Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GULF ISLANDS
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Ko Samui
POP 50,000
Ko Samui is like a well-established Hollywood celebrity: she's outrageously manicured,
has lovely blonde tresses and has gracefully removed all of her wrinkles without more
than a peep in the tabloids. She's been in the tourism business longer than almost any oth-
er Thai island, but rather than becoming passe, she's embraced a new generation of resort
goers, many of them upscale and Russian. Academy Award-winning holidays here include
fine stretches of sand clogged with beach loungers, rubbish-free roads, world-class inter-
national cuisine, luxurious spas and beach bar parties for scantily clad 20-somethings that
start at noon.
Behind the glossy veneer there's still a glimmer of the girl from the country. Look for
steaming street-side food stalls beyond the beach, backpacker shanties plunked down on
quiet stretches of sand and secreted Buddhist temples along the backstreets. It's then that
you remember you're in Thailand and not a globalisation-induced trance of a Pho-
toshopped beach vacation. To really get away, head to the south or the west of the island,
where you'll find authentic Samui family-run seafood restaurants, tourist-free towns buzz-
ing with descendents of the original Chinese merchant settlers and long stretches of re-
freshingly wild and shaggy coconut palms.
