SummaryAirport Rating ***** Reception of locals *****
There's a few ways to get to these islands, you can either catch a ferry from Surat Thani or fly in from Bangkok. I decided to catch an overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then a ferry to the islands. Unlike the overnight train from the north to Bangkok, this train was much small, and significantly less comfortable. On the train I met a group who were travelling to Singapore and Malaysia and got chatting to a few of them to kill some time. They were at the beginning of their 6 month adventure and seemed very excited, it helped me a second wind as I was about halfway through my summer and getting quite exhausted.
The three islands are very different, but the one thing that connects them all is the feeling you are in paradise. Koh Samui is the largest of the islands, and also the busiest. Whilst not quite as noisy or humid as the north, there was definitely a feeling of a busy island in certain places. I had met a few people in the north of Thailand including one who lived in Koh Samui so she showed me around some of the main sights which I was thankful for. First stop was the lookout point, a part of the island where you can look out across the island also the sea surrounding the island. Stopping off the side of a main road, I managed to take a few pictures. Its strange, as soon as you step away from the road and look out over the side, you forget you are on a pretty busy island. The Golden Buddha is possibly the main attraction in Koh Samui and its an imposing sight. A large, golden statue of Buddha on the side of a large cliff is impressive and definitely a unique sight. Surrounded by busy markets, you walk up a fair few steps before reaching the temple where the statue sits. You walk around ringing every bell in a clockwise direction before coming back to face the statue. I visited quite a few temples in SE Asia, but this did stand out. |
AuthorBritish Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures. Categories
All
|