Koh Samui
Posted by Rebecca Lynch on Sunday, July 22, 2012
Koh Samui was only a short half an hour boat trip from Koh Phangnan, and on the boat we had the entertainment of those who were feeling a little rough and whos friends were trying there hardest to make it as difficult as possible for them. We arrived and hopped in a taxi to our hostel which was on the other side of the island, as we got closer the buildings around us seemed to fade and we were getting further and further from where everything was. We finally arrived in a little town area, which was next to a beach and did have a pool, but the beach wasn't very clean looking, and the pool looked more like a paddling pool, it got better when we got taken up to our room, which I like to call 'The Shed'. It was a tiny square room which had wooden pannels, like a shed, with a bed plonked in the middle. First thing we did was get onto hostelworld and book a different place back on the other side of the island for the next few nights.
The only good things about this place was its movie channel, which got put on when we arrived, and we watched movie after movie after movie (it was pouring with rain outside), so the shed and it's movie channel kept us amused for the evening.
The new hostel was much better, we had a room about 3 times the size of the shed, and it was done up in bright colours with comic style paintings all over the place. The hostel shared a pool with the neighboring hotel, which really was a pool, and looked out over the white beach. It was here me and Becky spent the next few days, sunning ourselves and cooling of in the pool.
Whilst lying on the deck chairs we heard a loud bang, a kind of whipping noise, we looked over to where the sound came from to see a snake slither along the ground, a bird had just pecked it out of the tree, it was rather a little one, skinny and green, but it was a snake all the same! Next day we decided to lye in the beds a little further from the snakes tree, just in case, and it turns out we were right to, as again, the snake fell out its tree and slithered of into the nearby plants again. Although this time, there was a little kid near where it had fallen so one of the girls sunbathing closer bye got up and warned the kids dad, who when he went over to check, the snake had gone under the kids chair. The grandfather then tried to get rid of it and it bit him, luckily it was non poisonous, but the hotels 'snake removal' man soon came over and took it away. the next day me and Becky were sitting waiting for our little snake friend to fall out its tree, but I think it must have move trees as it never did.
We were going to attempt to see some more of the island and its waterfalls, however the only way to do it without it costing a fortune was by moped. So, we got our moped, and I wasn't going on it until I knew Becky could drive it, I told her to test drive it first to get used to it. It was different to the ones she'd used before, so she did as the lady told her and about 3meters down the road the moped and her were down. Luckily she was fine and the moped only suffered a smashed mirror. Becky got up and was saying 'the bike, the bike, is the bike ok?' where as me and the hostel ladies were like 'Becky are you alright, are you alright?' So ... that was the end of our mopeding, before it even began, but it's another story to tell.
It was time to leave Koh Samui and after our sunning ourselves we were ready to head to the cities. We still had a week and had seen the areas of Thailand we wanted to so figured we'd hop on over to the next country, Vietnam. After our past experience of night buses, we were to scared to get another one, so decided it would be safer to fly back up to Bangkok from Koh Samui then onto Vietnam. Koh Samui is said to be one of the most beautiful airports in the world. We weren't quite sure how a little island airport could do this, but we soon found out. The airport buildings had thatched rooftops just like the beach huts, once you checked in your luggage you then walked down a gorgeous 'street' lined with little boutique shops, plants and palm trees, all open aired, then the security check was yet again a small thatched building. We then went into the departures lounge which was a large circular room with a high roof, where, can you believe it (because we couldn't) we then had a whole selection af free food and drinks!!! Now we had just had our dinner, but free food in departures, who could resist? Orange cake, pies, sandwich triangles, pastries, it was a picnic in the airport.
The only good things about this place was its movie channel, which got put on when we arrived, and we watched movie after movie after movie (it was pouring with rain outside), so the shed and it's movie channel kept us amused for the evening.
The new hostel was much better, we had a room about 3 times the size of the shed, and it was done up in bright colours with comic style paintings all over the place. The hostel shared a pool with the neighboring hotel, which really was a pool, and looked out over the white beach. It was here me and Becky spent the next few days, sunning ourselves and cooling of in the pool.
Whilst lying on the deck chairs we heard a loud bang, a kind of whipping noise, we looked over to where the sound came from to see a snake slither along the ground, a bird had just pecked it out of the tree, it was rather a little one, skinny and green, but it was a snake all the same! Next day we decided to lye in the beds a little further from the snakes tree, just in case, and it turns out we were right to, as again, the snake fell out its tree and slithered of into the nearby plants again. Although this time, there was a little kid near where it had fallen so one of the girls sunbathing closer bye got up and warned the kids dad, who when he went over to check, the snake had gone under the kids chair. The grandfather then tried to get rid of it and it bit him, luckily it was non poisonous, but the hotels 'snake removal' man soon came over and took it away. the next day me and Becky were sitting waiting for our little snake friend to fall out its tree, but I think it must have move trees as it never did.
We were going to attempt to see some more of the island and its waterfalls, however the only way to do it without it costing a fortune was by moped. So, we got our moped, and I wasn't going on it until I knew Becky could drive it, I told her to test drive it first to get used to it. It was different to the ones she'd used before, so she did as the lady told her and about 3meters down the road the moped and her were down. Luckily she was fine and the moped only suffered a smashed mirror. Becky got up and was saying 'the bike, the bike, is the bike ok?' where as me and the hostel ladies were like 'Becky are you alright, are you alright?' So ... that was the end of our mopeding, before it even began, but it's another story to tell.
It was time to leave Koh Samui and after our sunning ourselves we were ready to head to the cities. We still had a week and had seen the areas of Thailand we wanted to so figured we'd hop on over to the next country, Vietnam. After our past experience of night buses, we were to scared to get another one, so decided it would be safer to fly back up to Bangkok from Koh Samui then onto Vietnam. Koh Samui is said to be one of the most beautiful airports in the world. We weren't quite sure how a little island airport could do this, but we soon found out. The airport buildings had thatched rooftops just like the beach huts, once you checked in your luggage you then walked down a gorgeous 'street' lined with little boutique shops, plants and palm trees, all open aired, then the security check was yet again a small thatched building. We then went into the departures lounge which was a large circular room with a high roof, where, can you believe it (because we couldn't) we then had a whole selection af free food and drinks!!! Now we had just had our dinner, but free food in departures, who could resist? Orange cake, pies, sandwich triangles, pastries, it was a picnic in the airport.