beach-holidays – 2 J's World of Adventure

We did the usual thing for breakfast….i really am becoming a bit addicted to pancakes and honey….so I mixed it up a bit with an egg yolk on avocado on toast…yum, yum….

Returning to our room we put on swim wear and off we went to the beach. Two sun-loungers in the shade were grabbed and we were set for snoozing in the sun….until of course I got itchy feet and wanted to swim…..we put on our swim shoes incase it was rocky and down to the waters edge we went…..there was only a couple of people swimming…and they were grumbling it was cold. So we braced ourselves and took the plunge…it was heaven …much warmer than the swimming pool. We swam for some time, John in the shallows and I went out deeper, giving him the occasional wave…

It was a first…the first time we had swam in the Indian Ocean…..so we can now add it to our list of places we’ve swam…Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Dead Sea, Caribbean Sea, North Sea, The Aegean Sea, The Adriatic Sea, The English Channel, Golf of Mexico ( now called Golf Of America ??!!), Atlantic Ocean and now the Indian Ocean…..we’ve still got a lot more seas and oceans to swim in!! But all in good time.

We returned to the loungers to people watch…

Returning to our room about 1pm we readied ourselves for a trip out in the glass bottom boat at 2pm.

We set off from the pier near the boat house.

Our Captain Micheal gave us a short speech about what we might or might not see and then we were off leaving the hotel behind us..

Everyone sat around the outside and looked down into one of the 3 openings..

Unfortunately the glass was tinted so all the photos were very blue..but here are a few

It was a nice experience lasting only about an hour.

We returned back to our room to get ready for the evening meal.

John wandered down towards the sea a few yards from our room to get some sunset photos through the Banyan Tree.

We had once again booked La Maree Seafood restaurant.

It’s very picturesque in the evening under the stars

We spent some time looking at the menu

Before deciding once again on Prawn Cocktail.

Followed by the catch of the day which was swordfish.

We had dessert but once again it was so yummy I forgot to take a picture until the last moment …..

Another lovely meal…we returned to our room to face time our Granddaughter on her 15th birthday and to chat to that side of the family.

Another exquisite day in paradise….tomorrow we are up early for an excursion so it was early to sleep for us.

Ko Samui is Thailand’s second largest island ( Phuket being the largest),it lies in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast. It is in the Chumphon Archipelago and it is part of Surat Thani Province. In 2012, Ko Samui was granted municipal status and is now locally self-governing. Ko Samui has an area of 228.7 square kilometres (88.3 sq miles), it is 25 kilometres/16 miles at its widest part.

It’s known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest. It has many luxury resorts and posh spas. There is a 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple which acts as a landmark and is located on a tiny island connected to Ko Samui by a causeway. It’s idyllic beaches and attractions can cause it to have many as 2.7 million tourists a year.

The central part of Ko Samui is mostly tropical jungle and includes the islands largest mountain, Khao Pom, which is 635 m (2,083 ft) high. The lowland and coastal areas are connected by one 51 km (32 mi)long road, which encircles the island.

On the west coast the original capital, Nathon, houses many government offices, as well as being the major port for fisheries and for vehicular and goods transportation from the mainland. The island used to rely on the local coconut industry as its main source of income, however, more recently the tourist industry has flourished and the northeastern location of the airport, has led to the increase of commercial activity in Chaweng and Bophut.

There is a lot to do and see on Ko Samui it is home for some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. Its famous beaches include Chaweng Beach, Lamai Beach, Maenam Beach and Choeng Mon Beach.

There is also The Big Buddha Temple, which as previously mentioned, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Koh Samui. It has the giant golden Buddha statue, seated in a lotus position which is 12 meters high and is a symbol of peace and prosperity.

The are natural rock formations Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks are also known as Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. They resemble male and female genitalia and are believed to bring fertility and good luck.

There are also waterfalls -Na Muang, the local Fisherman’s villages, The secret Buddah Gardens, the mummified monk of Wat Khunaram. and the Elephant Sanctuary. It’s very easy to hire a jeep or a scooter to get around on or use their air conditioned taxis or local open buses….just to add to your adventure.

On our last visit to Ko Samui we just got off the cruise ship and took the bus to the Chaweng beach, where we had a meal and watched the world going by. I had visited Ko Samui many times whilst working in Thailand and absolutely love The Strip …the shops which run along the coast road at Chaweng…..there’s superb restaurants, fabric shops, tailors, bars, gift shops clothing shops…you name it you’ll find it there….the beach is full of people having fun, swimming, playing on the sand, sunbathing and hawkers selling an array of goods all at ridiculously cheap prices….I couldn’t resist a gold and black throw….which I keep meaning to make into an evening jacket…..