The island of Koh Samui is a short 1 hour flight from Bangkok. We have been here many times…always trying a new area & different hotel experience.

IMPRESSIONS

* Always feels less crowded than Phuket & Pattaya…a little more laid back. And you forget just how inexpensive and good value Thailand is.
* Hot and sunny but entirely bearable. Beautiful evenings.
* This time we stayed waterside in the quiet Choeng Mon area -15 minutes from the airport. Well away from busy Chaweng with its 2 km shopping and restaurant strip.
* Have a lovely newish 160sqm, 1 bedroom villa. Comprises 2 pavilions of indoor/ outdoor living. Completely surrounded by a high wall with a small pool separating the kitchen/lounge wing from the bedroom/outdoor bathroom wing. Very modern, comfortable and $140 a night plus tax.
* Perfect for a total ‘ vege out ‘ and relax for a few days.

WHAT DID WE DO YESTERDAY?

Leisurely breakfast of juice, local fruit, cereal and yogurt. There are markets and supermarkets nearby so self-catering for at least breakfast is a breeze. Email catch up on the free in villa WiFi, swim and a read. Onto the Honda 125cc scooter ($6 a day, no licence required, drive defensively…an average of 5 road deaths a week on Koh Samui and 100 hospitalisations) for a 10-minute jaunt to Aroma Boutique for seriously good Italian coffee. German host Mark who used to work for Centara Hotels, runs this flourishing cafe oasis with great Italian inspired food and drinks.

Next, we motored sedately the 20 minutes around to Lamai Beach for vegetarian and raw food lunch on the beach at Spa Samui. The food is seriously Thai awesome! A quiet read of our books and then a 2-hour Thai oil massage ($15). There are massages and then there are massages! This is excellent and was locally recommended.

Back to the villa…swimming, reading, snoozing. Dinner is a 20-minute ride away to Bo Phut and the wonderful Cafe 69 with chef/owner Vivian and family. Quite amazing and creative Thai food. The location is ordinary fronting a main road, but the food is something else. Starters, drinks and mains – $45. Currently Cafe 69 is listed at # 2 restaurant in the busy Bo Phut area and there are hundreds of restaurants. You will not get Thai food any better, anywhere in the world. A standout.

Ahhh…do we have to go back to Sydney on Saturday?

:: d ::