If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll be pleased with the selection Ko Samui has to offer, ranging from cheap street food to fancy beachside dining barbecues. Flying in to Samui at night, you’ll see an odd green glow over the water. It’s caused by the green fluorescent lights on the squid fishing boats. These lights … read the full post

The first time we visited Ko Samui more than 10 years ago, we popped into Angela’s Bakery & Cafe (as it was called until recently). After weeks of Thai food, good bread and cheese made a pleasant change. At that stage, Angela’s had no other buildings surrounding it on the stretch of ring road along … read the full post

In 2013, Lunar New Year — Chinese New Year to the Chinese — falls on Sunday, February 10, and ushers in the Year of the Snake. Celebrations can last for about 15 days in areas with large Chinese communities, including Ko Samui, with festivities beginning on the first day of the first month in the … read the full post

More and more visitors to Ko Samui are choosing villa rental over hotel stays. Should you? Each option has its pros and cons, and the right choice will depend on how important price (and hidden costs) are to you, as well as privacy, freedom, space and facilities. For stays of less than a week, resorts … read the full post

Ko Samui has more than its share of good hospitals, including Thai International, Bangkok International and Samui International. Although all offer good service and medical standards, we’ve used Samui International several times, and they’ve been professional, efficient and well-priced. They’re located at the northern point of Chaweng beach road, close to the main tourist drag, … read the full post

Ko Samui’s June’s Art Cafe, located just before Big C when coming from Fisherman’s Village, is is a favourite expat haunt and well-kept secret from the tourists. Pop into this quaint cafe, with art on the walls and handicrafts for sale, and you’ll see why there’s a steady flow from the time they open for … read the full post

With Ko Samui’s beautiful beaches and generally calm waters, trying out some sort of water activity is a must. Aside from snorkelling, diving and boating, Ko Samui offers opportunities to try plenty of other water sports, including kayaking, kite-surfing, stand-up paddling, windsurfing, surfing (a little!) and jetski-ing. Here’s a round up of how and where … read the full post

Ko Samui is neighbour to a few small islands in the southwest: the Five Islands, known in Thai as Ko Si Ko Ha, which means Four Islands-Five Islands — one island is hidden behind another — plus Ko Tan and Ko Matsum. Ko Si Ko Ha are home to swifts, known for their famous nests … read the full post

Nathon on Ko Samui’s west coast is away from the main tourist drag catering more to locals than visitors. This means that prices are generally cheaper at both shops and restaurants, making it worth a daytrip for a bit of shopping and exploring if you can drag yourself away from the beach. And should you … read the full post

Travelling from Bophut’s Fisherman’s Village towards Mae Nam, near Peace Resort & Spa, you’ll see a modern strip of shops and coffee houses that are worth a poke around. Maissa’s Party Shop, painted bright pink, always shows a colourful and themed window display. As Ko Samui doesn’t have any malls as such, Maissa’s is one … read the full post