Till recently, Samui island was a preferred destination for those looking for fun in the sun. Seaside bungalows could be hired for as little as 150 baht a night, and it was possible for to spend days on the beach in total peace. These tourists found the carefree and peaceful existence on the island too attractive that they decided to stay there.
But today the Samui Island has undergone rapid change. But it has still managed to retain its sleepy charm and continues to be a tropical paradise. Today luxury Samui villas have sprung up across the island, which has seen lots of development and infrastructure.
However, large portion of Samui Island, particularly south coast, is still undeveloped. You can enjoy a day exploring this green region. Its amazing and varied flora and cozy little neighborhoods, inhabited by the world’s friendliest people, is sure to make oyur holiday unforgettable.
You can reach Samui Island by short, direct flights , Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. You can also opt to travel by train, bus and boat.
Lazing on one of the island’s lovely beaches is a must-do activity. You can also decide to swim or go boating in the warm tropical waters. But you can do many other activities as well. Snorkeling is one of the most popular activities. Snorkellers can go along with their diving cohorts on scuba dive trips, go on a trip organized for snorkellers, a tourto one of the various adjacent islands organized by local fishermen, or simply snorkel from the beaches and rock structures scattered throughout the island.
You can hire Windsurfing apparatus from numerous sport centers that have sprung up on the island. Lessons are conducted for novice adults and kids. Rates start from 300 baht/hour for hiring the apparatus and 500 baht/hour for personalized lesson along with the apparatus. The conditions are ideal for windsurfing with good offshore winds all around the year.
Scuba Diving is also very trendy and the Gulf of Thailand is littered with a wide variety of dive sites, appropriate for all categories of divers. So whether you are a novice or experienced, there is a lot for you to choose from.
One of the best things about Samui is that you can still halt at a street cart for a 30 baht plate of Pad Thai or Fried Rice, while very close by a luxurious restaurant is aailable on the beach. There are all options available here, including many Thai vegetarian restaurants.
In the recent past, an international group of entrepreneur restaurateurs have introduced in Samui the dishes of Japan, Italy, Germany, India, Brazilian, Switzerland, France, Sweden and Mexico. Good Western cuisine is now available in nearly each village on the island. Besides there are great bakeries, ice cream parlours, McDonalds in Chaweng and Lamai and other famous pizza outlets.
If you decide to stay long enough and once your digestive system gets accustomed, you can dine at one of the open-air evening markets frequented by natives. Here there are few of Samui’s most genuine (and hot!) Thai food. The seating arrangements can be rough, the air full of the sound of locals unwinding after work with Karaoke, but the food is hot, delectable and economical.