July / Aug 2015.

The Beach, the Club, the Coast

How Centara Grand’s new Coast restaurant redefines the concept of the beach club

A Lovely Tan

Koh Tan is one of the nicest little islands to visit on a day trip

A Warm Welcome

Editor

Graeme Malley graeme@siammap.com

Graphic Designer Jit-anong Sae-ung - Zign

Photographer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon - Don

Feature Writer Rob De Wet

Feature Writer Dimitri Waring

Feature Writer Natalie Hughes

Webmaster

Seksak Kerdkanno - Klauy

Sales & Marketing Director Nipawan Chuaysagul - Ning 0 898 783 891

ning@siammap.com

Financial Director Kasper Bjørk kasper@siammap.com

Managing Director Henrik Bjørk henrik@siammap.com

Siam Map Company Ltd. 52/6 Samui Ring Road, Moo 3 Bo Phut, Koh Samui, 84320, Thailand Tel: 0 7742 2201 Fax: 0 7741 3523 E-mail: info@siammap.com www.siammap.com

Everybody who comes here knows that Samui is a prime destination when it comes to the combination of sun and sea. It’s got dozens of beaches ranging from tiny coves that aren’t marked on any map, to kilometre-long swathes of sand. Then there’s the amazing amount of sunshine allowing you to enjoy those beaches all year round. But there’s a lot more to the island than just a happy meld of geography and climate.

There’s plenty to do, and you can easily fill up your holiday and still not have seen and done everything. You can rent a mountain bike and explore the hidden interior of the island, or rent a car and do the same, discovering the temples and traditional lives that are part and parcel of Samui’s towns and villages. You can learn things too; how to paint with gold leaf, make a traditional Thai dish or how to kick-box using Muay Thai. You can learn to meditate in a retreat or hone up your golfing skills, get to grips with kite-boarding or learn to give Thai massage. Okay, so Samui may not offer everything a big city can, but there’s a surprising amount of things to do while you’re here.

Holidays on Samui can mean simply enjoying what’s immediately to hand – the beaches, the endless sunshine, the sheer relaxation that the island exudes – or it can mean digging a bit deeper and seeing all the other possibilities.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s a brilliant place to be, and you’ll probably like it so much that you’ll be wanting to come back again next year. Enjoy!

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Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permision from Siam Map Company Ltd. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Siam Map Company Ltd. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Siam Map Company Ltd. 2015

Distribution at Bangkok Airport courtesy of Bangkok Airways.

Reservation Center: 1771 Samui Chaweng Office: 0 7760 1300 www.bangkokair.com

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Mediterranean Cuisine Cuisine Mediterranean Amidst Amidstaapanoramic panoramicdreamscape dreamscapethat thatoverlooks overlooks the the pristine pristine Crystal Crystal Bay, Bay, The TheCliff Cliffwarmly warmlyinvites invitesyou youtotoaatruly trulyunforgettable unforgettable dining dining experience experience on on Koh Koh Samui.

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Kitchen opens 12pm - 10pm.

Choeng Mon

CONTENTS 48

20 More Than Just a Knead

Just what is it that makes Samui an international spa destination?

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66 Heavenly Bodies, Heavenly Minds

102 Mediterranean Decade

Serving top-notch delights since 2004,

30 Lure of the Larder

Step into The Larder, a no-fuss restaurant loaded with top quality food and more.

36 Alarm Calls

What to do and where to turn when you’re faced with a sudden emergency!

42 Best Days of Your Life

A look at what makes the grade – at SCL International School.

48 Wearing the Ink

Tattoos are a very personal thing – so what

are you looking for, here on Samui?

60

The Beach, the Club, the Coast How Centara Grand’s new Coast restaurant redefines the concept of the beach club.

Discovering the art of yoga on Samui.

70 Stepping off the Edge

One of the most-acclaimed names in quality-styled fashion just happens to have shops on Samui – look out for Psylo!

78 A Lovely Tan Koh Tan is one of the nicest little islands to visit on a day trip.

84 Island Charms Adjusting to life on Koh Samui.

88 Up, Up and Away

54 Strong Teeth, Bright Smile No matter if you live thousands of miles away, Bangkok Samui Dental Clinic is a natural choice when it comes to better teeth.

