Koh Samui - Thailand

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Here it is....the last entry from our trip back from London to Oz in March/April. Ko Samui in Thailand proved an amazing end to our travels.

Tuesday 10th April
On the plane to Thailand we were casually reading the local tourist magazine and discovered that we were going to be in Koh Samui for the Thai New Year - Songkran. The Songkran Festival was due to start on the 13th April and last for 3 days. The article described the celebration as a massive water fight….which had some historical significance. We were looking forward to the festivities, not knowing exactly what we were in for.

We arrived at the airport which was basically a group of thatched bungalos …very unique....and caught a taxi to our hotel on the main tourist strip - Montein House. We checked into our room which seemed like 6 star accomodation after backpacking through India and Nepal. After a walk along the beach retired for the day, exhausted after our travels.

Wednesday 11th April
We rose to a buffet breakfast served at the beachfront restaurant at our resort - a routine we got used to for the next week! We eagerly went for our first swim and caught some sun. Before we new it it was lunch time which was a good excuse to sample our favourite Thai dish - Pad Thai. This was accompanied by banana smoothies. Along with cocktails, these dishes were to become our staple diet. For those that know Ko Samui, you know that the routine of eating, drinking, and lazing develops quickly! Sure enough, after an afternoon swim we headed to a bar for pre-dinner drinks. We enjoyed lovely dinner right on the beach and then chilled out at one of the on-beach clubs/bars pumping out some house tunes. Welcome to Koh Samui - a world away from the lifestyle we experienced in India and Nepal.
Of course one downside was the fact that our skin was not used to the sun! This was enhanced by the Malaria tablets we were taking (which make you even more sun sensitive), and hence we developed a nice warm 'glow' in the first couple of days.

Thursday 12th April
Following breaky on the beach we hired a 125cc scooter (which we kept for the week) to check out the rest of the island. Armed with our tourist map we circumnavigated the island over the course of the day, checking out a few temples, stopping for lunch at a gorgeous spa resort, and viewing the Golden Sitting Buddha. As we reached the tourist strip nearing our hotel people started throwing water at us which caught us by surprise! SONGKRAN WAS HERE! It seemed that the locals were keen to start the party early since the festival officially didn't start until the next day. It was a real eye-opener with every man, woman and child for themselves! No one was safe or immune!!! We decided to park our scooter after getting pummelled by dangerous amounts of water - buckets, hoses and water pistols - which was making it difficult to ride safely. We were soaked, but it was all in good fun and pretty soon we started thinking about seeking revenge. We purchased some decent sized water pistols and joined in on the unbelievable shenanigans that were taking place. The locals and tourists were all in on the fun and there wasn’t a dry piece of clothing in the town. Everyone lined the street and destroyed anyone who drove or rode past, including a band in the back of a ute on their way to play at a hotel. Obviously the water throwing was non-discriminatory, but the most satisfying was drenching someone with dry clothing, particularly other tourists who had no idea what was happening! We spent a few hours playing with the locals then went for drinks and dinner on the beach.

Friday 13th April
After a morning swim we joined in the caos that had was Songkran. The water fight had escalated from the previous day and it was a free-for-all! It was also great fun. Because the weather was so warm it didn’t matter that you were drenched all day. However we did manage to source some iced water, which made things a little more interesting!!

We had a break from the water and went for an hour long Thai massage. After a nice relaxing experience we joined back into the water fighting on our way to lunch (you actually couldn't avoid being involved - as soon as you walked into the street you were attacked!!). After lunch…you guessed it, more water. The water fight had now turned into a bit more of a party, with clubs blaring their sound systems, people dancing and drinking in the street, not to mention the multitude of lady-boys prancing around and dancing in the back of utes. By the end of the day we were like prunes and exhausted. Naturally it was time for a relaxing dinner on the beach. Certainly a day that we'll remember for a long time!

