Koh Samui, Thailand
In the late 80's the big hotel chains hadn't arrived and the airport wasn't yet operational. Many of the local Thais owned large areas of land and were often unaware as to its value. At this time the favourite sons and daughters were given the valuable coconut land and the lazy children or black sheep were left with the beach land, worthless as they produced no coconuts to sell. How quickly it changed and the black sheep realised they were sitting on gold mines!
I have spent 7 years in total on Koh Samui and it's sister island Koh Phang-an but that first trip in the late 80's was magical as it was all new to me.
I stayed in a small bungalow resort called The Little Mermaid in an area called Tongtakean Bay, halfway between Chaweng and Lamai beaches. At that time I had the whole of Tongtakean Bay to myself, swam in the clear water and broke open coconuts on the rocks for a free drink. A year later The Samui Yacht Club had been built there.
I rented a little motorbike for a couple of pounds a day and spent a month whizzing around with the sun on my back and the wind in my hair and discovered the island.
To the south of Lamai beach I came across Hin Ta and Hin Yai which are Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks so named because of the shape of them and popular with Thais who believe a visit to the rocks will help them with fertility.
Just south of Hin Ta and Hin Yai is a temple called Wat Khunaram which is largely bypassed by tourists but is very important to the locals. A very popular monk called Loung Pordaeng who died about 30 years ago is sat in a meditation attitude behind a glass case. His body has been mummified but it is said that his hair and nails still grow and are cut once a month. I was quite amazed when I visited this temple but have since seen something similar in the Chanthaburi province of Thailand.
Sometimes I would take a left here and leave the main ringroad at Ban Huathannon to head for a for place called Thong Krut where there was a little restaurant and a fishing lodge, ideal for getting away from the busier beaches and magic for sunsets. Near here I also visited the Snake Farm and was amazed watching the star performer with lots of angry-looking snakes including Cobras and King Cobras. He also put masses of deadly scorpions all over his face and even down the front of his trousers. Apparently he's been stung so many times he is actually immune, but even so, I don't think it's something I would enjoy doing!
If I hadn't taken the left turn, but kept on the ringroad I would soon come to Na Muang Waterfall. I went there many times as it was very cool there and I could swim under the waterfall in a pool with tiny fish nibbling at my toes. There was always a lovely fresh young coconut to follow, from a little stall next to where I parked the motorbike.
I would then follow the road to the main town Nathon before heading north past Maenam beach with views of Koh Phang-an on my left. At Bophut I rode along a little causeway to reach a tiny island and Phra Yai or Big Buddha, where a massive golden Buddha is seated high up above the temple at the top of the steps, and overlooks Samui and the surrounding islands. I returned to Big Buddha many times and it was always a very impressive sight.
Koh Samui Airport is very close to here and I've had the pleasure of using it many times. I always say with its open structures with thatched roofs surrounded by flowers and palm trees, it is the kind of place where you could put your towel on the grass beside the runway and stay there for 2 weeks. Koh Samui airport makes for a wonderful introduction for people arriving in Samui for the first time and gives a taste of what is to come.