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Published: January 29th 2013
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Approaching Samui
I had a feeling this was going to be good... Moving off from Nakhon Sri, and onto what ought to be the highlight of this leg of my Thai escapade - the beautiful Gulf island of Koh Samui. I'd first heard about this place over 10 years ago, when a good friend of mine raved about it after having been there for a holiday with his navy chums. He described the island as Paradise on earth, so needless to say, after over a decade of anticipation, my expectations were high. And I'm glad to report that, while Paradise is a strong word to use, Samui ultimately didn't disappoint.
Staying at the busy Chaweng area at the Kluaymay Guesthouse, my first impressions of the beach itself were inevitably in comparison to that of the other beach resort I'd just came from, namely Cenang in Langkawi. In that respect, I have to admit I thought Cenang was better. While certainly very decent in its own right, Chaweng Beach was a tad dirty, not quite as wide, and inclined almost uncomfortably. And the waves there were also pretty harsh at my time of visit. So I wondered what all the fuss about Samui was about.
And then I found out. Scooting around
the island the next day, I began to understand why the first tourists who first stepped foot here back in the 70s must have returned to their homelands goggle-eyed and awe-struck. The natural beauty of the island remains breath-taking, even after the ensuing decades of mass tourism and rapid development. Endless coconut trees (Samui's traditional name is Coconut Island) continue to line white, sandy beaches, protecting perfect inland peaks, traced by dozens of waterfalls. And even though these days you're almost perpetually within sight of yet another shirt-less farang tourist, its still so easy to be lost in the magic...
And Samui has the added advantage of its nearby sister islands, Koh Pha-ngaan and Koh Tao, one famous for its legendary Full Moon Party (FMP), the other for being a truly world-class diving destination. I hadn't intentionally scheduled it, but it turned out my originally-planned duration of stay here in Samui would have seen me depart on the day of the FMP this month. So I thought to myself, that would've been a pity. I'd already come this far, surely I could extend my stay just another night to check out this much-storied monthly party? Plus, it would have
Full Moon on Koh Phangan
This can only mean one thing...Ah wooooooo! been the eve of my birthday, so I could scarcely have imagined a better way to usher in my 3Xth year, than boozing out on the beach at night with tens of thousands of other revellers.
And so I did! And putting aside all the distracting talk about the crowds, trashy louts, inflated prices, crime and occasional deaths (drownings & shootings!), I can attest that, given the setting, its romantic historical origin, and overall vibe, the FMP is a truly iconic party event, and certainly one of the most memorable and impressive that I've ever attended. Certainly a must for all Southeast Asia backpackers!
Alas I have to end this entry on a more somber note, because there is an elephant in the room in my mind whenever Samui is mentioned. With regards to that friend I mentioned in the beginning, it tragically turned out that Samui was to be his last holiday. Soon after his return home, he lost his life in a freak naval training accident. He was barely twenty. So it was hard not to be conflicted by the beauty of the environs, and the jarring memory of a good friend's young life abruptly cut
short, yet another reminder of the humbling fragility of life...
RIP, DL.
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