Thailand, Koh Samui: attractions, holidays, reviews

Today, more and more people choose to rest as island states. One of the most popular destinations for travel is Thailand, Koh Samui. This island belongs to the second most popular place, after Phuket. Despite the tourist boom that hit the state in recent years, nature has been preserved almost in its original form.

Features of Koh Samui

Koh Samui is the third largest of all the islands of Thailand and the largest in the Champon archipelago, which includes more than 80 islands, mostly uninhabited.

The main feature of the island is that it offers for the most part a quiet beach holiday. Nightclubs, of course, work, but the parties that are held there, can not be attributed to too noisy. Due to the size of the island and the presence of a large number of beautiful beaches, you can find a quiet uninhabited place by the ocean, even at the height of the season. In addition, the weather on Koh Samui is not subject to strong swings, and due to the fact that the island is in the bay, it is not afraid of even a tsunami.

It is noteworthy that until the twentieth century, Koh Samui practically had no connections with the mainland, and there were not even roads there until the 1970s, when the first tourists landed on it. Until now, the island is not allowed to build hotels above the palms, so vacationers are mainly offered bungalows.

Samui Island Airport

Of course, the fastest and easiest way to get to the island is by air. At the same time Samui has its own airport, which can be safely attributed to the sights of the island. This beautiful airport is private, owned by the company "Bangkok Airlines". It carries out the majority of flights, although since 2008 the company "Thai Airlines" has started operating there .

Samui Airport makes an indelible impression on tourists. Immediately after the descent from the plane's ramp, there is an atmosphere of rest and celebration.

The passengers are greeted by a train with open trailers, which delivers them to the arrival hall. Although the hall to call this place can be very conditional, given that the buildings in the airport Samui almost without walls. Having received your luggage, visa and stamp in your passport, you need to exchange money and choose how to get to the hotel. Directly at the airport offer a transfer to hotels, individual or group. You can use the services of a taxi, however, if this is the first visit to the island, it will be quite difficult to understand the road schemes. And choosing a group transfer, you can decently save on a trip to the hotel. Due to the lack of walls, Samui Airport allows you to admire the tropical beauty of the island all the while staying in it.

Other modes of transport on the island

Of course, the plane is the only transport on which you can get from Russia to Thailand. Samui also offers another type of transport, through which you can get to it already after the arrival in the country. This ferry service is quite well developed on the island. The mainland is connected with the ferries of the three main companies of Samui and high-speed catamarans. The first get to the island in an average of 1.5 hours, and catamarans - for 40 minutes. Also there are regularly plying boats, which are sent to different islands of the archipelago. Thus, the transport connection between the islands and the mainland is established quite well.

On Samui itself there is public transportation - singteo. This is a pick-up truck, in which the awning covers the rear part, and under it there are seats for seats. There are also benches without seats, in this case the passenger is offered a handle, for which you can hold during the trip. Taximeters and mototaxi are still operating on the island.

Beaches of Koh Samui

Each beach on this amazing island is unique in its own way. In total there are 34 tourist beaches on it, among which there are closed, open and beaches, on which it is comfortable to rest with children.

The most popular of them is Chaweng, where most tourists go. The fact that it is very close to the airport, also contributes to the fact that it is often chosen for recreation. Chaweng has a large number of hotels, beach bars, and is actively trading. In view of its popularity, this is the most populous beach, therefore, despite the length of 6 km, it is not realistic to find a secluded place.

The second most popular beach is Lamai. It is not as crowded as it is on Chaweng, but the infrastructure is nevertheless well developed.

The rest of the beaches are not so popular, and accordingly, offer more seclusion. In general, the quantity and quality of beaches is one of the virtues of the state of Thailand. Samui from its wide variety allows you to choose the one that most suits every tourist.

Kitchen Samui

On the island there are a huge variety of places where they offer delicious food. It can be inexpensive cafe with real Thai cuisine, and fine restaurants with dishes from different countries. At the same time, given the popularity of the resort among Russian tourists, Russian cuisine is also represented here.

Island cuisine is a paradise for gourmets.

Exotic lovers can try the most unusual options, and supporters of traditional food can pamper themselves with their favorite dishes. At the same time, the prices for Koh Samui are quite democratic and allow everyone to eat what they want without exception. During a holiday in this exotic country you can try a great variety of different dishes from chicken, rice, noodles and pork. To each of them sauces of a different degree of sharpness are offered, which give a special piquancy to food.

Many, after trying once Thai cuisine, become her faithful fans. Often tourists bring home all kinds of spices and pastas to enjoy the favorite dishes at home.

Fun on the island

Samui Island, Besides bathing in the ocean, offers other entertainment. All of them are mainly related to movement. This is riding a water motorcycle, a banana, a parachute, water skiing, a flyboard, a sailing boat and a speedboat. Tourists are also offered a four-hour fishing in the open sea. Of course, Samui can not do without immersion in crystal clear water. On the island there are diving schools that help beginners to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world. Fans of extreme types of rest can also make rope descent, which has 7 levels of difficulty.

In addition, Koh Samui has golf courses, kartodromy, shooting ranges and the most modern cinemas. You can also go to the nature park or butterfly garden. It is noteworthy that to visit these places it is not necessary to pay a tour, you can independently get to the place of interest and admire the amazing beauty of nature.

Most of the island's entertainment places are described in detail on maps and booklets that can be found in Russian.