Saturday 14th April
After our morning swim it was time to check out some local lookouts and do some more exploring. We set out on the trusty scooter, however in a bid to get to higher ground we discovered that our little 125 scooter was starting to struggle up the steeper hills (maybe it was all that eating!) This happened on a few occassions, so we developed a game plan: when the bike started to slow down and was almost completely stationary Rach would hop off the back! The scooter (and Justin) would continue on, with Rach walking up behind!! Needless to say we didn’t visit many lookouts :-) . We returned to town and did a spot of shopping, had another swim then went for dinner at the most amazing restaurant - called the Cliff. Unfortunately the food and service were average, but the views over a beautiful bay were spectacular.

Sunday 15th April
We booked a sea kayaking tour today in the Marine Park - Angthong - made famous by the book “The Beach” by A. Garland. Angthong is a 110 square metre collection of protected islands about 2 hours boat ride from Ko Samui. We had breakfast on the boat and enjoyed the ride before reaching our first stop - Koh Thai Plao. We took the tandem kayaks out for a spin, exploring the caves and bazaar rock formations around the small island. We followed our guide as he ducked through small openings in the rock face, only to open up into large lagoons surrounded and protected by huge rocks. We enjoyed some snorkeling and swimming before having lunch on the boat. We then headed to an island that houses the “Green Lagoon”. We kayaked to the island and walked up a short trail through dense rainforest towards the centre of the island. As you get deeper inland it opens up to this gorgeous, picturesque emerald salt water lagoon. After some photos we headed back to the beach and went for a swim before kayaking to Koh Mae Koh. We kayaked under massive rock overhangs and through caves and passages before heading back to the boat. Then sadly it was time to head back to Koh Samui. This kayak trip was definitely a highlight and we would highly recommend it to anyone (Blue Star Kayaking).

Monday 16th April
Today we went swimming (for a change!) and shopping before attending our Thai Cooking Course! We had booked a lunchtime course primarily because Pad Thai was on the menu. The course also turned out to be one of the highlights of our time on Koh Samui. If you get a chance DEFINITELY do it. Kim (a lovely little Thai woman with a sense of humour) was our head chef. We cooked up a 3 course lunch starting with Tom Yum Koong (Spicy prawn soup), followed by Pad Thai and finally a red curry with chicken and potatoes. We even made our own red curry paste…but don’t believe Kim when she says its not hot. The course ran from 11 - 3 and everything was provided from aprons, utencils, individual wok burners, ingredients, cookbooks and technique tips. It cost us 1,600BHT each (about $27 ea) and was worth every Bhat. After cooking our lunch it was then served to us in their own restaurant.
After our hard morning we relaxed with an oil massage (about $3 - $4). Then it was off to Central Samui Beach Resort to enjoy their half price cocktails by the beach. Rach hadn't had enough pampering, so she headed off for a pedicure while Justing had an evening swim.

Tuesday 17th April
Our last day before heading home and back to reality! We got up at 6am to see the magnificent sunrise in front of our resort. Being our last day, we decided to fit some important activities into the schedule - activities such as more manicures and massages! After some last minute present shopping, we boarded our flight to Bangkok, then onward to Sydney and Brisbane. We were sad to say good bye but we were also looking forward to seeing our friends and family back in Australia!

So there you have it! For those that don't know we are now living and working in Canberra, so if anyone happens to be in the neighbourhood then be sure to drop us a line.

And for those of you who have just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that will be the last blog from us, then think again!! We may not be jetsetting as much, but we still intend to use the blog to keep you updated on what we are up to!

Lots of love to you all where ever you are around the globe!
Keep in touch
Justin and Rach

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Comments

[Brooke]

Stunning
Ohhhhh, it looks so beautiful. I'm glad you got to go and chill out after all the other stuff you got up too. Hope Canberra is treating you well chickens. Love you to bits Chook

[hutch]

thailand rocks
great to see your adventures in thailand guys, i hit koh samui last year and did a dive course on an island just north of there..koh tao. i just booked flights to go back in late august just in time for the full moon party..haha your photos have inspired me cheers Hutch