136

Having fun with drugs in Thailand is totally not a good idea!

92 What’s on at W?

W Retreat Koh Samui offers way more than the average resort.

98 Screen Test The sun is deceptive – how to enjoy your stay here and keep your skin in one piece, too!

The Cliff Bar & Grill has more than stood the test of time.

108 Art and Nature

Head for the shop that’s so full of heart – Chaweng’s Nature Art Gallery.

114 Looking Back

The history of the Thai nation features some interesting twists and turns!

120 Something Completely Different

Get away for a break at Khao Sok National Park and The Cliff and River Jungle Resort!

126 A Shore Found Gift

In the hands of Chef Roberto Bellitti,

Waterline will evoke your memories.

The traditions of Thailand include some customs that are important to know about.

132 Customs Duties

136 Inspiring Impiana There’s always plenty going on at Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi.

CRAFTED LIVING SPACES

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Island Insight An overall guide to Samui’s towns, villages, beaches and hotspots.

Samui is an idyllic tropical paradise. A blend of traditional Thai hospitality and remote island life has joined hands with modern traveller expectations. But the towns, villages and interior are home to much more than just luxury resorts, restaurants, bars and retail shops. And whilst the main beaches are recognised as some of the best in the world, there are also secluded coves and magical hideaways around many corners – if you know where to look. And this quick guide will point you in the right direction.

Chaweng

Chaweng’s main beach is five kilometres in length and is lined with 5-star luxury resorts, boutique hotels, budget accommodation and great oceanfront restaurants.

Behind the resorts, the Chaweng Beach Road is filled with restaurants, bars, spas, shops, street stalls and mobile food vendors. The lake sits to the rear of them and is a wonderful place for an early morning walk or jog. Near the southern end of the lake is the Soi Reggae entertainment area which also has two Muay Thai boxing stadiums, a temple guarded by carved monkeys and the huge Laem Din market complex. All manner of fresh produce is delivered here every day and the adjoining Dow Seafood market is a hive of activity from the early hours.

Lamai

Samui’s second most popular beach is around four kilometres long and the waters are perfect for swimming. There’s plenty of choice in accommodation, restaurants, bars, spas and health resorts. It also has a free Muay Thai event every Saturday and just off the Beach Road there’s a children’s water park. Wat Lamai is home to a cultural centre and museum that houses artifacts of Samui life before the advent of tourism. On Sundays there’s a ‘Walking Street’ along part of the Beach Road.

And just outside of Lamai town on the ring-road is the famous Hin Ta-Hin Yai rock formations that has dozens of small local Thai restaurants around it.

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Mae Nam

Nestled on the northern shores of the island, Mae Nam Beach stretches for several kilometres and overlooks the neighbouring island of Koh Pha-Ngan. High-end resorts and beach bungalows are dotted along the coast and many visitors love it for its peacefulness, soft golden sands and wonderful views. It has seven side streets that meander into the mountains: from Soi 1 you can follow the road over the mountains all the way to Lamai; Soi 4 has a ‘Walking Street’ every Thursday from mid-afternoon and also houses an ornate Chinese temple overlooking the beach and a large Buddhist temple set a few hundred metres back from the ringroad; Soi 5 has a tree-top canopy adventure theme park a few kilometres into the hills; there’s a buffalo fighting stadium a couple of hundred metres off the main road between Soi 5 and Soi 6; an early morning market is also in Soi 6; an evening market near to Soi 7; and the world-class Santiburi Golf Course in the hills above Soi 7. There’re dozens of bars and restaurants in Mae Nam, many of which are on side roads that lead down to the ocean. And at the western end of the beach the Lomprayah ferry takes passengers to the neighbouring islands several times a day.

NathoN

This is the island’s main administrative centre and the major ferry port for boats to and from the mainland. There’re some hotels but it’s more a town you would visit for an afternoon rather than stay in. Beside the terminal, there’s a local food market every day from mid-afternoon until late in the evening. Along what is known as the ‘middle road’ there’re old teak shop-houses and small businesses and a ‘Walking Street’ on Saturdays. And on the one-way road that goes through the town there’re dozens of shops and restaurants. Just off the main road there’s an ornate Chinese temple and garden in Soi 4. And near the far end there’s a renowned open-air duck restaurant – just follow the crowds around lunchtime.

