Snapshots from Koh Samui

This leg of our Thailand holiday was my favourite. Samui has a little bit of everything that makes a holiday perfect. Firstly, the island is gorgeous. It is postcard-perfect wherever you look. The weather is idyllic and the sea is warm enough to spend all day in.
Secondly, it is whatever you want it to be. If you're looking to relax on the beach or poolside, you can find plenty of that. The beaches are pristine and you can lay on a lounger or hire a lilo and take your sun-worshipping into the sea.
If you're looking for some adventure, you can't go wrong with Samui. We snorkelled, kayaked, hired scooters, went paddle-boarding and hiked up to more than a few view-points and waterfalls. Then there are the Big Buddhas, temples and Grandmother and Grandfather rocks to go and check out.

On top of all of this, there are beach bars dotted along the beach which make for some really fun holiday night-life (Ark Bar got the better of me on more than one occasion). And shopping is around just about every corner, also until the wee hours. The vendors in Samui were a lot less aggressive with their haggling. and we found bargaining and buying here more pleasant than in Phuket. We also found the biggest bikini shop we'd ever seen, called Amazonas, and bought up a storm.

Somehow, while we were so very busy taking it all in, we managed to leave the island totally relaxed. I have never fallen in love with a place so quickly in all my life. Aside from all the points I mentioned above, the people were impossibly friendly and helpful, the food....oh the food. If you go, find a little hole in the wall called Green Bird. Try the shredded pork with the cucumber and peanut dipping sauce( pictured below). You can thank me later.
Another spot to spend a day is at Beach Republic. Its the Samui version of Shimmy Beach and a fabulously chic place to hang out and enjoy some designer cocktails and lurk at their infinity pool overlooking the beach.

My heart is still lying on a beach in Koh Samui. I can see why so many people go back year after year, or even take a leap of faith and move there. Although, it really isn't much of a leap is it? More like a total no-brainer, really.