Santiburi Samui Country Club

Santiburi Samui Country Club boasts the only 18 hole golf course on the island. Located inland from Mae Nam, the neighbouring town to Bophut, the challenging mountain-side and high valley fairways offer stunning views of the bay area and distant Ko Pha Ngan. Golf carts are compulsory, to prevent the exhaustion of players otherwise following the steeply rising and falling fairways. Large greens offer some compensation to players distracted by the fabulous views and lush tropical setting. The clubhouse includes locker rooms, dining, conferencing rooms as well as a driving range, practice green and shop.

Picture By http://www.destinations-privees.

Scuba Diving in Thailand - Koh Samui

Koh Samui is Thailand’s third largest island. It is still covered with coconut trees, jungle and rugged rocks of granite sloping into the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Siam. Samui measures 21km in its length and is 25km wide.Nowadays Koh Samui is a preferred destination for divers who are looking for an up-market western infrastructure in the Gulf of when compared to what is available on Koh Tao the main diving destination in this area.5 Star resort and luxury villa accommodation is easily found on all parts of the island. Four international hospitals are available as well as a golf course, plenty of Spa treatments from traditional Thai massages to healing fast and hot stone therapies. Many restaurants employ international high class chefs and the variety of international cuisine is enormous with no doubt –delicious. All the major fast food chains will be found as well.Diving from Samui is varied, mainly boat diving and virtually possible all year round. The journey to the dive sides differs between 45 mins (Speedboat to Sail Rock) and 3.5 hrs (slower displacement boats/tourboat) depending on the destination and boat type, which means Speed- or Tourboat.Depths range from shallow reefs between 10-18m and deeper Pinnacles down to 40m. However most of the dives are not conducted deeper than 30m and depending on diver’s experience.The majority of dive trips offer two or three dives which are more or less daytrips due to the destination and travel time.One of the undoubtedly most famous dive sites in the Koh Samui Archipelago isSAIL ROCK located 45 km north of Samui midway between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. This rock pinnacle is, shaped like an ice-berg emerges from 40m to 15 m above the oceans surface. Sail Rock provides large schools of pelagic’s steep walls, rock formation covered with corals and an awesome “chimney”, a swimthrough located on its northwest side. The chimney starts at 18m down and exits at 6m where the natural light penetrating the top makes it fantastically picturesque. At its exit on the top you will find yourself surrounded by magnificent carpets of colourful anemones full of vibrant anemone fish. At 12m you will spot a hole that opens up. -“The window” is another opportunity to exit the chimney into the open water.Apart from the big schools of fishes you see here all year round you have a good chance to spot whale sharks or manta rays passing by on their feed in season.Abbey Vallance works with http://www.kitscuba.co.uk/, one of the UK's leading online scuba stores, as their customer services manager. She is a dive enthusiast and loves to share dive experiences with others.For diving reviews and much more visit http://www.kitscuba.co.uk

Koh Samui Airport

On the small tropical island of Koh Samui off the eastern seaboard of Thailand there exists what has got to be the quaintest little airport on the planet.
Why is that? Well, for starters every building on the airport complex is entirely thatched over with palm leaves and not many airports can claim that can they? In the main public areas the exterior walls have wide-open sides for the ocean breezes to waft through keeping it at a nice cool temperature. The smiling staff who work there are ever-helpful and polite and greet every new-comer as though they have just come from outer space - which to those on this remote island is exactly how it must feel to them. It's the opposite when you leave because the islanders really hate to see people depart from their island, they figure: having spent ALL that money to get there why would anyone want to leave? And it makes you wonder who really is nuts - the smiling islanders or the grinning farang!
When they gently direct you to Terminal One with pride in their hearts - you really have to chuckle because of course it's the only terminal they have! There are no gate numbers to rush to, as all passengers arrive and depart courtesy of a clean and modern air-conditioned shuttle bus, which covers the distance from the plane to the main building or vice-versa in about two minutes flat. There is no carousel except the one going around in your head. There are no loudspeakers and no information screens. Just people cheerfully carrying out their tasks with absolutely no hustle or bustle on their minds. Time has almost stopped still.
There is only one single arrow-straight runway to handle both incoming and outgoing planes, which total no more than about twenty flights per day between 6.30 am when the airport opens for business at sunrise and when it closes at sunset exactly twelve hours later.
Playing the ace green card, Bangkok Airways, who built and own the airport (International Airport Code - USM) have attempted a truly unique experiment and one of which they can be proud. The actual buildings, which were finished in 1984, are not only pleasing to the eye but work hand-in-glove with the island's natural environment. It is, in itself, a compelling advert for greenness in all its forms. The vast Bangkok Airport (BKK) may be the newest and flashiest airport in the world but I've never seen anyone standing around taking hundreds of photos of it like they do of Samui Airport. This airport almost seems to be smiling at you - wanting its photo taken. And for sure no other airport replaces its roof with fresh palm leaves every two or three years like they do here. The fact is, once upon a time, little Samui was the world's largest exporter of coconuts and palm trees are one commodity they still have plenty of. Its what they have used for centuries on the roofs of their villas and bungalows and the ubiquitous salas that abound everywhere - so they figure; why stop there? Why indeed?
As the plane starts its gradual descent approach towards the narrow jutting peninsula on the northeast sector of the island you will now get a fantastic bird's eye view of Samui and all the other outlying islands. You'll see the surf breaking on the beaches and trace the wakes of small fishing craft as they criss-cross the incredibly green-blue turquoise sea. Then as you get closer you can make out the coral reefs growing beneath the dappling clear water. And if you look harder still you might even see a pod of dolphins jumping and dodging around the fishing craft waiting for the friendly fishermen to throw them a morsel. Phew, what a sight for sore eyes!
Frankly, the whole experience is just too much for the human soul to contemplate and you really cannot wait to land to check that it really wasn't a figment of your imagination. Maybe the airport workers are not that wrong - because it certainly feels like you've just come from outer space - as surely nothing on this planet awaits the visitor more pleasingly than this tropical hideaway located in the balmy Sea of Siam. Jet lag? Well, you can't get jet lag in paradise, but I bet you didn't know that either did you?
...... by Derek Taylor......