Bo Phut

Bo Phut is best known for Fisherman’s Village. It’s a single narrow street that still has authentic wooden houses that Samui folk have lived in for generations. Parts of it have been modernized but it’s still awash with local foods, international restaurants, bars, shops and market stalls. It becomes one huge ‘Walking Street’ every Friday and you’ll find lots of local delicacies that few other restaurants have. Along with small hotels, there’re several 5-star luxury resorts at the far end and the beach curves around a large bay that also overlooks Koh Pha-Ngan.

And small speedboats leave from the village pier heading for the Full Moon parties that take place there every month.

Big Buddha and Plai Laem

The magnificent golden Big Buddha statue that watches over the island from the north-east corner of Samui is one of the first things you see as you fly into Samui Airport. Built on a tiny island (Koh Farn) with a connecting causeway, it’s the most iconic image of the island. Many Thais pray at the temple so dressing and acting appropriately is expected when you enter the site. There’re some very good Thai restaurants and small stores around the temple. It also affords some beautiful views and along the road from it you’ll see another large Buddha image at Wat Plai Laem. Half-way along the road between the temples is a side road that cuts through to Choeng Mon. Down this road there’s access to some quiet secluded beaches, although some of them are through resorts.

Choeng Mon

Choeng Mon lies just 15 minutes or so from the middle of Chaweng but it seems like worlds away. There’s a small town that the road runs through with a couple of dozen restaurants and bars. The beach is a favourite for many locals as it’s quiet, picturesque and safe for swimming most of the year round. There’s every class of accommodation with some old-style beach bungalows at one end. And they all overlook the tiny deserted island of Koh Farn Noi which you can walk out to if the tide is low.

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Bang Rak

In between Fisherman’s Village and Big Buddha is where you’ll find Bang Rak. There’s a few very good resorts and some private villas for rent along the beachfront that stretches around for several kilometres and has stunning views.

Bars and restaurants line the main street and there’re two piers. The one nearest to Big Buddha has daily ferries to Koh Pha-Ngan, Koh Tao and on to the mainland port of Chumpon, from which a VIP bus takes passengers to Hua Hin and on to Bangkok. Start to finish, it’s a 12-hour journey with about half of it on the boat.

Just beside the ferry terminal in Bang Rak is one of the busiest fish markets on the island. Local fishermen drop their catches here and the place is bustling with people all day long. At the other end of town there’s a short-cut into Chaweng on a road called Soi Bond Kai (which the locals refer to as the ‘Ghost Road’).

Taling Ngam and Lipa Noi

The south-west part of the island is known as the ‘Virgin Coast’. It’s largely unspoiled with lots of secluded bays, although most of the shoreline tends to be rocky. The west coast overlooks the famous ‘five islands’ and some of the closer islands of the Angthong National Marine Park (which is a perfect getaway for a day’s boat trip excursion). In this part of the island there’re some hotels, private villas for rent, up-market and local restaurants and several temples of note, including two that house a mummified monk. A second car ferry terminal is located in Lipa Noi and, like the one in Nathon, boats to and from Donsak on the mainland arrive and depart every hour from 5:00 am until 6:00 pm (check for details). And inland on the island’s main ring-road there’re several large waterfall sites and a safari park with elephant trekking, animal shows and adventure tours. Further along, next to the Ford and Mazda dealers is a new Butterfly and Insect Kingdom Park.

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Hua Thanon

This predominately muslim village is home to the descendants of some of the island’s earliest settlers. There’s still a thriving fishing fleet and fish market and a natural coastline that’s survived the ravages of time. Just after the village (coming from Lamai) you can turn off the ring-road to the left and signs will direct you to the nearby Tiger Zoo, Aquarium and Sea-life Show, the Butterfly Farm, the Snake Farm and the local Rum Distillery.

Thong Krut

With its brightly coloured fishing boats and backdrop of small islands to the one side, and coconut plantations to the other, Thong Krut is a picturesque little village.

Located in the southwest corner of the island, this is where you’ll come if you’re after a long-tail boat to take you to the nearby islands of Koh Tan and Koh Matsum.

Lining the shore you’ll find a selection of simple restaurants offering Thai food, and particularly good seafood, as well as tour operators offering trips to the islands.

