Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [493]
Wiesenthal (0 7723 5165; Taling Ngam; dishes 90-250B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Wiesenthal is a casual open-air restaurant overlooking a quiet beach. Devour a scrumptious assortment of international cuisine in the shade of a bamboo umbrella.
Big John Seafood (0 7742 3025; www.bigjohnsamui.com; Thong Yang; dishes 60-300B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Big John’s menu looks like an encyclopaedia of marine life. The seafood is freshly caught everyday from various fishing hot spots off the coast of Samui. Dinnertime is particularly special – live entertainment kicks in around 6pm just as the sun plunges below the watery horizon.
Five Islands (0 7741 5359, 08 1447 5371; www.thefiveislands.com; Taling Ngam; dishes 150-500B, tours 5000-6500B; lunch & dinner) Five Islands defines the term ‘destination dining’ and offers the most unique eating experience on the island. Before your meal, a traditional long-tail boat will take you out into the turquoise sea to visit the haunting Five Sister Islands, where you’ll learn about the ancient and little-known art of harvesting bird nests to make bird’s-nest soup, a Chinese delicacy. This perilous task is rewarded with large sums of cash – a kilo of bird’s nests is usually sold for 100,000B to restaurants in Hong Kong (yup, that’s five zeros). The lunch tour departs at 10am, and the dinner program leaves at 3pm. Customers are also welcome to dine without going on the tour.
Drinking & Entertainment
Samui’s biggest party spot is, without a doubt, noisy Chaweng. Lamai and Bo Phut come in second and third respectively, while the rest of the island is generally quiet, as the drinking is usually focused around self-contained resort bars.
CHAWENG
Making merry in Chaweng is a piece of cake. Most places are open until 2am and there are a few places that go strong all night long. Soi Green Mango has loads of girly bars. Soi Colibri and Soi Reggae Pub are raucous as well.
Ark Bar ( Map; 0 7742 2047; www.ark-bar.com) The ‘it’ destination for a Wednesday-night romp on Samui. Drinks are dispensed from the multicoloured bar draped in paper lanterns, and guests lounge on pyramidal pillows strewn down the beach. The party usually starts around 4pm.
Pod ( Map; 08 3692 7911, 08 4744 9207) This hole-in-the-wall hot spot feels like a hidden metropolitan lounge whose address is known only by the poshest of jet-setters.
Bar Solo ( Map; 0 7741 4012) A sign of things to come, Bar Solo has future-fitted Chaweng’s outdoor beer halls into an urban setting with sleek cubist decor and a cocktail list that doesn’t scream holiday hayseed. The evening drink specials lure in the front-loaders preparing for a late, late night at the dance clubs on Soi Solo and Soi Green Mango.
Tropical Murphy’s ( Map; 0 7741 3614; dishes 50-300B) A popular fa·ràng joint, Tropical Murphy’s dishes out steak-and-kidney pie, fish and chips, lamb chops and Irish stew. Come night-time, the live music kicks on and this place turns into the most popular Irish bar on Samui (yes, there are a few).
Nathalie’s Art Palace Bar ( Map; 0 7723 1485) You’ve got to hand it to German TV personality Nathalie Gutermann for her unabashed self-promotion. She’s turned a hillside apartment into a boutique hotel and bar, which primarily promote the cult of Nathalie and her ‘fabulous’ lifestyle. Curious about the life of an expatriate claiming aristocratic origins? Stop by for a sunset cocktail, Friday night barbecue or some of the special party events.
Green Mango ( Map; 0 7742 2661) This place is so popular it has an entire soi named after it. Samui’s favourite power-drinking house is very big, very loud and very fa·ràng. Green Mango has blazing lights, expensive drinks and masses of sweaty bodies swaying to dance music.
Q-Bar ( Map; 08 1956 2742; www.qbarsamui.com) Overlooking Chaweng Lake, Q Bar