 Samui
travel information and local guide
 There
are many wonderful destinations to visit in Thailand. Why
include Koh Samui in your travel plans?
Not that long ago the island was a favorite destination of
adventure seeking sun worshipers. These savvy travelers visited
Samui long before it was in the guide books. Seaside bungalows
were available for as little as 150 baht per night, and you
could count on spending day after sunny day on the beach in
nearly perfect tranquillity. These visitors found there was
an almost mesmerizingly restful and carefree feel to the island
that often kept them here long after they had intended to
return home.
Those who have known and loved Samui since those early days
may not agree about the current pace of development in some
areas, but for the most part they do agree on one thing. The
island retains its sleepy magic. Koh Samui is still a paradise.
Tourist arrivals have been increasing steadily in recent
years. An impressive island-wide effort was undertaken in
late 1999 and continues in early 2000 to improve the island's
infrastructure to accommodate these developments. Those who
visited prior to 1999 will be astonished at the number of
newly paved and widened roads, drainage systems, and perhaps
most welcome; the addition of sidewalks in the bustling villages
of Chaweng and Lamai - home to many of the islands hotels,
nightlife and shopping areas.
However much of the island, especially the south coast, remains
largely undeveloped. A day spent on scooters or in a jeep
exploring this lush underbelly is a day of sheer serendipity.
With its spectacular and astonishingly diverse flora, and
its dozy little neighborhoods peopled by some of the world's
most amiable islanders, this kind of exploration is sure to
provide the delights you imagined when you planned your holiday.
Short direct flights here now depart several times a day
from Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. You can
also arrive by train, bus and boat.
Unfortunately visitors are sometimes incorrectly informed
about Koh Samui's seasons prior to their departure. Not everyone
is aware for example, that we do not have the same rainy season
as does Phuket.
Generally speaking, between the months of January and September,
most days will be filled with sun, except for the occasional
downpour, which usually doesn't last long. The frequent showers
(not monsoons) come in October, and last until sometime in
December. Water sports enthusiasts should note that the sea
can get rough at this time, and visibility can be affected.
 Perhaps
you have friends or family who have visited Thailand and told
you of their experiences. If Samui will be your introduction
to the Kingdom, bear in mind there are some similarities and
some differences between islanders and city folk. To compare
residents of Bangkok with those of Samui would be like comparing
big city dwellers from any country in the world with those
in the villages.
Samui is home to about 40,000 full-time inhabitants. Like
the surrounding islands, it was first settled by ethnic Malay
fishermen from the mainland, as well as immigrants from Southern
China; at a time when the surrounding waters teemed with fish.
Maps dating as far back as 1687 have the island identified
as "Pulo Cornam," from the Malay. Little written
history of the island exists, and most of the knowledge we
have has been passed down through generations. There are two
theories as to how the island was named. The first suggests
that the name of a commonly-found tree called "mui"
was lengthened at some point. The second, and probably more
likely notion, is that "Saboey" which is a Chinese
word for safe haven (certainly an apt description of the island's
largely protected waters) was adopted by Chinese fishermen,
and later become the name we use today.
Vestiges of the once thriving fishing communities can still
be seen in villages such as Nathon and Maenam. Lucrative coconut
and rubber farming industries also developed, and harvesting
of these crops still takes place in the hills of the island's
interior. Samui is home to more varieties of coconut palms
than any other place on earth.
Until not much more than a decade ago, folks on Samui had
scarcely seen foreigners. With the influx of tourists an industry
sprung up, and thousands of jobs were created. Foreign currency
flowed in, benefiting many. These former fishermen and farmers
now suddenly competed to fulfill Western tastes and demands.
But the well-known patient and adaptable nature of Thais,
and the new opportunities that tourism represented, made it
easy for them to accept the oddities of their new visitors
with mostly good grace. Their entrepreneurial spirit helped
compensate for their limited knowledge of other cultures,
and many have succeeded remarkably well.
Most Thais are Buddhist, though a small percentage of the
population is Muslim. You may wonder about the role religion
plays here. In fact, the philosophy of Buddhist thought is
more significant in the life of the average Thai than is the
dogma of the religion. Most people don't allow themselves
to get too worked up over the problems and minor inconveniences
of this life, after all, it is only a passage into another
one! Consider this, and the island's benign climate, its history
of bountiful harvests from the land and sea, and the almost
complete absence of the kind of strife that has devastated
so many of the world's peoples, and it becomes easier to understand
the "take life as it comes" approach which continues
to astonish and perplex visitors.
If You're Staying Awhile Thais are extraordinarily
tolerant, and will not expect you to know the "Thai way"
of doing things. They will overlook almost all your cultural
faux pas. However if you would like to acclimate yourself
as much as possible, there are many fairly simple adjustments
you can make that are likely to surprise and in some cases
delight people.
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