The Interior

Samui predominately consists of hills, mountains and coconut plantations. And few visitors make the time to appreciate its hidden beauty. One way to do so is to take the turning into Mae Nam Soi 1. A new road has recently been constructed that goes over the mountains all the way to Lamai. The drive is only about 20-25 minutes over 15 kilometres with a couple of stopping off areas that offer fabulous views. Another way to really get the full picture of Samui is from Tar Nim’s Magic Garden at the top of one of the island’s highest peaks. Built during a 25-year period by a local farmer the stone statues in the garden were sculpted by hand and sit over 2,000 feet above the beaches below.

An Exclusive Gem on the shores of Koh Samui Prana Resort Nandana invites you to an idyllic Thai sanctuary where traditional charm co-exists with modern comfort, where leisure travellers can bask in nature’s beauty while rejuvenating both body and mind, and business travellers can attend meetings in an atmosphere conducive to inspire creativity.

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14/3 Moo 4. T. Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand 84320 Fax: +66 77 246 369 Email: reservation@pranaresorts.com www.pranaresorts.com

MORE THAN

JUST A KNEAD Just what is it that makes Samui an international spa destination?

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It depends how you count them, but there are approximately 200,000 islands in the world, about half of which are inhabited. That’s a lot, and there’s an enormous amount of variety in them. A few – probably less than a dozen – stand out for an unusual factor: the astonishing number of spas that they have. Samui is high up on that list; given its relatively small size, Samui is packed with places to get a massage and all kinds of other health treatments. There are over 60 spas now and countless places where you can get a professional treatment. If you’re here on holiday, one thing you should definitely indulge in is a session at a spa.

But how do you choose which one to go to? Well, it’s a bit like choosing a restaurant: price and setting are both important, and just as in a restaurant, you need to know which kind to go to.

Spas can be, well, a bit daunting - but not on Samui.

Firstly, thanks in large part to Thai culture, they’re very welcoming and friendly. You’ll feel at home quite instantly. And, secondly, you won’t leave white-faced with worry and thinking what your bank manager’s going to say. The treatments in most places are very affordable, and as with restaurants, you can always find one to suit your budget. Spas have menus too, by the way. All the treatments are listed, along with their prices, and you’ll be able to see how much everything costs.

Whether you’ve visited a thousand spas, or this is your first ever experience, you may well want to discuss your treatment with whoever has brought you the menu. This person is key to you having a satisfying time, and can help you narrow down what treatment you’d most enjoy or benefit from. And if you have opted for a simple massage, you can always define whether you’d like the massage to be gentle or tonic.

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All the spas on Samui have one thing in common: no matter how much they may be slap bang in the centre of things, they’re always separated from the world outside. Once you’re inside, you feel you’ve stepped away from all hustle and bustle and have entered a calmer place, like a sanctuary. This is one of the key steps in the spa process – to get you to relax, even before anything begins.

You’ll enter a place that’s as shielded from the eyes as a Spanish courtyard, and will bring you a profound sense of tranquillity. If you’re in a town, you may find your sanctuary is a walled one, but if the spa is away from roads and people, then you may find yourself in a purely garden or jungle setting. Both types will offer the utmost privacy.

So far so good. Whether you choose a simple massage or are on a ten-day retreat, you’ll find that spas offer you a chance to not just relax, but improve your health. Spas such as Kamalaya, Spa Samui Resorts, Natural Wing and Absolute Sanctuary expand on the normal menu to bring you additional benefits such as detoxification and cleansing programs which promote wellbeing through not just eliminating poisons, but also by teaching you skills that you can take home with you, such as meditation and yoga.

chef’s dinner specials

Overseeing the culinary team at Hansar Samui, born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Chef Stephen began his culinary career at the famed restaurant Les Halles in Quebec, one of the most outstanding independent restaurants in Canada.

A unique opportunity to be the Private Chef to His Majesty the King of Jordan became a turning point in his career and he spent the next two years catering for the Royal Family.

Stephen spent the next five years at the Lebua at State Tower Bangkok (known as the Dome) and within a few years became the Executive Chef at the Sirocco restaurant.

At our beachfront H Bistro restaurant, Stephen has created a unique epicurean experience for guests where they can appreciate the authentic taste of French Mediterranean Cuisine, in addition to a Thai menu.

