Koh Samui

I’ve headed south of Koh Phangan to the island of Koh Samui. With Phuket being the largest and most famous, Samui comes second in the rankings in terms and size as well as popularity. Koh Samui is a beautiful island with some great lookout points.

 

My plan was to stay here for about a week before heading to my final destination, Bangkok. I checked into The New Leaf Resort, which had their own swimming pool, but I didn’t have the luxury of the private beach like I did in Koh Phangan.

However, my plans soon changed. After about 4 days in Samui I was ready to leave. I think it was a combination of having done everything I’ve wanted to do and I was ready to come back home. Also Samui is very different to most places I have been to so far. The number of backpackers was very limited, it seemed like families and couples were on the island. Basically those that have come on a 2 week holiday. So it was very hard to actually meet people. Secondly and most probably the worst thing about the island is there seemed to be loads of 60 year old men out here with these young Thai girls, not a great sight.

Everywhere you go there are these Thai massage parlours where the locals would hassle you for a massage or the tailor shops where these Indians where try and start a conversation in an attempt to sell you a suit. Being Indian myself I seemed to attract these tailors, and they would always try and start a conversation, like they wanted to be my best friend. However, when I told them I was from London, they would respond back with the comment “Lovely Jubbly”. So, during the day I would be hassled for a massage or a suit, and in the evening I would be approach by these young Thai girls, or maybe even ladyboys trying to drag my into their bar and buy them drinks. I think my time in Samui would have been a lot more enjoyable if I was with a friend or someone I knew. In any case I was ready to leave and spend the remaining 10 days in Bangkok, just chilling out and shopping!!

Koh Samui became the popular island it has become by being the backdrop to the Leonardo Di Caprio film, The Beach. So, Leonardo and myself have a couple of things in common, the looks obviously and we have both set foot on the “perfect island”. The locals refer to Samui as the perfect island, I’m not sure what’s so perfect about the island, maybe if I was to come back when 60yrs old then it maybe the “perfect island”.

Next and final stop Bangkok.