Island life, the good and the bad. (Koh Samui, Thailand, Sept. 28-Oct.1)

Koh Samui, though beautiful in its own way, is hardly a fair representation of island life in Thailand. It is really package tour hell, though fortunately this hell is largely confined to to ‘cities’ on the island. Nonetheless, the consequence has been a money-making fever that has clearly swept the entire island, to varying degrees. Life does not have nearly the same relaxed pace that one meets on Koh Phangnan and Koh Tao.

But for what Koh Samui is, which is a place that has everything - shops, beaches, nightlife, variety and a fair bit of interesting nature to explore - it is a pretty fantastic place to spend a week, certainly. It is not everywhere once finds bananas growing just outside your bungalow window, elephants walking along the road, fantastic waterfalls, waterfalls of all sizes, and all the European gossip a person could ask for.


right outside the window

I forgot the peanuts...

look at me, look at me...

Oh, hello there...

Never was I asked (repeatedly), if I wanted a new suit, or if Elisabeth wanted a new neckless (while lying on the beach), or went by in a boat with loudspeakers blaring an endlessly repeating advertisement for the evenings Thai boxing match, and so on, on these islands, as was the case on Koh Samui.

The biggest disappointment on Koh Samui is probably the water and beaches, which simply don't come remotely close to Koh Phangnan or Koh Tao (which I will get to in the next entry), and for that matter the various Malaysian Islands that we visited.

To visit Koh Samui is worthwhile without a question, but miss the chance to to hop on a ferry over to Koh Phangnan or Koh Tao for a few days as well is certainly a shame, in my mind. In truth, it all depends on precisely what your definition of paradise involves - something that is quite different for everyone.

In that sense, I think it is best when travelling, to try not to imagine to precisely what your ideal spot would be for each new place you turn up at. This can easily lead to disappointment, and worse, missing out on the charms of what is on offer as you seek in frustration for that which you are envisioning. Judging from our experiences on this trip, the local charms, though varying, are rather significant. So I think it’s best to simply size up your surroundings once you arrive, do a bit of exploration, and try to figure out what is special or compelling about each place. There inevitably is stuff.



...0r Big Budda will not be kind to you