Since we’re in Thailand, all spas offer Thai massage, with its sublime combination of kneading, pressure and stretching which helps to balance the body’s energy channels, much in the same way that shiatsu or acupuncture does. It’s also possible to study Thai massage here on the island, and many people come here just to do that. Thai massage is very good for your health, though naturally there are conditions that are contra-indicated, such as osteoporosis, serious heart conditions, high blood pressure or cancer. If you’re pregnant avoid once you start the third trimester.

Stephen Dion “an epicurean experience one shouldn’t be missed”

Oil massages may well rely on Thai essential oils, which are powerful natural remedies. They’re basically energizing, calming or balancing, but whichever you choose, they add to the pleasure of the caring touchcthat good massage always reflects. Such oils are derived from plants such as camphor, ginger, lemongrass and ylang-ylang, all of which are grown in Thailand.

Some spas grow their own herbs which are used in the treatments, especially in the balled compresses or ‘pra kob’ that you may find yourself being kneaded with. Others have taken things many steps further and offer their own lines of products, based on herbal usages and medicines that date back centuries.

H Bistro at Hansar Samui 101/27-28 Moo 1, Bophut, Koh Samui +66 77 245 511 www.hansarsamui.com

On Samui you’ll also find a special publication, the Samui Spa Guide, published by Siam Map, the same people who have brought you this magazine. It’s free of charge and it’s widely available across the island. The guide lists many island spas, what they do, and details the treatments that they offer. All offer a highly professional service and are recommended. But it’s certainly not a closed list. You’ll also find other spas on the island which may offer great services too – the number is always growing.

Something that’s sure is that once you’ve had a session at a spa, you’ll want to repeat the experience. It’s quite addictive – in an entirely healthy way.

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LURE OF THE LARDER Step into The Larder, a no-fuss restaurant loaded with top quality food and more.

Unless you’re really familiar with the island then it’s all too easy to miss out on brilliant restaurants, especially the small, stand-alone ones that may be tucked away without a ton of signs pointing to them. The Larder is the brainchild of chef-entrepreneur Martin Selby, who takes care of the food, and Damian Ahern, who provides cutting-edge cocktails. Asked why he set up The Larder, Martin says quite simply, “I wanted to have exactly the kind of place that I’d be happy to drop into for food and drink a couple of times a week. A comfortable place where you feel at home.” The two have a wealth of experience in the restaurant world, and envisioned The Larder to be exactly that kind of place. It certainly works.

The restaurant’s guests are mainly on vacation, and many come back to experience The Larder again and again, while others are island residents who drop in regularly.

The Larder is very easy to find. If you drive north of Chaweng, along the beach road, you’ll come to it about a kilometre from Samui International Hospital and right across the road from Anantara Lawana. If you’re driving, you’ll find a small car park right next to the restaurant. It’s open daily from midday to 11:00 pm, Monday to Saturday (last orders in the kitchen are at 10:00 pm).

The restaurant is small and very contemporary. It looks like it’s been put together by a very savvy designer. You may sense a kind of architectural déjà-vu about it – there seems to be something teasingly familiar about the restaurant, and yet, at precisely the same time, you know well that

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you’ve never been to this kind of place before. Martin says that guests, though they come from very different parts of the world, often think its design harkens back to their own hometowns ... be they as far apart as Melbourne or San Francisco. It’s got a universal appeal to it, The Larder.

It’s big on comfort, too, and you’ll find it very easy to linger here and enjoy the atmosphere. “What we wanted when we thought about The Larder,” says Martin, “was to have a bit of a gastro restaurant and one that’s very informal. We certainly want people to stay for a while. That’s why everyone’s welcome to come for drinks or a cocktail – you certainly don’t have to come for a full-scale dinner. You could put The Larder on par with a wine bar – somewhere you can drop in for a while.”

It’s certainly got that feel about it, and is very relaxed. Staff are efficient and welcoming. Cocktails are certainly not quite by the book. Try Old Fashioned Swine, which turns out to be house-infused bacon bourbon, maple syrup, and angostura bitters twisted with orange. Or how about an Inside-Out Bloody Mary? It’s made of alcohol infused tomatoes – hence inside out – and is so utterly captivating that the menu warns that it’s ‘The Larder´s hangover intoxologist’.

