Koh Samui

INTRO
Saboey: this is the Chinese expression for "safe haven", which was, presumabely, how Chinese people used to call the present Island of Koh Samui. True or not, the island is a safe refuge, indeed, where one can hide from the hectic pace of the 21st century everyday life and experience a relaxing time among azure waters, sunny beaches and exotic Thai culture.

City Profile
City: Koh Samui
Country: Thailand
Area: 228.7 km2
Population: 47,874
Sub-districts: 7
Governor: Vinyu Tongsakul
Language: Thai
Rating: #1 / 126 at Asian-Cities

LOCATION
Located on the Gulf of Thailand and surrounded by over sixty other small islands, Koh Samui is the ideal escape-from-reality place that is not as pretentious as other five star resorts but is still a charming vacation spot. Situated 700km south of Bangkok in the Surat Thani Province and supplied with its own airport, Koh Samui is easily reachable from Bangkok, Singapore and other destinations in Southeastern Asia.

TIME TO VISIT
Koh Samui has a tropical climate, which makes it humid and pleasantly warm throughout the whole year. There are three seasonal patterns: the warm season from February till May, the rainy season from the end of September till November and the cool season between October and January. The temperatures from February till October vary between 32 and 38 degrees Celsius so the recommended time to visit the island is from December till June. Thus, you can escape both the rainy season and the high temperatures of the local summer.

POPULATION
Although the official Koh Samui population is around 45,000 people, mainly fishermen and coconut farmers, tour operators and their staff, it is possible that it reaches 5,000,000 because of the flow of tourists during the peak season. Chinese settlers and a minority of Muslims are also a part of the local community. The local people speak Thai but since tourism is deeply incorporated into their everyday life, most of them understand and use English.

BEACHES
The island of Samui is an administrative district of Surat Thani Province and is just as well administratively divided into seven sub-districts, called tambons. Apart from this division, each of the Samui's major beaches is now considered a separate town because of their many hotels, restaurants and shops. The real town on the island, however, is Nathon, which is the old capital, the seat of the regional government and the commercial hub of the locals. Here are some the primary beaches on the island:

Chaweng is in the north-west of Samui and is one of the best beaches, providing various accommodation options, from a simple bungalow to five star hotel rooms. It has become a crowded international resort area supplied with many restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.
Lamai is in the south east part of Samui and is the second crowded resort area ao the island. The town attracts many visitors not only because of its fine beach but also because of the lading boxing and original spas that are found here.
Menam is another spectacular place on the north of the island that enjoys glamorous view of the National Park to the east and Koh Phangan to the north. It is the home of the premier hotel on the island that lures visitors for its luxury and nearby golf course, which is the only one in Samui.
Bophut is just east of Maenam and is famous for its relaxed and more traditional atmosphere. It is known as the Fisherman's Village and is popular for its fine European restaurants and French cafes, as well as some other Thai seafood grill restaurants, which makes it very family friendly region.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Along with the typical leisure activities of a resort island, Koh Samui has several extravagant ones that add to its charm. Here are several suggestions:

Big Buddha Statue is a twelve metre high statue of Buddha that was first built in 1972 on top of ceremonial dragon stairs. It is situated on a small island that is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The statue is an important part of the religious life and a symbol of Buddhism for the local Thai people.
The Grandmother and Grandmother Stones, or Hin Ta and Hin Ya, are huge stones situated on the south end of Lamai. The rocks are a main attraction and an understandable source of amusement, or maybe even embarrassment, for the tourists because of the stones' strange shape, strikingly reminding of the male and female genital organs. Many local stories and superstitions originate from this natural composition in attempt to explain its purpose.
Na Muang Waterfalls is located about 10km south of Nathon. It is a 10m high waterfall situated in the mountain jungle, which is a home of legendary gardens built by a Samuian farmer. The mountain reveals impressive views over the Ang Thong archipelago and is worth the trip if you wish for a relaxing walk surrounded by nature.
Ang Thong National Marine Park is a marine park in the Gulf of Thailand that comprises 42 islands. The national park has many excellent scuba diving sites and many tourists take one day tours around this natural marvel.
Thai boxing takes place at the two stadiums on the island, one in Lamai and the other in Chaweng. There is one smaller ring in Lamai's bar area in the middle of the Beach Road where you can see the so called lady boxing for free.
Ko Pha Ngan is an island on the Gulf of Thailand that is famous for the fool-moon party that takes place there every month at full moon. Many locals and foreigners get together on the island and spend the whole night there dancing and drinking on the beach.

AIRPORT
Koh Samui Island is easily reachable from Bangkok, Singapore and other smaller cities in Thailand through its private airport.

Ko Samui Airport is a private airport that is situated on 20 minutes drive from Chaweng. There are daily flights from Bangkok, Phuket, U-Tapao and Singapore. Transportation from the airport to Chaweng is secured by either a minibus or a taxi. The price for the minibus ride is 100 baht per person, while the taxi is between 150-300 baht. Make sure to negotiate the taxi prices before getting in because most drivers refuse to use the meters.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Transportation in Koh Samui is most commonly through motorcycles but there are other options as well:

Bicycles are available for rent. The prices are reasonably low.
Motorbikes are the most common means of transport on the island. Fares: from 120 baht per day and up.
Pickup taxis (songtaew) are another option of going around. Prices usually vary between 20-50 baht and go up at night after 6 p.m.
Taxis are convenient but most drivers refuse to use the meters. You need to negotiate the price in advance: prices usually start from 100 baht.
Cars or jeeps can also be rented for about 800 baht per day.

HISTORY
The settlement history of Koh Samui dates from 1500 years when it used to be a small self-sufficient fishing village. The island can be found on the old Chinese maps during the Ming Dynasty under the name Pulo Cornam. It is suggested that the present name of the island comes from the Chinese word Saboey, meaning "safe haven" since during those time many fishermen from Southern China inhabited the area. Today, tourism and export of coconut and rubber are the main living sources for the locals.

CITY LINKS

Samui Community, A Daily Newspaper in English: http://www.samuicommunity.com/
Interesting Places in Samui: http://samui.sawadee.com/attractions/
Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Koh_Samui
Tourist Authority of Thailand: http://www.tourismthailand.org/