The view from the rooms of the Hansar Samui Resort. The island to the left is Koh Pha Ngan, legendary as the home of the full moon party. (JG Photo/Hayat Indriyatno)
Koh Samui, Thailand. I love night flights.
There’s something mysterious and invigorating about flying into a new place under cover of darkness, when the whole city is asleep. And waking up the next day along with the rest of the city certainly beats joining it when it’s already in full stride.
And so it was that my wife and I found ourselves late one night, after a somewhat bumpy flight from Singapore, riding in what really amounted to a stretch golf cart to the smallest and undoubtedly most pleasant airport terminal I’d ever encountered. (So laid-back and unassuming was the building that when we drew up to it in the golf cart, one of the children traveling with a large family on the plane from Singapore asked, “Is this the hotel where we’re staying?”)
This was Koh Samui, the southern Thai resort island that’s not quite a household name like Phuket, but is popular with vacationers nonetheless. We were headed to the Bo Phut Bay area on the island’s north coast, within sight of the smaller island of Koh Pha Ngan – famous as the original home of the full moon party (they’ve expanded the tradition and now have half-moon and new moon parties too). We weren’t here for any strenuous partying, though; our main objective was simply to kick back and relax at the beachside resort we were booked into, the Hansar Samui.
A view and a half
It was close to 11 p.m. by the time we got to our room, a lei of orchids around our necks and a fresh coconut festooned with a curly straw in our hands (both courtesy of Joy, the loveliest receptionist you could ever hope to meet). The view from the balcony was expansive, but both sea and sky were an inky black. A brochure by the television depicted guests being served cocktails against a backdrop of aquamarine waters, and that was the image I fell asleep to.
It was also the image I woke up to the next morning: even on a partly overcast day, the sea was a brilliant blue-green, the sand a lustrous gold, and the few clear patches of sky a bright blue. Framed by the red walls of the balcony, it was a picture-postcard scene.
Urip N. Wiedodo, the well-traveled Indonesian manager of the hotel, points out that every room in the hotel is afforded that same expansive sea view, and that also goes for the restaurant, the H Bistro. The infinity pool, with a built-in Jacuzzi, is a relaxing affair just steps away from the beach bar with its thrice-daily happy hours.
The night market at Chaweng in Koh Samui. (JG Photo/Hayat Indriyatno)
Taking in the sights
After a breakfast of fresh local fruit, pastries and Thai specialties, we decided to do the tourist thing and set off on an island tour by car.
Like any Thai tourism destination, Koh Samui has its obligatory Big Buddha statue, but surprisingly enough it doesn’t have that crass commercial feel of similar sites in Bangkok, Phuket or even Bali. Entry is free, as is a wrap if you need to cover up; there’s none of that nickel-and-diming that so frequently mars the travel experience elsewhere.
The Buddha statue itself is immense, and sits atop a rocky outcrop on the flight approach to the airport. Nearby is the temple complex of Wat Plai Laem, which also features a large Buddha; but the real centerpiece here is the imposing statue of Guanyin, the 18-armed goddess of mercy and compassion. Again, there are no touts hustling for “donations”; but if you do opt to give something to the temple, you get a bag of fish food in return, to feed the gargantuan carp and catfish that inhabit the lake in which the statue sits.
Both temples are accessible via the road that rings the entire island. All the tourist and commercial developments in Koh Samui are dotted around this road, while the hilly interior of the island is given over to dense coconut groves and fruit farms. Along the east coast, the road passes through the Chaweng district, which is the heart of the island’s tourist life, peppered with pubs, clubs, shops and beach hotels. There’s also a large mall that hosts an outdoor night market every Wednesday, complete with the token fried insect stall – although, again, it doesn’t have that tired, gimmicky, touristy feel, perhaps in large part because most of the people who frequent the market are locals.
Down on the south coast are the Grandpa and Grandma rock formations, so called because the former resembles a rather stout phallus and the latter is even more vivid. The locals say you haven’t really visited Koh Samui if you haven’t seen Grandpa and Grandma; and once you do see them, you’re bound to return to Koh Samui.
The lane leading down to the rocks by the sea is lined with stalls selling traditional snacks and clothes, but there’s no aggressive or unwelcome touting. But if you happen to pass by the Leonardo ice cream parlor, you’re likely to be greeted by the incredibly charming Francesco (“Was Grandpa happy today?”), who will gladly offer you a free taste of his homemade confections.
Francesco, as Italian as can be in his impassioned assurances that his sorbets are sugar-free and made from locally grown fruits, says he hopes to set up shop in Bali soon, once he’s cemented his brand’s presence in Koh Samui.
The Bo Phut fishermen’s village in Koh Samui, which hosts a lively night market every Friday. (Photo courtesy of Hansar Samui)
Award-winning pampering
One of the things that the Hansar Samui has going for it is that it’s right next door to the Bo Phut fisherman’s village. Every Friday evening the locals set up a lively street market with vendors selling all kinds of local foods made on the spot. The rest of the week, there are shops that sell various knickknacks and souvenirs, as well as beachside restaurants that serve up the catch of the day (I recommend Kruo Bo Phut for the sheer friendliness of the staff).
After a hard day of sightseeing, shopping and dining, a massage was in order, and the Luxsa spa at the Hansar was just the ticket. Named the best luxury resort spa in Asia at this year’s World Luxury Spa Awards, this place is serious about customer well-being. A session starts with filling out a questionnaire whose answers are used to determine what kind of massage oil best suits your personality and character. The massage itself takes place in a beautifully appointed room with mood lighting and music to match, and wonderful fragrances wafting up from the heated oils. If pampering is what you’re after, you can’t do much better than this.
Getting there
There are no direct flights from Jakarta to Koh Samui, which makes planning the trip something of an adventure and adds to the pre-vacation anticipation. You could opt to take a budget flight to Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, followed by a mad dash across the city to Suvarnabhumi Airport for the connecting flight to the island.
The rather excellent Bangkok Airways owns and operates the airport at Koh Samui, and accounts for most of the flights coming in, although there are also a few Thai Airways flights from the mainland and Firefly flights from Kuala Lumpur. We opted for the more leisurely choice of taking one of the gazillion flights a day from Jakarta to Singapore, and then a Bangkok Airways flight straight to Koh Samui. That meant a four-hour layover at Changi, but then I can think of worse places to spend four hours.
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