Onto the subject of food, and Martin is quick to point out that many people love Thai food and going to Thai restaurants. “But sometimes they want to have European food and that’s what we’re here for. Although we don’t do Thai food, we do add Asian touches to what we’re making for our guests.”

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No fuss, no fancy terms, no pretension,’ adds The Larder’s website, neatly encapsulating the restaurant’s appeal and rationale. It’s a downto-earth kind of place, and the food is always dependably tasty. There are no bizarre experiments going on backstage, no food being made that might be so new-fangled it might have been beamed up from some other planet. Even if it’s very eclectic, the food is as straightforward as its creator; Martin, asked why he loves cooking, says quite simply and offthe-cuff, “It’s because I like food.” He’s cooked for fine dining restaurants and for massive hotels; now he aims for a simpler venue for his cooking.

“We’re about rustic dining. We make, for example, Scotch eggs – it’s simple, homely stuff, but it’s done well. We also do classics but put twists on them, and make them contemporary. We have great produce – the best of Thailand – with a lot of the meats coming from Australia and Europe.”

Come for lunch and amongst the international dishes, you’ll find a couple of British-style inspirations, though with the aforementioned twists.

You can try Wagyu Beef & Black Beer Pie, Buttered Vegetables, or what Martin calls Proper Fish & Chips – think beer-battered snow fish and hand-cut French fries. There are a good few choices to be made, and it’s the same with dinner, and once again you may need some time to decide what to have. You can opt for a delicacy like Taco Belle, Fresh Tuna Tartar in Miniature Tacos, Avocado Mousse & Teriyaki Sauce, or there’s the aforementioned Scotch egg (its full title is Soft Yolk Scotch Duck Egg, Asparagus for Dipping with The Larder Pickle).

Dinner mains are Flame On, or Char-Grilled Wagyu Beef Rump, Rocket, Stilton & Quince Salad. Or the more Japanese-style Ninja Roll, which is Crisp-Skinned Atlantic Salmon, Nori, Roe, Wasabi Foam. Or how about Prawnstars? – the menu abounds with puns – best Pan fried Scallops & Prawns, Miso Dijon Sauce, Roasted Fennel and Soused Radish.

In addition to the menu, there are also specials of the day. These are advertised on a chalk board on the wall. You’ll also find a list of cheeses that are currently being offered.

While browsing the menu just remember that The Larder is one of those restaurants that offer great desserts. Make sure you have room,or at least make a note to come back another time for one.

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With prices that are entirely reasonable and food that’s incredibly tasty, The Larder scores points across the board. It’s well worth checking out and enjoying a drink or a meal in this exceptional place, but with The Larder being so popular, it’s definitely recommended that you book!

Dimitri Waring ___________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7760 1259. www.thelardersamui.com

ALARM CALLS What to do and where to turn when you’re faced with a sudden emergency!

I heard not so long ago that a good friend of mine ended up in hospital. It’s actually not so hard to do, considering the traffic on the island. But this gave me pause. Here was a man, living permanently on Samui for 16 years or so, who had been knocked off his motorbike. He wasn’t a tourist or a visitor to the island.

He supposedly knew the score. He had a mobile phone with a full-time contract.

And yet, lying in the road, slightly damaged but wide-awake, he didn’t know what to do. What numbers to call. Who to turn to. Police? Hospital? Witnesses?

Ambulance? Insurance? Where how, who, what? He just didn’t know. And it made me think.

If he, ‘knowledgeable’ as he was, and a long-term resident, was unsure what to do in an emergency, then what about me? What about you: would you know what to do? Nearly all of our readers are visitors here. Is it simply a question of ‘it isn’t going to happen to me’? My friend and his misfortune proved to me that this kind of thinking is ostrich-like – put your head in the sand and keep thinking it’s not going to happen. But it did – things do, sometimes. And it also brought to light my own failings. Because, had I been in his situation, I realised that I wouldn’t have known what to do either!

It’s quite normal to assume the best. It’s more than hope – it’s a certainty that we cling to. In Europe and other first-world nations, fall down a cliff, get trapped in a snowdrift, get bitten by a dog, even crash your car into a horse, and you know there will be medivacs and helicopters, veterinarians and emergency teams to help you within minutes. And so, unthinkingly, we assume that someone will come to help us if we have an accident or a medical emergency over here.

