Life on Ko Samui, an island off the
south-eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand,
focuses on three things: sea, beach and good
food. And that is all you need here, believe
me! Clear blue waters and
palm trees abound, lush vegetation caresses your
eye just as the sun does the same to the untanned
farang skin (beware of sunburn, as witnessed by Daria Mehra),
and even the airport could be mistaken for a
beach discotheque. This place is meant for indulgence
and relaxation. Yes, you can hire a kayak for a paddle along
the shore or out to nearby small islands, or
take a ride to another beach to check out things
there, maybe take a look at Grandma and Grampa rocks down at
Hat Lamai, get a Thai massage, do some
souvenier shopping... but
why?
All
you
need
is 50 steps away from the bungalow door: sun, beach and the sea. Chaweng beach,
where we stayed, also has some decent nightlife
and good food selection.
For the restless souls who will, after a day or two of sybarite lifestyle, need to get farther away than the afore-mentioned 50 steps, there are other choices. The one we made was a day trip to Angthong Marine National Park, a group of islands with coral reefs in-between that provides wonderful opportunities for snorkelling and kayaking (swimming and sunbathing as well, but that you could do next to the bungalow more easily). Getting to the islands involves a 1.5-hour ride by speedboat, a bore under the best circumstances (due to its high velocity, the boat bounces enough even on the calmest sea surface to make reading impossible, and there's nothing to see other than water) and a neck-breaking nightmare in rough sea. Every little wave feels like a giant pothole in the road traversed by a motorbike, so you fly off the hard-padded seat and land back onto it with a slam three times a minute. Two plus hours of whack-and-bang (slower than planned due to the wind), and we swore off taking speedboats anywhere, ever again. The alternative exists, it's a so-called "big boat" that goes somewhat slower but is a lot more comfortable and has a toilet.
Having
survived our first and, I hope,
only speedboat ride, we got an opportunity to
snorkel around nice coral reefs. Since the reefs
were not next to any beach, we descended into
sea, armed with masks and snorkels, right off
the boat, and climbed back on upon hearing the
horn half an hour later. At least, I climbed
back on... Puneet found himself
carried off by a strong current which prevented him from reaching
the boat without assistance from
one of the boatsmen. This experience
taught us the importance of using
fins when snorkelling (they help
you swim faster with less effort)
and wearing a lifejacket, unless
you are sure of your swimming
abilities. It also helps to practice
your snorkelling skills in a
less challenging environment
first, and only then jump into
deep waters next to overhanging
rocks... Later kayaking time
was a lot more enjoyable to both
of us, since nobody got lost
or tired, we kept up with the
little caravan of kayaks led
by a guide, and in such a manner
went by lovely islands and between
impressive rocks. Other highlights
of the trip included climbing
up steep wooden stairs and
through tight openings between
rocks to get a view of an
inland sea outlet, a salty lake
of an almost unnaturally beautiful
greenish color. On that climb
I was the misadventurous one:
I dropped a slipper off my foot,
it fell through the gaps in the
staircase and would have been
lost for good if not for the
foolish gallantry of another
tourist who reached for my slipper
while almost losing his own
balance, and successfully
retrieved it. Fun times? Yes
indeed, but not an easy trip
altogether; we slept like logs
that night in our bungalow, and
couldn't care less about Chaweng
nightlife or the beach 50
feet away.
Above: the airport and Chaweng Beach area. Below: the trip to Angthong Marine Park.
