It's interesting the way things work at times. Was initially planning a trip to Krabi again because I fell in love with the Thai island my last trip there which was slightly more than a year ago. Back then when I was there, I couldn't fully participate in the many activities that I paid for, for fear that my knee wouldn't hold up. (I was due for surgery a few days after my return from Krabi. I went for surgery with yummy tan-lines to boot!) Decided that a family trip was long overdue, so was planning for a cosy family holiday with my Pa, Ma and bro. Dad, however, felt that he didn't want to blow all his remaining leave on the trip and have none left for Xmas and blah, so he suggested the three of us go ahead. My mum thought it'd be a good idea to ask my Aunt to join us too. In the end, Samui saw 5 members of my family: Ma, Aunt Rani, Su (my cousin), Ah B (my bro) and MEEEE! =)
Koh Samui in a nut-shell:
- Very much like Krabi, bigger and more touristy, though.
- Driving around in a rented vehicle (about 1000THB - 1800THB for 24 hours) is a MUST. Otherwise, it's a real hassle to get from one place to another.
- Lamai Buri Resort is a clean, tidy and pleasant place to stay in. Although it is away from the beach, you can still feel the wonderful sea breeze and enjoy the view of the sea from the comfort of your balcony. The staff is helpful, friendly and often, giggly. However, not everyone's command of the English Language is praiseworthy, so at times your patience and tolerance is highly required.
- There's good shopping to be done, so put aside ample time for that. Bargaining skills MUST be polished up before you get there such that the shop-keepers know you're a force not to be reckoned with. This is the same for almost anywhere you go in Thailand (and Cambodia).
- Thai food was generally disappointing at most of the makan places. Their selection of European food tended to fare better on the taste test. To cut a long story short, the Thai food I ate at Samui left much to be desired. And everyday, my craving for Tom Yam soup got worse because I never found the absolute best one. Suki Yaki was also disappointing (it's quite difficult to get this wrong) and I kept yearning for the one I had in Bangkok. BOOOO! This is not to say that food is altogether hopeless in Samui. Seafood is their speciality and I had the yummiest Lobster in Thai Tamarind Sauce (my Aunt and Su would disagree because their unfortunately not endowed with a super sweet tooth like yours truly) one of the nights. The Steamed White Garoupa was also necessarily yummy. I'm not a fan of Garlic and Black Pepper, so I didn't enjoy the King Prawns that were doused in generous amounts of Garlic and Black Pepper, unlike my Aunt and Su (give-and-take, right?!).
- Koh Tao, a lovely island about a 2 hour ferry ride away from Koh Samui, was the highlight of my trip, and I think my cousin's and brother's too, since they were busy hunting down the BEST BEACH. Koh Tao had good shopping and a really decent beach. The beach is a cross between Cambodia's Silhanoukville and India's Goa, in my opinion. Krabi's Ao Nang beach is err.. consumer friendly but still not as beautiful as the beaches in Goa. Sorry! We spent only a few hours on the island but they were good times! Promise to self: Next time I drop in on Samui, I'm definitely spending WAY MORE time at Koh Tao. Good call, Su! =)
- On a more personal note, the trip gave me the opportunity to re-connect with my Ma and bro and to learn so much more about my Aunt and Su. Most of all, it gave me the down-time I so desperately needed, to recharge. I got a lot of time to think, reflect and plan during the many drives around Samui (thanks to Su's driving, leaving me time to tune out of everything that's happening around me and tune in to me and just me!) Speaking of drives, another highlight of my trip was this long-ass drive we took on our second night covering the WHOLE of Samui (yes, you read it right.) which took us less than 3 hours, I recall. We got scared and chased my dogs and had to hold our pee in till we got back to our resort, but it was really nice to drive with almost no other car in sight, have the windows rolled fully down (although it was a chilly night), the wind in your hair (k, this is exaggerating cuz my hair was tied up the whole while) and just THINK. I loved it. Su may not have enjoyed it so much, I don't know, cuz he was behind the wheel, negotiating sharp turns and badly-lit dangerous roads, but thank you!
- Oh, and for people who love places with great picturesque scenery, Koh Samui is IT. You'll see in a bit (maybe.. my next post? sorry.)
This is the interior of the Koh Samui Airport. It has a really cool and comfortable waiting area. The airport is really small with no PROPER 'restaurant' (don't get tricked by the sign that says 'restaurant' because it really is just a 'snack bar'). Those who dig duty-free shopping, you can't go crazy in here cuz it's a pretty small shop with the bare necessities. The up-side to this waiting area is its nice lounge-y seats and free flow of coffee and pastries! What a great idea and I wish ALL International Airports will take this on! Heh. 
This is the resort we stayed at. It's at Lamai Beach (duh!) and it's a fairly new resort. It's really nice and comfortable and more importantly, it is CHEAP. It's off-peak period charges are commendable and I need to thank Su for being so thorough in the search for accomodation and sifting out this gem!
This is the sea view that we enjoyed from the balconies of our Sea View rooms (which are on the 3rd storey). Our balconies also overlook the resort's tiny, but swimmable swimming pool.
This is a typical street in Koh Samui. The island is littered with 24 hour convenience stores, like 7 Eleven and Family Mart. The other litterings include, through-the-night pubs and their wonderful, skimpily-clas hostesses who constantly made eyes at Su and scared my brother quite a bit. Ha!
This is the reliable Toyota that we rented during our trip. Though Su hadn't driven in months prior to the trip, I thought he did a really good job and was confident on the crazy roads! We did lose our way a couple of times, thanks to the lousy, non user-friendly maps, but I enjoyed the whole process of it!
I've gotta stop here for now, so I'm going to put up a few other candid shots. Till next time..!
My mum looking on while we were checking directions to some place that never existed, but was reflected on the map anyhow.
Artistic shadow shot. Smart idea from a really gorgeous person called Nithiya. Who's she?
My obsession with asses! Haha, NAH. The obsession draws a clear line at family members, thank you very much.
My brother in a few years, in a much nicer car, hopefully.
Su can never be a model for obvious reasons like he canNOT stop lauging when the camera starts rolling. You know what a tough time I had?!
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