Or if we get robbed. Or if we lose our passport or money. But this is Thailand.

And things are completely different over here. And if you think I’m dramatizing, I’ll give you the name of a friend who, with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a fractured collar bone, was kept waiting for two hours on a hospital trolley until he eventually signed a blank credit card slip.

Firstly, you – everyone – needs a working telephone. If you’re a visitor to Samui, it’s vital. If you don’t have a phone on which you can make local calls, get one.

And don’t just assume that your own phone on a roaming contract will do the job. Check it! Quite a few of the better hotels and resorts here now provide their guests with complimentary phones for just this reason. Phones are cheap and easy to buy anyway, together with a pay-as-you-go contract that any 7-11 will provide you with – the phone too – and set you up.

The rule? Assume it’s going to happen and plan for it – it only takes moments to do once you have this mind-set. And it costs very little. But put your head in the sand and hope for the best and you are tempting fate. The chances are 100 to one that it won’t happen anyway. Fair enough. But that also means that one out of every 100 people is going to end up in a mess. And so the first thing is a working phone. The next thing is to know who to call.

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Obviously first base is a reliable connection at your resort. Someone you can contact if there’s an emergency. You’re located there. They want to take care of their guests. So it makes sense. But relying only on this is another ostrich-step.

Because what if they don’t answer? Assume that they might not and program a few other numbers in your phone contacts, too. Many day-to-day minor niggles can be easily sorted with just one quick phone call – such as if you lose your rental car keys, for instance. During the hours of daylight everything on Samui is simpler and cheaper. But, as night falls, taxis and transport become expensive and unreliable, hotel contacts go off duty for the night and everything becomes more uncertain and cloudy.

Thus there are two other numbers you essentially need to have on your phone.

One is the number of the English-speaking Tourist Police. The other is the number to call ‘Samui Rescue’. This is probably the finest service on the island. Originally it began a long time back to assist boats in trouble out at sea. It was a voluntary association, staffed by unpaid locals, but has now spread to cover road traffic accidents and similar contingencies, and is now augmented by dedicated English-speaking volunteers. Samui Rescue is the equivalent of what you’re used to back home if you have a sudden emergency. Their response is rapid, their approach flexible, and I’ve even seen them summon a motorbike and sidecar to take an injured tourist (who couldn’t afford a paid-for ambulance) to hospital.

Of course, there are many less-immediate contingencies. Situations where you won’t have to make instant decisions and you have some leisure to resolve them. Losing a passport, perhaps. Extending your visa for a longer stay. Dental treatment, a renewed prescription or a minor hospital visit or treatment. And that’s where you need to go online. Happily, there are now many websites that will point the way – and you’ve all come with iPhones and iPads, haven’t you?

Our own Siam Map Company has been going here since 1997. And now we have a comprehensive online directory where both websites and phone numbers are available for all these things, including such avenues as credit card cancellations or flight checking. And then we have a huge online database of previously published articles which have tapped into every element of the contingencies mentioned here, from pharmacies to dental care, to consulates and visas and overstays to insurance and immigration aspects – you name it, we’ve got it and done it. And so if you ever get any kind of alarm call while you’re here, just check through the numbers and links below!

Rob De Wet

____________________________________________________________ Tourist Police: 0 7742 1281 Samui Rescue: 0 7742 1444 www.siamdir.com

BOUTIQUE RESORT KOH SAMUI

The Dining Room is open Monday to Saturday for dinner, closed Sunday The Bistro is open every day for lunch and dinner

THE R E S TA U R A N T

Pavilion presents the best in Samui Boutique Resort dining.

The Patio Restaurant serves authentic Italian and Thai delicacies.

Experience a romantic meal with outstanding sea views.

The Look-Out Bar is the ideal place to unwind with a drink by our beach side pool.

Wedding on the Beach Experience the most special day of your life in romantic tropical surroundings at Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort.

Select from our Western, Thai and Chinese wedding options.

Let us tailor make a celebration for you or choose one of our wedding packages.

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Lamai Beach, Koh Samui Tel: 0 7742 4420, 0 7742 4030 Fax: 0 7742 4029 www.samuiholiday.com info@pavilionsamui.com www.pavilionsamui.com

Serving an exciting variety of Thai, Italian and seafood from our open, show kitchen with genuine pizza oven.

