, noodles and pork. To each of them are offered sauces of varying severity, which give special piquancy to food.
Many, having once tasted Thai cuisine, become its loyal fans. Often tourists bring home all kinds of spices and pastas to enjoy their favorite dishes at home.
Entertainment on the island
Koh Samui, in addition to swimming in the ocean, it offers other entertainment. All of them are mainly related to movement. This is jet skiing , banana, parachute, water skiing, flyboard, sailing boat and speed boat. Tourists are also offered four-hour fishing on the high seas. Of course, on Koh Samui you can not do without immersion in crystal clear water. There are diving schools on the island that help beginners enjoy the beauty of the underwater world. Fans of extreme types of recreation can also make a rope descent, which has 7 difficulty levels.
In addition, there are golf courses, cartodromes, shooting ranges and the most modern cinemas on Samui. You can also take a trip to the nature park or the butterfly garden. It is noteworthy that to visit these places it is not necessary to pay for the tour, you can independently get to the place of interest and enjoy the amazing beauty of nature.
Most of the island's entertainment spots are described in detail on maps and booklets, which can also be found in Russian.
There is also a safari park, an aquarium and a tiger zoo, which are open to all comers every day.
In addition, most vacationers do not miss the opportunity to try the world famous Thai massage and spa treatments, which are presented in large numbers here.
Thus, on Samui you can find entertainment suitable for any age and physical activity.
Children's rest on Samui
Many parents are faced with the problem of choosing a vacation destination with children, because not all resorts take into account the specifics of age. From this point of view, Samui is an ideal choice. Beautiful beaches with soft sand, dazzling sun, a sea of fruits and friendly Thais - all this will be only for the joy of the child. At the same time, the level of tourism allows you to minimize all the inconveniences that may occur during the holidays. In addition, a safari park, a zoo and animal shows will not leave indifferent any child.
If we are talking about a few months of rest, then on the island there are several international schools that will allow the child to keep up with the school curriculum. Among other things, this is a great way to pull up the English language.
Honeymoon on Samui
For loving young people who have just tied the knot, Samui will be the best place for a honeymoon. The silence and tranquility of this paradise will not prevent the newlyweds from enjoying each other’s company, and the hotels offer special rooms for the bride and groom. The white sand of the beaches, the unspoiled beauty of nature and the measured sound of waves - all this will give young people the opportunity to feel the depth of their feelings. And the photos taken on this beautiful island will preserve the memory of the most wonderful days of the beginning of family life.
Sights of Samui
The main attraction of the island is the beautiful beaches, which are its main attraction. However, not everyone wants to just rest on the seashore. And for those who want to diversify their vacation and get fresh impressions, all conditions are created here.
The most famous attraction of the island is Angthong Marine Park, which consists of 42 uninhabited islands. This is a great place to go diving, snorkeling or just enjoy the beauty of the wild in its original form.
Like the rest of Thailand, Samui is rich in all kinds of temples. Some of them are known only to local residents and are not visited by tourists, while others are included in various excursion programs. Most of them are Buddhist temples, but there are several mosques and one Orthodox church on the island.
The next attraction of the island, interesting for tourists is its beautiful waterfalls. The most famous of them is Na Mueang1, which is also known as Purple Falls. Access to it by transport can be very close, which is very convenient, given the presence of a small pool in which you can swim. This waterfall is of particular importance to local residents, as members of the royal family have repeatedly come there to bathe.
Also sights of Samui, which are known far beyond the island - these are two rocks called Grandparents. They are famous all over the world and annually attract many tourists to the island.
The undoubted attraction of Koh Samui is the Secret Garden of the Buddha, which has several other names: Magic Garden, Tarnim Falls and Heavenly Garden. This is not a traditional garden with trees and flowers. It is completely made of stone, and the exhibits are statues of Buddha, other deities, animals and even a stone house. The secret garden was completely created by Thai farmer Nim Thongsuk, who wanted to share the tranquility of this place with others.
The cultural center of Samui, which is located far from the main tourist places, is rarely visited by guests of the island. Therefore, deciding to go there, one can hope for a calm and peaceful contemplation of unusual statues and a beautiful stream flowing between them.
Excursions on Koh Samui
Due to the fact that tours to Samui, usually, already include an excursion program, tourists will find a very eventful vacation. Tours are quite diverse, so everyone can choose a program that is suitable for him personally. During a Thai vacation, you can explore the sights of the island, visit national parks, watch various shows with animals, go fishing in the open ocean or simply enjoy the beauty of the waves by taking a boat trip. Also excursions to Koh Samui include trips to the neighboring island of Tao, which is also called the tortoise island. This is a very popular place for diving, which is an independent resort.
Also popular is Angthong Marine Park, which occupies 250 square kilometers.
All these attractions can be seen on their own, but it is both more difficult and more expensive. Therefore, choosing an excursion program, you should pay attention to the list of places to visit and choose the most interesting for yourself.
Weather on the island
There are only two seasons on Samui - dry, from January to April, and the rainy season - from May to December. However, unlike the rest of the islands of Thailand, the rains here are very short, and due to their location in the bay, tsunamis are dangerous, which are dangerous for the rest of the state. In addition, only two months the rainfall is much higher than normal - this is May and June. Therefore, the weather on Koh Samui relatively soft and not subject to large differences. All this contributes to the fact that the flow of tourists on the island does not stop all year round.
The best time to relax on Koh Samui
Today tours on Samui are some of the most popular. Due to its weather conditions, the island offers an excellent holiday all year round. Therefore, regardless of what month the vacation fell, you can safely go there. However, if there is a choice, then, of course, it is better to choose a dry season, which begins in January and lasts until the end of April. At this time, the amount of precipitation is minimal, which, of course, is better for a full beach holiday.
Thus, Samui in January is an ideal place to relax.
Reviews of tourists about the rest on Samui
It is difficult to find a person who would be dissatisfied with the time spent on this beautiful island. The pristine beauty of nature is combined with developed infrastructure in this paradise. High quality service, beautiful beaches, a variety of entertainment - all this offers its guests Samui, reviews of which are mostly enthusiastic.
Koh Samui will be a great choice for a holiday, both family and friends. Tours to the island can be purchased both at budget prices and luxury. It all depends on opportunities, desires and plans.