Payel Chakraborty

Mar 225 min read

Koh Samui: Jaw-dropping Sea, Sand and Silence

Instead of our yearly trip to the mountains, for 2022, we were looking for a destination that was a bit laid back. The first name that came to our mind for a lazy family vacation was Thailand! But again, we wanted a place that was less crowded with fewer activities. Our three main criteria were sea, sand and silence!!!

After a lot of research, we zeroed down on Koh Samui.

We booked our flight with an obvious layover in Bangkok. We had to collect our visas from Suvarnabhumi Airport before boarding the flight to Koh Samui. It was a pleasant two-hour journey with Bangkok Airways.

Day 1

Our jaws dropped for the first time the moment we landed and saw the resort-like airport. Rather than being there as a standalone structure, it merged beautifully with its surroundings. We were picked up by a chauffeur from the resort where we had booked our stay.

Now let’s talk about our resort a bit. It is important to choose your place of stay wisely if you want to make the most of a beach vacation. We chose Royal Muang Samui Villas. The resort with a classic red brick structure had easy access to Choengmon Beach. We were welcomed with an exotically flavored iced tea. There was a clay pot filled with water to wash our feet before entering the room, which truly gave a vibe of olden days.

Our jaws dropped for the second time when we entered our room. It had a beautiful stretched balcony overlooking the pool and beach; the bathroom was big enough to play hide and seek; the room had a comfy bed and fancy curtains; and last but not least, the welcome basket had some fresh tropical fruit. I'd never had such juicy and tasty guavas. I know I’m kinda going on and on, but all I want to say is that the entire place was really welcoming and had a wholesome vibe of tranquility.

We were tired after the travel and the rest of day one was pretty much spent relaxing on the beach. The evening breeze and the setting sun calmed our souls. But our stomachs did not like the calmness for long, so we started exploring the nearby area for a quick bite. We found a restaurant called Ciccio Ristorante and Pizzeria, which served authentic Italian pizza. The same evening we booked our day tour for Ang Thong Marine Park with RS Ruangsri Samui Speedboat Tour for the next day.

Day 2

The tour company picked us up from the hotel early in the morning. After a light breakfast, we headed to Ang Thong Marine Park. The first halt was at the snorkeling point where I watched other tourists including my husband enjoying the activity and realised that I may very well be a beach babe, but definitely not a water child.

Our next stop was Mae Ko Island, where I finally summed up the courage to try at least one water activity - Kayaking.

Mae Ko had a hidden emerald treasure, Ta Le Nai Lagoon, surrounded by lush green mountains. This should be on the top of your list if you ever visit Koh Samui. Our jaws dropped for the third time!

Next, we reached Koh Wua Ta Lap Island, which is the largest island in the Ang Thong Marine National Park. The white sand beach, the turquoise water, the palm trees and the limestone cliffs worked cohesively to create magic! After a 45-minute steep hike to the highest point of the island Pha Chan Charat Viewpoint, we witnessed the best panoramic view of all the Islands lined up on the beautiful blue water. Our jaws dropped and then rolled over with excitement! We thanked our enthusiasm to opt for the hike, or the most stunning view of Thailand would have been missed!

On our way back, we stopped for a traditional Thai massage as it was the wisest thing to do after an action-packed day. That night, dinner was on the beach at one of the restaurants right beside our resort. There were plenty and all served really good meals!

Day 3

We woke up late the next day and spent a lazy morning at the breakfast area of the resort with a sea view. The breakfast spread had good variety and we ate our hearts out! Life couldn’t be better! Watching the kids run, play with their beach toys and soak their feet in the water was truly blissful. We strolled on the beach with absolutely no worldly thought in mind and I would do anything to keep my overthinking mind in that state, like, forever!

We were yet to explore the town. So we boarded a Tuk Tuk and headed to one of the popular tourist attractions - Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. The two interesting granite rocks have a sad story of woe as per the locals. There were several souvenir shops in the area to buy gifts for family and friends. The coconut ice cream we had there was an absolute delight.

The remainder of the day was spent exploring the nearby beaches. The whole afternoon we lazed around on Lamai beach, sipping coconut water and getting foot massage right under the shade of a coconut tree.

It was our last day in the beautiful town and what could be a better way to remember a place than experiencing the sunset? We already had a spot identified for a spectacular view, so we headed to Beach 59 Café.

It was getting dark. It felt as if the happiness was fading away. As our last try to hold onto as much as we could, we spent some time at the famous Coco Tam’s beach bar in Fisherman’s Village to witness the most spectacular, jaw-dropping Fire Show at the beach. While enjoying the show, suddenly we saw a turquoise hue engulfing the entire area, a hue similar to the Northern Lights. No, it was not the fire show although that was our first thought; it was a passing comet! Guess ‘twas a parting gift from Samui.