Thursday, May 7th
8:16 am
We admit it! If you got married last month on Bophut beach, we were among those watching not-very-surreptitiously from the sidelines. (Including those few dozen sunseekers videotaping from their sunbeds).
Koh Samui is a gorgeous, wonderful place to get married but most photos don’t include the unwashed masses watching nearby. No matter the picturesque promise, most hotel beach weddings on Samui will not be private. Beaches are public domain and people are by nature very curious.
Random tourist paparazzi might not bother you, but it’s something to consider if privacy matters.
What’s the alternative? Check with your wedding coordinator about the beach’s accessibility – some are more remote than others. For guaranteed exclusivity, a private villa is another option.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Weddings) Honeymoons, too by admin
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Monday, May 4th
2:28 pm
While Samui is rightly a top worldwide spa destination, our vote is an underdog choice. Pampering luxury spas rely on appointments, plans, changes of clothes and general faffing about. The local massage service is ready and waiting, whenever needs must. (And Thai massages are rather addictive….)
Past the White House Hotel in Choeng Mon, next to Garland restaurant, sits Sangaroon massage. If its lime green interior doesn’t beckon from halfway down the street, happy staff awaiting your patronage will surely let you know you’ve arrived.
Walk in, lay down and heaven awaits. “Sleep well,” joked the massage lady after we asked for a ‘back, shoulders, neck and head’ massage (300 THB or about US$8.25).
This choice includes all the good bits of a Thai massage and lots of soothing Tiger balm but with far less gymnastics. In between bouts of blissful slumber we had only to think what we wanted for dinner at Garland restaurant next door.
Read our Koh Samui spa guide (click here) for further sybaritic suggestions.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Activities) Things to do by admin
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Friday, May 1st
12:43 pm
Becoming a ‘regular’ at a Western breakfast place or coffee shop might take months: ages until the over-worked student staff begin to recognise you, longer still before they know your order.
We’re happy to report that on Choeng Mon beach it takes mere days. Last week, 3 of us ordered 9 separate items for breakfast.
Returning the next morning, our lovely waiter asked, “same same?”
He remembered. And we absolutely did want “same same” – it was good!
Where the T.G.I.Friday’s franchised blur of robotic “Hi-I’m-Amy-how-may-I-help-you-today’s” are ruining real life… the Samui alternative is very refreshing.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
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Tuesday, April 28th
9:12 am
We thought Walkers Crisps had invented every unlikely flavour of potato chips. Not so! Koh Samui Tesco continues to yield a weird and wonderful bounty.
- Normal chips – good
- Sushi – good
…Combination of the two? So very, very wrong.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
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Saturday, April 25th
8:00 am
As our villa takes shape, we’re beginning to think it would make a mighty fine wedding venue. Let’s see…
- Big winding outdoor staircase, perfect for a dramatic entrance
- Massive pool deck with that view, ideal for a ceremony space and dance floor
- Long open-air dining hall, exactly right for a big, communal meal
Yes, the wheels are turning! Watch this space.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Villa) Our news and updates, (Weddings) Honeymoons, too by admin
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Wednesday, April 22nd
12:21 pm
Imagine going for lunch at a busy restaurant – full of dining businessmen. In the middle of everything a dumpy, middle-aged woman stands up, hikes up her skirt…and takes off her knickers. Her knickers! She’s not deranged, not making a political statement – she’s simply decided that it’s an acceptable time and place to change into her bathing suit.
The knickers – white granny jobs – are summarily kicked off as the restaurant stands still. Oblivious, she pulls a swimsuit out of her bag and starts wiggling into it. Everyone’s getting views they’d rather not. Once her top’s off, Granny’s bits are on full display. Finally, painfully, she puts on her swimsuit top and sits down to her lunch, delivered by a horrified staff.
Such was our lunchtime spectacle the other day.
Arrogant or ignorant? We still can’t decide.
Yes, it’s Thailand.
Yes, it’s hot.
Yes, the beach is nearby.
…But what woman in her right mind would think this acceptable behaviour in a restaurant?
This is a modest country where shoulders and knees stay covered. Norms on Samui slide a little bit, it’s a resort island after all, but even still: Thais swim in their clothes. Would it kill us to put our bits away, at least at lunchtime?
Pictured: “The After” – Granny, swimsuit, pissed off staff
*farang is the Thai word for foreigner. Depending on the tone of voice, it might be an insult. In this case, it’s deserved.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Culture) Thailand 101 by admin
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Sunday, April 19th
10:28 am
Now that the weather is unlikely to fall below 30 degrees for the foreseeable future, we’re drinking a lot of Gatorade (that’s Lucozade to you Brits). It does the trick and keeps us nicely hydrated but the colour’s a bit…garish. We’d far prefer something natural (dare we say organic!).
A friend recommended a healthier alternative and it’s perfect. No scary sugars or artificial anything. The product’s called Gluekos and, until we can con another friend into bringing us a box, we’re ordering it online. Get yours here.
For a much less tasty but seemingly effective hydration solution you can make at home, try this recipe:
- 1 litre water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 teaspoons sugar
Our British connections insist we should simply drink hot tea. Hot tea in a hot climate? That sounds, well, like poppycock.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
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Thursday, April 16th
11:42 am
Play with fire? No thanks. Wherever we’re travelling, we always make sure we’ve got current travel insurance. Why take the risk?
If it’s yet another item waiting on your pre-depature ‘to do’ list, perhaps we can make a recommendation: World Nomads.
We’ve stopped looking at other travel insurance providers: Their website is just too clean and squeaky to bother with a more complicated competitor. Buying a policy online is very quick.
Our experience with World Nomads so far
- Claiming: You can begin any claims online but must mail the hard copy receipts, so you need to make a good copy of the originals. Different underwriters are used depending on the situation.
- In one case, our hard copy documents never arrived, so we emailed a scan of our receipts. They accepted this – no quibbles – and reimbursed us within 1 day.
- Reimbursement: They’ll either mail you a cheque or credit your credit card.
- Extension: If your travel plans change and you decide to stay longer, you can extend your policy online.
In sum, a quick and easy process and a service we trust.
Two thumbs up.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Before you go) What to know by admin
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Monday, April 13th
8:00 am
If you’re not in Thailand today, you’ll see news reports of Thais having much more fun than you. Be jealous – this is a country that excels in sanuk (having fun). Today marks the much anticipated Thai New Year, rightly celebrated in the hottest part of the year with lots and lots and lots of water. Read about what you’re missing at our Songkran guide (click here).
There’s a joke that goes: “One of the funniest things to watch is an injured seal swimming away from a shark. Because where does he think he’s going?”
The same applies today to anyone well-dressed and dry all across Thailand. They’ll be soggy soon enough.
Sawadee bi mai!
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Events) What's on by admin
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Wednesday, April 8th
8:00 am
Here’s a fun fact: mosquitos hate lemongrass.
Lucky for us, we love it. Often seen dessicated and unhappy on the shelves of Western supermarkets, in Thailand it’s a lush green plant full of scent and flavour. We’ll be planting it in our villa’s many gardens not only to keep the mozzies away but to ensure a continual supply of life’s most indulgent treat: lemongrass-scented cold towels. A stash of these in the freezer can, in an instant, make you a new person.
Nigella + lemongrass = true love
For the ultimate lemongrassy decadence, Nigella Lawson makes a lemongrass and vodka infused trifle. She steeps both custard and sponge with this lovely plant, before making a crunchy, lemongrass flavoured toffee for the top. Get the recipe in Nigella Bites. Eat it once and you’ll be ready to die happy.
With love,
Koh Samui Sunset
Filed under: (Plants) Animals, too by admin
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