koh samui hotels, travel and resorts in Samui Thailand

Koh Samui

It is Surat Thani's major tourist attraction. The island has numerous lovely beaches and bays. It is almost literally an island of coconuts and forested hills, and is fast be coming a resort of international stature. Samui's best beaches line the northern and eastern coasts, the most popular being Chaweng and Lamai where, generally, the most attractive accommodation is found.
Besides beaches, other island attractions include the Hin Lat and Na Muang waterfalls the phallic rock formations at the southern end of Lamai Bay; a massive seated Buddha inage of Fan isle and Na Thon, the island's major seafront settlement where shops, restaurants, tour agencies and hotels are located.

Population Mix

Koh Samui has a personality and culture of its own. There are over 15,000 people who make the island their home on a daily basis. A vast majority of those people are Thai, but only a small minority of them were born on Koh Samui. Most are from Northern Thailand, where the weather is slightly milder, especially at higher eleveations. There are many Chinese Thai people running shops and resorts. Most of them seem to be from the Bangkok area. A growing number of foreign residents are also affecting the culture.

History

The history of Koh Samui is much shorter. There are old Wats in the island, but not much of a written history. On the south part of the island is a house over 150 years old. Certainly the lush tropical jungle and protected bays have attracted fishermen throughout history. The fresh water and beautiful beaches were a refuge from the sea and small villages were established.

Today there are a number of fisherman villages on Koh Samui, the largest and most notable is in Hua Thanon. In the 1960s back-packers looking for new and isolated places to explore discovered Koh Samui. Those early visitors told their friends. They returned again and again to this island paradise.

The history of Koh Samui is being made today. The Ring Road has recently been widened. Many of the smaller roads have been improved. The road construction continues. The complexions of the beaches are changing. There are new and modern lodging facilities on Chaweng Beach, where bungalows once stood. The ever popular secluded resorts are still very much a part of Koh Samui.