There is also a safari park, an aquarium and a tiger zoo, which are open to everyone who wants to eat every day.

In addition, most vacationers do not miss the opportunity to try the world-famous Thai massage and SPA procedures, which are presented in huge numbers.

Thus, on Samui you can find entertainment suitable for any age and movement activity.

Children's holiday in Koh Samui

Many parents are faced with the problem of choosing a place of rest with children, because not all resorts take into account the specifics of age. From this point of view Samui is an ideal choice. Beautiful beaches with soft sand, a dazzling sun, a sea of fruit and friendly Thais - all this will only be a joy for the child. At the same time, the level of tourism allows you to minimize all the inconveniences that can be during a holiday. In addition, a safari park, a zoo and a show with animals will not leave indifferent any children.

If it is a question of several months of rest, then on the island there are several international schools that will allow the child to keep up with the school program. Among other things, this is a great way to tighten English.

Honeymoon on Samui

For loving young people who have just tied themselves up by marriage, Samui will be the best place for a honeymoon. The silence and tranquility of this heavenly corner will not prevent the newlyweds from enjoying each other's company, and the hotels offer special rooms for the newlyweds. White sand beaches, untouched beauty of nature and measured noise of waves - all this will give young people the opportunity to feel the depth of their feelings. And the photos taken on this beautiful island will preserve the memory of the most wonderful days of the beginning of family life.

Sights of Koh Samui

The main entertainment of the island is beautiful beaches, which are its main attraction. However, not everyone wants to rest just on the beach. And for those who want to diversify their vacation and get fresh impressions, all conditions are created here.

The most famous landmark of the island is the Angthong Marine Park, which consists of 42 uninhabited islands. This is a great place to dive, snorkel or simply enjoy the beauty of the wild in its pristine form.

Like the rest of Thailand, Koh Samui is rich in all kinds of temples. Some of them are known only to local residents and are not visited by tourists, and others are included in various excursion programs. Most of them are Buddhist temples, but there are several mosques and an Orthodox church on the island.

The next attraction of the island, interesting for tourists is its beautiful waterfalls. The most famous of these is Na Mueang1, which is also known as the Purple Falls. You can approach it on the transport almost closely, which is very convenient, given the presence of a small pool in which you can swim. This waterfall is of particular importance to the local people, as the members of the royal family have repeatedly visited it.

Also attractions of Koh Samui, Which are known far beyond the island - these are two rocks called Grandma and Grandpa. They are famous throughout the world and annually attract many tourists to the island.

The undoubted landmark of Samui is the Buddha's Secret Garden, which has several other names: the Magical Garden, the Tarnim waterfall and the Heavenly Garden. This is not a traditional garden with trees and flowers. It is entirely made of stone, and the exhibits are statues of Buddha, other deities, animals and even a stone house. The secret garden was completely created by the hands of Thai farmer Nima Thongsuk, who wanted to share the tranquility of this place with others.

The cultural center of Koh Samui, which is located in the distance from the main tourist places, is rarely visited by the guests of the island. Therefore, having decided to go there, one can hope for a calm and peaceful contemplation of unusual statues and a beautiful stream flowing between them.

Excursions to Samui

Due to the fact that tours to Koh Samui, usually, Already include an excursion program, tourists are waiting for a very busy holiday. Excursions are quite diverse, so anyone can choose a program suitable for him personally. During Thai holidays, you can explore the sights of the island, visit national parks, watch various shows with animals, go fishing in the open ocean or simply enjoy the beauty of the waves by taking a boat trip. Also, excursions to Samui include trips to the nearby island of Tao, which is also called the tortoiseshell island. This is a very popular place for diving, which is an independent resort.

Also popular is the Angthong Marine Park, which covers 250 square kilometers.

All these attractions can be seen on their own, but this is both more difficult and more expensive. Therefore, when choosing an excursion program, you should pay attention to the list of places to visit and choose the most interesting for yourself.

Weather on the island

On Koh Samui there are only two seasons - dry, from January to April, and the rainy season - from May to December. However, unlike the rest of the islands of Thailand, the rains are very short here, and thanks to the location in the bay, tsunamis that are dangerous to the rest of the state are not terrible. In addition, only two months the amount of precipitation is much higher than the norm - this is May and June. Therefore, the weather on Koh Samui Relatively soft and not subject to large swings. All this contributes to the fact that the flow of tourists on the island does not cease all year round.

The best time to relax on Koh Samui

To date, tours to Samui is one of the most popular. Due to its weather conditions, the island offers an excellent holiday all year round. Therefore, regardless of the month for which a vacation has fallen, you can safely go there. However, if there is a choice, then, of course, it is better to choose a dry season, which begins in January and lasts until the end of April. At this time, the amount of precipitation is minimal, which, of course, is better for a full-fledged beach holiday.

Thus, Koh Samui in January is an ideal place to relax.

Reviews of tourists on holiday in Koh Samui

It is difficult to find a man who would remain dissatisfied with the time spent on this beautiful island. The pristine beauty of nature is combined with the developed infrastructure in this paradise. High quality of service, beautiful beaches, a variety of entertainment - all this offers guests Samui, reviews about which for the most part enthusiastic.

Samui will be an excellent choice for a family holiday or a group of friends. Tours to the island can be purchased both at budget prices and luxury. Everything depends on opportunities, desires and plans.