From the streetfront, a modern glass, metal and wood building announces the entrance to the Marina Residence, Petcherat Pier and Marina Club Lounge in bold orange and yellow signage. Quite out of step with the bungalow-style resorts along this stretch of Bang Rak, the Petcherat complex is modern, and rather ‘un-Thai’ in design. Even the … read the full post

Honey Cottages on Ko Samui’s Choeng Mon beach lies on an expansive garden-filled property shaded by large trees. The beach at the eastern end where the cottages are located has shallow waters, and at low tide, a short walk takes you to a small island not much more than a rocky outcrop called Ko Fan … read the full post

Paradise Park Farm on Ko Samui offers a relatively cool mountain retreat, where kids can enjoy petting a variety of animals while adults savour the spectacular views. The farm is located more than 600 metres above Lipa Noi atop Samui’s Khao Pom; the drive up can be a little hairy, so make use of their … read the full post

Travelling vegetarians can sometimes find sourcing decent food a challenge; in Thailand, however, many Thai dishes can easily be made as a veggie option. For Thailand generally, the Vegetarian Thai Food Guide can come in handy. If you’re a vegetarian travelling to Ko Samui, SITCA (Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts) offers cooking classes, and … read the full post

UPDATE: Coco Splash will be closed from 14 May for one month, in order to construct two new water slides in the park. Anyone travelling with young children will know that kids are not content to lie under a coconut palm reading a book, or have endless massages, tour temples or even for that matter … read the full post

Ang Thong (Golden Bowl) National Marine Park is located north and west of Ko Samui, and is within sight of Samui on clear days. The park, which includes 42 islands and limestone massifs, was once a hide out for pirates but these days gets patrolled by the Thai navy. The islands of the park are … read the full post

The coconut tree and its products play a big part of tropical island life and just the image of a coconut palm conjures up thoughts of tropical holidays and palm-fringed beaches. Until recently, coconut production was Ko Samui’s main industry, and is now second only to tourism. Every month, Samui supplies Bangkok with more than … read the full post

Muay Thai or Thai kickboxing is Thailand’s national sport and passionately supported by locals, who gather around TVs to cheer their favourites on. The stadiums are also well supported, and Ko Samui is no different; tourists are welcomed to watch fights at the commercial stadiums in Chaweng and Lamai. The Rocky theme tune is one … read the full post

Some people like to go on holiday to relax or explore and discover a new place. Others prefer more purpose-orientated holidays: volunteering or perhaps improving a skill such as cooking or writing. One skill that can be honed while holidaying is Thailand is muay Thai – to seriously train for the sport in its land of … read the full post

Should you want to extend your Thailand adventure, and need to do a visa run or border bounce from Ko Samui, Malaysia is the most convenient country to get to. To clarify, a visa run entails going to a Thai embassy or consulate to get a new visa; a border bounce is for those who … read the full post