Koh Samui

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After 2 very hot and sweaty weeks in the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai we thought it was about time we put our pasty little white boddies on the beach to tan in Koh Samui. After a quick flight from Chiang Mai we landed at Samui airport (where they have the cleanest toilets Ive ever seen) we checked into a hotel at the southern end of Chaweng beach.

Chaweng beach is the main hip and happening resort on the island, and has a touch of the Shaguluf/Benidorm about it, bit chavvy but good fun all the same. Our first hotel was reasonably nice, we had our own private beach and the room even had a partial sea view! Coming from Chiang Mai where our hotel didnt even have a window this was definately a step up! The only drag about it was that it was a good half an hour walk from the main bit so we decided to get something a bit closer to town. We ended up in an appropriately named Chaweng Centre Budget Hotel but I must say the place was spotless. The women running the show were absolute bitches however, and made us feel a bit like Oliver asking for more everytime we wanted something.

We spent our time laying on the beach (or burning to a crisp in my case) and eating out in the evenings. The food was much better as there was plenty of choice and lucky for me most of it was western. One eveing we went to a bar on the beach called Ark Bar where every week they have a beach bbq. The set up was wooden beds on the beadch with little cushions and pillows so you can lay down. They boomed out funky house and we sat there all evening relaxing and had our first cocktail bucket experience here.

Another evening we went to the Samui Ice Bar, a bar made entirely out of ice, and lots of ice sculptures. The room is -7 degrees and they kit you out in a little fur lined cape and thermal gloves so you dont freeze to death. As many of you will know, I get incredibly hot and it was amuse you all to know even in the ice bar I was sweating like a beast!
We also went to a Space party, where the club Space in Ibiza puts on a little local night here in one of the bars. This was set up on the beach and the seating was arranged in beds so you could lay down whilst drinking cocktails listening to last years beefa choons.

Our main night out clubbing in Chaweng started with a 140 Baht (about 2pound50) bucket of vodka sprite and redbull. The vodka was so strong that it burned your nasal hair out if you smelt it! This got us going and we went on to a club. The club was massive had 2 rooms and was open air. It was packed full of rude aussies and vile middle aged men on the hunt for some Thai ladies, so we didnt manage to meet any other backpackers which was a bit of a shame as we were hoping to make some new friends. We were in the middle of discussing this when out of a huge crowd of people the butchest of bulldog dykes came and said hi to me! I wonder do I look really that gay?! Why do they never go up to Sophie?! Anyway she provided us much amusement, we had a great night and even stopped off on the way to the hotel to get a greasy burger before bed.

The next day we left the charms of Chaweng and headed to the north of the island to the more sedate resort of Bophut. Our hotel was lovely although slightly pricey and was on the beach with 3 small swimming pools. The hotel was quiet and we managed to have a couple of afternoons swimming in the pool by ourselves. Soph would try and teach me to swim and I got to try out my new baby pink prescription goggles. I looked hot!

We had a couple of day trips from Bophut. One day we went to play football golf which was an 18 hole golf course that you played by kicking a football in the hole. (harder than it sounds, unless you have my beloved Beckhams pinpoint accuracy-neither of us did) Another day we went to visit the Big Buddha temple. We donated 50 Baht (about a quid) to a monk and he gave us special wristbands and we wrote our names on a tile which was going to be put somewhere. This apparently was going to bring our family good luck. He also gave us cold soymilk cartons to drink which Sophie tells me was rank.

In the evenings there was little to do, and the weather was a bit off so we stayed in bed a couple of evenings and watched movies. We were in Bophut for 4 nights and from here we were to get a ferry over to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party......

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