Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [482]
At Wat Samret ( Map), near Th Ban Hua, you can see a typical Mandalay sitting Buddha carved from solid marble – a common sight in India and northern Thailand, but not so common in the south.
Activities
DIVING
If you’re serious about diving, head to Ko Tao and base yourself over there for the duration of your diving adventure. If you’re short on time and don’t want to leave Samui, there are plenty of operators who will take you to the same dive sites (at a greater fee, of course). Try to book with a company that has its own boat (or leases a boat) – it might be slightly more expensive, but you’ll be glad you did it. Companies without boats often shuttle divers on the passenger catamaran to Ko Tao, where you board a second boat to reach your dive site. These types of trips are arduous, meal-less and rather impersonal.
Certification courses tend to be twice as expensive on Ko Samui as they are on Ko Tao, this is largely due to use of extra petrol, since tiny Tao is significantly closer to the preferred diving locations. You’ll drop between 16,000B and 22,000B on an Open Water certification, and figure between 3200B and 6200B for a diving day trip depending on the location of the site.
The island’s hyperbaric chamber is at Big Buddha Beach (Hat Bang Rak). The following dive operators are recommended:
100 Degrees East (0 7742 5936; www.100degreeseast.com; Hat Bang Rak) Highly recommended.
Calypso Diving ( Map; 0 7742 2437; www.calypso-diving.com; Chaweng)
Discovery Dive Centre ( Map; 0 7741 3196; www.discoverydivers.com; Hat Chaweng) Based at the Amari Resort.
Samui Planet Scuba (SIDS; Map; 0 7723 1606; samuiplanetscuba@planetscuba.net; Chaweng)
OTHER WATER ACTIVITIES
For those interested in snorkelling and kayaking, book a day trip to the stunning Ang Thong Marine National Park ( Click here). Blue Stars Kayaking ( Map; 0 7741 3231; www.bluestars.info), based in Chaweng on Ko Samui, offers guided sea-kayak trips (2000B) in the park.
For some instant gratification, head to Chaweng, from where you can hire sailboats, catamarans, snorkelling gear, boats for waterskiing and so forth. Be wary of scams involving jet-ski rentals, Click here for details.
SPA & YOGA
Competition for Samui’s five-star accommodation is fierce, which means that their spas are of the highest calibre. Pick up the Siam Map Company’s free booklet, Spa Guide (www.siamspaguide.com), for a detailed catalogue of the top centres on the island. The following list of resort-affiliated retreats includes some of the finest places to be pampered on Samui (if not the world).
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TOP FIVE TOP-END SLEEPS
Samui is the place to splurge, and there is no shortage of five-star accommodation that will make you feel like royalty. These are our faves:
Sila Evason Hideaway ( Click here)
Library ( Click here)
Anantara ( Click here)
Baan Taling Ngam ( Click here)
Zazen ( Click here)
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For top-notch pampering, try the spa at Anantara ( Click here), the Hideaway Spa at the Sila Evason Hideaway ( Click here), or the wellness centre at Tamarind Springs ( Click here).
The newly opened Absolute Sanctuary (0 7760 1190; www.absoluteyogasamui.com) is a wellness resort near the airport offering detox programs and every type of yoga under the sun.
The Spa Resort ( Click here), in Lamai, is the island’s original health destination, and is still known for its effective ‘clean me out’ fasting regime.
Courses
The Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (SITCA; Map; 0 7741 3434; www.sitca.net; Hat Chaweng) has daily Thai-cooking classes, and courses in the aristocratic Thai art of carving fruits and vegetables into intricate floral designs. Lunchtime classes begin at 11am, while dinner starts at 4pm (both cost 1850B for a three-hour course with three or more dishes). Of course you get to eat your projects, and even invite a friend along for the meal. DVDs with Thai cooking instruction