Koh Samui hotels - Activities

Spa and Massage:

Spa's and holistic healing centers have mushroomed on Samui in recent years for people who just want a day of relaxation or a way to pass the time and indulge if the weather happens to be bad. Most places offer full-service health and beauty treatments, including yoga, meditation, chi kung, international styles of massage, herbal steam treatments, facials, and body wraps, plus lectures on health.

The majority of these establishmnts are not large corporate businesses like Chiva Som or Banyan Tree but rather are small businesses dedicated to new age healing techniques which reflect Samui's status as an alternative holiday destination.

Spend some time when visiting – we certainly have no hesitation recommending this activity to you.

We could not exclude Traditional Thai Massage from this section. Thai massage comes in many forms, from the enthusistic beachside massage ladies who lay their mats under coconut palms to the roadside air-conditioned facilities where you can have this art applied to virtually every part of your body from head to toe. Whereever you are on Samui you are sure to find a traditional massage place to sooth away those tired muscles.

Shopping:

The major villages of Chaweng, Nathon, Lamai and Maenam all have central commercial shopping and business districts. For daytime shopping, most people head for Nathon, where a wide variety of shops are open all day. Chaweng Center's feature a colorful night market, and bizaar atomosphere located along the main street and surrounded by many restaurants which open well into the evening.

Many souvenirs, clothes, jewelry etc. are produced on mainland and brought to Samui. By comparison to Bangkok or Chiang Mai some products may not seem like the bargains you had hoped they would be. But they're still likely to be less expensive than they are where you live! Try to make the best purchase possible by getting a fair price.

Many labor intensive items are produced locally, such as custom tailoring, and some of the handmade crafts found on the market. There are also several jewelry manufacturers on the island. Many of these items can be bought at very reasonable prices.

A bargaining tip: Smile when you say "That seems a little expensive!" Thai merchants do not respond well to aggressive, loud, or insistent tactics. You may consider yourself a good negotiator, but remember that in the Land of Smiles, the friendlier and calmer you are the better the deal you strike.

Samui Diving:

Scuba diving is a popular activity on Samui. Prices for introductory dives are very reasonable and the warm temperatures and cool waters make it even more tempting. Short accredited dive courses are readily available and have become very popular. Numerious dive shop have sprouted up in Chaweng and Laimai to cater to this growing trade.

In spite its popularity the dive sites could be better becsue water visibiilty is not great, being in the Gulf of Thailand. The really good dive sites are about two hours away by boat. One site is an exception and that is the site around Ang Thong National Park.

One of the attractions, which make diving courses popular, is the good location from which introductory dives are conducted. Usually your instruction is straight off the beach in the shallow claim waters of Chaweng or at Coral Cove or one of the other quiet coves around the island.

The water visibility is anything between 2 to 15 meters and currents in and around Samui itself are variable and often not too strong.

Most dive shops are located in Chaweng and at nearly all toursited areas. For the novice and those with little time to spare, the local reefs offer several enjoyable dives accessible by boat within 5 - 25 minutes away including: Lamai Reef, Chaweng Reef, Koh Matlang, and Waikiki Reef.

For the more serious enthusiasts, there are many dive sites within 2 hours by boat including: Ang Thong National Park, Kao Tao, Sail Rock, Red Rock and Kho Nang Yuan - to name a few.

Night Life:

Chaweng and Lamai both have an exceptionally colorful and vibrant nightlife.

Just take a walk down either beach road and select from a myrid of venues for drinks, dining, and live music. There are several dance and rock pubs playing loud Western music. During the high season these places are heaving with people of all nationalities making it a great place to meet new friends and party to the wee hours.

The mood is generally relaxed and free wheeling and the fact that alchol its reasonabley cheap, the possibilities for getting tipsy are overwhelming. As with any holiday place beware that petty criminals exist and can take advantage of opportunities that arise from unsuspecting individuls. Simply exercise the same caution you would at home, and it is very unlikely you will be victimized.

Men in particular will find it easy to make "attractive" new friends in the bars and nightclubs. Some of these friends will expect a gratutity for their company if you go out for the evening. The majority of these relationships evolve out of the desire to have a good time. However, even though the majority have no criminal intnesions there ave been know to are occasional incidents. In particular, be extremely cautious with men masquerading as women. If you choose to take a new friend (whether a local or a tourist) back to your hotel, always safeguard valuables. If a friendly stranger pulls up beside you on a motorscooter while you are out walking at night, and offers you a ride, don't go. Finally, women especially, should not accept invitations from a stranger to walk with them on the beach at night.

For bars and discos, Chaweng is the place. A mainstream kind of fun always takes place at The Reggae Pub (indicated on just about every island map--back from the main road around the central beach area). For something mellow and moody, walk to the beach. All along Chaweng's sandy strip you'll find beach lounges with ambient music and lighting where you can lie on big straw mats and pillows and gaze at the stars while enjoying cocktails.

Over at Lamai Beach, the open-air bars get a little sleazier, with less originality but more bar girls. The big nightclub in Lamai is supposed to be Bauhaus located in the center of the beach road.