Chaweng Beach

The largest and most popular of Samui's beaches, Chaweng is usually divided into three sections: North Chaweng, Central Chaweng, and Chaweng Noi (Little Chaweng) around a headland to the south. Chaweng Beach is longest beach located on Samui Island's east coast. The beach is beautiful here, and local developers are finally cleaning up some of the trashy area on the island. It attracts many young travelers and families alike, and remains good value for the money. The beach is approximately 7 km long, with powdery white sand. It is bordered by emerald-blue waters and a coral reef where waves break, leaving the bay quite peaceful. Not far from the beach, there are two small islands near the reef. After swimming, you can explore the nearest one by walking through shallow water or go for snorkeling and kayaking at the second island which is further out and larger.
Chaweng at dusk
The central part of the beach is a bit more crowded than the quieter north. Many vendors pass by offering beverages, fruit, ice cream and local Thai food for the more daring. A variety of local crafts and Thai souvenirs are also available.
The beach itself is usually accessed through the hotels, as there are no beach roads to disturb the peacefulness of the area. It is very relaxing but noticeably more touristy during the high season. The water is clean, with usual temperatures between 25-28 degrees Celsius.
Parallel to the beach, clustered in the middle of the strip, lies Samui's greatest concentration of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and of course, fast food and convenience stores.

Songkran Festival

“Songkran” is the Thai traditional New Year and an occasion for family reunion. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time comes, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.
The festival falls on April 13 and the annual celebration is held throughout the kingdom. In fact, “Songkran” is a Thai word which means “move” or “change place” as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.
This Thai traditional New Year begins with early morning merit-making offering food to Buddhist monks and releasing caged birds to fly freely into the sky. During this auspicious occasion, any animals kept will be set free. Paying homage to one’s ancestors is an important part of the day. People will pay their respects to the elders by pouring scented water over the palms of their hands. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.
In the afternoon, after performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the celebrants both young and old, joyfully splash water on each other. The most-talked about celebration takes place in the northern province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. During this period, people from all parts of the country flock there to enjoy the water festival, to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and the beautiful parades.

Koh Samui

The 247-square-kilometre Samui Island is Surat Thani's major tourist attraction. A 51-kilometre ring and largely coastal road encircles the island, which has numerous lovely beaches and bays and is almost literally an island of coconuts and forested hills. Other island attractions include coral beds, waterfalls, the phallic rock formations called Hin Ta Hin Yai, the nearby butterly garden, a massive seated Buddha image on Fan isle and a monkey training centre.

Nathon - Samui's port and administrative center, but with little to attract the tourist
Mae Nam - a quiet and beautiful beach on the northern coast
Bophut - known for its Fisherman's Village, laid-back but growing fast
Bang Ruk - at the northeastern tip, home of the Big Buddha
Choeng Mon - quiet North shore beach
Chaweng - the largest and most-developed beach, with a curious mix of luxury hotels and backpacker guesthouses and a hopping nightlife
Lamai - Samui's "second" beach south of Chaweng, more backpackery than Chaweng
South Coast - the small beaches of Ban Hua Thanon, Na Khai, Laem Set, Bang Kao and Thong Krut

Surat Thani

The largest province of the South located 685 kilometers from Bangkok is Surat Thani the province with a name that literally means "City of the Good People". A former capital of the Srivijaya Empire, the province covers an area of approximately 12,891 square kilometers. Surat Thani Province borders the Gulf of Thailand to the north and east, Chumphon Province to the north, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Krabi Provinces to the south, Phang-Nga and Ranong Provinces to the west and Nakhon Si Thammarat Province to the east.