Ko Samui
Ko Samui's allure to tourists began well over 15 years ago with
the arrival of the 'backpacker' or 'traveler' who came seeking
a unique tropical paradise, chasing places where locals were friendly,
life was simple, life was cheap-not to mention relatively free
of hassle from authorities-they found Samui. Contrary to the society
of Phuket, Ko Samui's population consisted of simple coconut farmers
and fisherman-not tin barons and businessmen. Thus Ko Samui quickly
secured worldwide fame as the definitive travelers paradise of
Southeast Asia.
Today, surprisingly little has changed from those early days,
as the charm of Ko Samui-as well as the aimless unhurried lifestyle-has
remained largely intact. About the only noticeable changes today
are the addition of an airport-thankfully decorated with a tropical
island feel-and the building of several top-class international
resort hotels. Fortunately, most developers have built low-rise
environmentally pleasing hotels; only a few have begun building
condominium-like high rises. Hopefully the low-rise approach will
persist and the enchanting and unassuming style that is Ko Samui
will remain unchanged for years to come.
Considering that most dive sites are situated at least two hours
by boat from Ko Samui-and considering that water clarity is not
something the island is noted for-scuba diving is surprisingly
popular on the island. Remarkably, Ko Samui has developed into
one of the main diver training centers in all of Southeast Asia.
Most instruction is completed in the shallow water directly off
the coast at Chaweng Beach, Coral Cove, or one of the other secluded
little bays or beaches that make the island so lovely. Many diving
centers will offer a couple of days on Ko Tao to finish up a diving
course, but the waters around Ko Samui are adequate for training
as the depths are shallow, the bottom is sandy, and the sites
are easily accessible from the beach; rarely is a boat necessary.
For the more advanced diver, Ko Samui has two main dive areas,
each with an approximate six-month opposite season. Hin Bai
or Sail Rock is located North of Ko Samui is dived daily from
March until September. During the rest of the year, the Ang Thong
Marine National Park to the Northwest is the choice spot. Both
dive areas are interesting and although most learned divers wouldn't
take a dedicated dive holiday to Ko Samui, most divers will enjoy
at least a few dives at both these areas.
Hin Bai is the preferred day trip from Ko Samui since it offers
the most exciting diving. The likelihood of seeing larger animals
such as sharks are better here than at other spots around Ko Samui.
Similar in shape to the islands around Ko Phi Phi, Sail Rock juts
out of the water and slopes down underwater, sometimes vertically,
to just over 30 meters. You begin the dive exploring one of the
deeper pinnacles away from the rock which are covered in the beautiful
tubastraea micrantha, a dark green hard coral that blooms
green or bright yellow polyps when it is feeding. Also, black
coral trees with either lime green or reddish brown polyps grow
out of the nooks and crannies.
Towards the end of the dive, you'll be shown an underwater chimney
located on the Northwest side-the most famous attribute of the
dive. Two divers can enter at a depth of 19 meters where the cavern
continues in for about two meters before bending upwards to the
surface. At 12 meters you'll spot a hole that opens up laterally,
guarded by scorpion fish. Although a tight squeeze, it is possible
to swim back into open water from here. Continuing up, the chimney
opens at about 5 meters of water depth and you'll exit the hole
to find yourself surrounded by a munificent carpet of anemones
full of pink anemone fish.
People tell stories of shark sightings around Hin Bai. Although
I have not seen sharks here myself, reliable sources say that
up to 15 animals that closely resemble bull sharks, infrequently
are spotted feeding at the surface. Apparently they are relatively
approachable. Along with the possibility of sighting a whale shark,
this makes Hin Bai worth diving again and again.
The Ang Thong Marine National Park is a beautiful archipelago
of over 40 islets and operators have trips to this area from December
until March. While the visibility here is often poor, the snorkeling
and shallow diving-as well as the striking topside scenery- make
for an enjoyable outing. Ko Wao and Hin Yipoon (meaning Japanese
Rock: Rumor has it that several Japanese tourists were eaten by
sharks here. Sure.) are the most popular areas for scuba diving
and are noted for shallow caves and colorful soft corals.
Ko Samui has a unique personality that is hard to describe, but
somehow it feels different from other islands I've visited. The
casual, open lifestyle, lush coconut plantations, beautiful beaches,
pleasant diving and charming accommodation make it a perfect place
to spend a relaxing interval during a visit to Thailand.
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