Around the World: Koh Samui

Koh Samui was a gift to our family. We had been traveling from one place to another every three to five days and though we are grateful for it all, it had taken some toll after over 80 days of travel with a toddler and four year old. A beautiful beach, a pool, kids club and a gorgeous spacious villa was heaven for us. Hooray for two bedrooms!

The kids room in our Villa

Our private pool

James feeling at home in the Villa

The Four Seasons has a reputation for providing excellent service and they did not disappoint. We were well looked after and always with a glowing Thai smile. Given the beauty of the resort and all that it offers, we hardly left. We spent our days relaxing and enjoying the many amenities and activities that they provide.

We loved that kid’s meals for those under 5 years old is complimentary in the restaurants. We also loved that breakfast can be served in the privacy of your villa at no extra charge. However, we hardly took advantage of this as both the buffet and the views were impressive at the KOH restaurant.

Our favorite option for dinner was to have the Peruvian inspired cuisine at the Coco Rum Bar by the pool. We loved the large comfortable chairs and relaxed vibe. The food was delicious as well! We highly recommend the Original Peruvian Ceviche and their Mai Tai.

The gym at the resort offers all you need to keep fit. We were thrilled to have some time to keep in shape. One morning I also took advantage of the complimentary yoga class overlooking the water from high above. The class was fantastic and something highly recommended to combat the negative effects of travel on your body.

Yoga Pavilion

James had a great time at the kid’s club. They had activities on the hour and a slide into plastic balls. It was the favorite with our kids. Children from age 4 years and up are allowed and for those who are younger, you can hire a babysitter which is what we did a few times.

One afternoon John and I took part in a talk about Coral Reefs with the resort’s Marine Biologist. We certainly learned some new things such as the fact that corals are animals and not plants. After the talk we headed out on kayaks to visit the coral reef and spend some time in the water. 

The kids loved the slide in the Kids Club

On our last day we hired a car to take us on a drive to Rock Beach. While we were in Indonesia we had come across an organization called Trash Hero and upon finding out that they operate in Koh Samui, we decided we would take part. They meet every Sunday on various beaches to clean up trash that can accumulate. The mission of the organization is honorable in that they desire to reduce and clean waste. We have been greatly impacted by the trash that we have seen in the waters during our travels. We know we need to make some changes and in addition to making some small lifestyle changes such as reducing our plastic use, volunteering with an organization seemed like a great fit. We have to say that the trash we saw and experienced on the beaches of Koh Samui was less than what we saw elsewhere. 

After our time helping with the beach clean-up, we ventured to the largest and most lively town on Koh Samui, Chaweng.  It was busy with many shops, bars and restaurants. It seemed as though every few minutes a truck or two would drive up the main street promoting Muay Thai fights with giant posters and speakers announcing the time and location. It was clear that this is a main attraction along with clubs and bars at night. It was not our favorite town as it was mainly touristic, but it was good to experience once at least and to have some delicious and inexpensive Thai food for dinner. We were also able to pick up some needed items such as nappies and snacks at the large mall and super market filled with every convenience we needed.

Koh Samui, referred to as Samui by locals as Koh simply means island, is the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket. The resorts are located at various points along the many beaches. In addition, there are hundreds of villas you can rent. I spent an afternoon touring a few of them in order to be able to recommend the right ones for clients. For a relaxing get away with friends, family or loved ones, it is a good choice.

It is easy to see why Chiang Mai and Koh Samui are often paired together as one provides for a more cultural experience while the other beautiful beaches and relaxation. If traveling to Samui, I would certainly recommend doing so. Other combinations that work well are Chiang Rai for the tented camps and Vietnam or Laos. It all depends on your time, style, budget and purpose.

Kayaks and SUPs on the Beach

TIPS FOR TRAVEL:

1.     Expect to be amongst many tourists in Koh Samui as it is growing in popularity. 

2.     A fun way to give back is with the annual Samui Midnight run.

3.     Island hopping by boat is a fun way to get out on the water and visit some of the smaller islands nearby such as Koh Wua Talap, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

4.     Pamper yourself with a Thai herbal compress massage. The use of herbal heated compresses is a traditional Thai method dating back many years.

5.     Koh Samui is known to have some of the best coconuts in the world. We were not disappointed with our fresh coconut drinks.