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Koh Samui

KOH SAMUI HOTELS

KOH PHANGAN, KOH TAO HOTELS

KOH SAMUI TOURS

 

   Ko Samui (เกาะสมุย), often called just Samui (สมุย) is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, some 700km south of Bangkok and about 80km from the eastern coastline of Southern Thailand. An island of great natural beauty and variety, Samui is home to about 40,000 full-time inhabitants, 90% of whom are Buddhist. The palm fringed shoreline and coconut and fruit cultivation of the coastal lowlands rise to a central granite massive, the slopes of which are cloaked in virgin rainforest. At 247km² Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and the largest island in an archipelago of over 80 (mostly uninhabited) islands which form the Ang Thong National Marine Park, a kayaking and snorkeling paradise. At 25km long and 21km wide, Samui is big enough for serious exploration by the adventurous and fit, but can be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car. The island was probably first inhabited about 15 centuries ago, settled by fishermen from the Malay Peninsula and Southern China. It appears on Chinese maps dating back to 1687, under the name Pulo Cornam. The name Samui is mysterious in itself. Perhaps it is an extension of the name of one of the native trees, mui, or it is a corruption of the Chinese word Saboey, meaning "safe haven". Until the late 20th century, Samui was an isolated self-sufficient community, having little connection with the mainland of Thailand. The island was even without roads until the early 1970s, and the 15km journey from one side of the island to the other involved a whole-day trek through the mountainous central jungles. In the early 1970s the first backpackers traveling on the back of a coconut boat arrived on Ko Samui. For years after that the island just had a few bungalows and a trickle of travelers. Things started to change in the early 1990s when tourists started arriving in full boats and since then the place grew substantially. Samui is now the second most popular place as an island destination in Thailand (first is Phuket). Ko Samui may not be the country’s most beautiful island but it is still an oasis of natural beauty with its white sandy beaches, dazzling coral, luscious lagoons, picturesque waterfalls, swaying coconut trees and crystal clear water. The water at Bophut beach, though, is often murky, especially around December. Unfortunately, development on Ko Samui is starting to take its toll and the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai are overcrowded in the high season.

KOH PHANGAN

   Ko Pha Ngan (เกาะพะง้น, pronounced KOH pa-nGan with G as in mango) is an island off the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand, halfway between the islands of Ko Samui and Ko Tao. It is known as a land of coconut trees and, above all, the world (in)famous full moon parties. The best time to visit island and also high season is during December-March when the water is high, clean, and good for swimming. It's also not rainy and temperatures are pleasant. Another high season time is during July/August after dry season when water is raising. The worst time where you should avoid visiting island is during dry season April-June which makes all of the best beaches on the northwest coast (Mae Haad, Haad Yao, Chaloklum, Haad Khom) useless for swimming due to shallow water. Swimming in this season is possible only in north coast on beautiful Bottle beach and on dirtier less accessible east coast (Thong Nai Pan, Haad Sadet, Haad Rin), where only beach with good access/road and swimming possibilities is Haad Rin, which is not in low season so crowded. South coast should be avoided during all year because of bad water and sand. 

KOH TAO

    Ko Tao, literally Turtle Island, is an island at the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand. Historically, Ko Tao was once a detention place for political prisoners similar to Ko Tarutao of Satun Province, but today it is a great place for divers or anybody who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of Ko Samui and want more than the Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan. The island is geared towards diving tourists more than backpackers on a budget. You won't find cheap food stalls here. Ko Tao is a great place to learn how to dive. There are hardly any currents and a wide selection of dive sites and dive shops, schools and resorts. Activity options are growing outside of diving and the food and nightlife options are some of the best in the Gulf of Thailand. Ko Tao is a small island of approximately 21² km and receives over a 100,000 visitors per year. To minimize your impact on the eco-system, notice that there are no garbage disposal facilities, so everything that can't be burned has to be taken away. Try to avoid plastic bags that are given out for every purchase you make. There is also no department to clean the roads or other public areas, so don't dump your waste on the open landscape. Water is scarce and electricity expensive, so don't waste them. Peak seasons in Ko Tao are from December to March and July to August. It is a quite popular destination amongst Thais also, so it can be nearly fully booked on Thai holidays.

 

KOH SAMUI & KOH PHANGAN & KOH TAO MAP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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