Choose from open air seating on the first floor with ocean view or air-conditioned seating on the ground floor.

Live music every night.

Open daily from 12 noon till 11 pm Located on Lamai Beach Road opposite Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort www.samuiholiday.com l 41 Reservation: 077 424 420

BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE A look at what makes the grade – at SCL International School.

When you’re a school kid, you don’t think about school so much.

Yes, sure, of course it’s always on your mind, day-to-day. But you don’t know enough about things to philosophise. It’s only later, with kids of your own, that you’ve now formed an outlook.

Schools, you’ve discovered, go about things in different ways.

Some of them stress knowledge and the importance of passing exams. Others are more child-centred, approaching it all with an eye on the child as a whole, and with their happiness and development coming first.

But this is Thailand. And for most aware parents, this means looking at a school that offers an international level of care and achievement – an ‘international school’. Such schools have to fulfil explicit conditions for Thai registration, and satisfy all the requirements to qualify for international standing, too. This is heavy-duty stuff, and not easy to achieve. But one such school is SCL International School in Lamai, which also happens to be the longest-running international school on the island. And when you discover that their motto is ‘Educating the Mind, Nurturing the Soul’ then you’ll get a good idea of what their particular approach to education is all about.

Coming into the school, first impressions are that everyone here is very cheery indeed. The co-founder and director is Emma Dyas. She’s been on board since the school began in 2004, and now has attracted more than 150 students aged between three years and 11 in the junior section, and almost 50 in the follow-on secondary school. All the teaching staff are young, enthusiastic, and mostly UK trained and experienced. And the whole place just buzzes with life.

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As a parent your first concern is that your child will be happy. You’re looking for a caring environment. You want your child to look forward to going there every day. But, of course, you also expect more, especially as time passes. Be assured that, at SCL, there is also a very purposeful approach to learning. Thus in 2010, the school gained accreditation as a UK Cambridge International Examinations Centre, and the following year were granted full and accredited ‘International School’ status.

Everything here is deliberately structured to feed both the heart and the mind. Children learn through playing. Thus the younger ones, although they seem to be doing an awful lot of running around, are actually following the British Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS), an element of the UK National Curriculum, which provides them with a nurturing learning environment within which they feel happy and secure, whilst developing and acquiring social skills, interaction awareness, and racial integration. As they do this, they are unknowingly taking on-board all kinds of information and knowledge, too.

Anyone who has stayed on Samui for more than a week will have noticed that there are many different nationalities here, and not just the tourists. In the last

decade, the island has attracted huge numbers of foreign residents. Some come here to retire. But an increasing number are coming here to work, either as employees or with their own businesses. Many have children. And so, right away, there’s a problem. If you are Russian, or French, you are tempted to send your offspring to a Russian-speaking school, or a Frenchspeaking school (which now exist on Samui, but only in the unofficial nursery sector). But at SCL these concerns are acknowledged and addressed within the framework of the overall international curriculum, even with very young children.

For example, the school has separate departments, English, Maths, Science, and so on. But there’s also an EAL department – ‘English And Languages’. This is where students receive one-on-one help to strengthen their language skills. And you’ll find English, French, Spanish, Thai and Mandarin incorporated into the teaching here, as well as Russian, thanks to the recent addition of Dr Inga Kazakova. Students who are struggling with the English language are taken out of the main groups for one or two hours a day to begin with, one-to-one with a specialist teacher who can speak their language. Later this time is reduced, as the student becomes more confident using English.

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All the teaching here is keyed to the UK National Curriculum. Already, at the age of seven, students are grounded in the basics of these courses of study. ‘Learning through play’ is fun, but it’s not aimless. And, as the students become more mature, they seamlessly move onto the English National Curriculum Key Stages 3 and 4 (which starts as students approach the age of 11) and are also guided to extend their activities out into the community, too.

Previous vehicles for this have included an awareness and appreciation of the environment, and of what harm is being done to the marine ecology. Another was a program of conservation and recycling activities in line with the ‘Eco Schools’ project. And last year, there was a curriculum initiative devoted to working in co-operation with the ‘Road Awareness Kampaign Samui’ (RAK Samui) in a further attempt to make the island and its communities safer and more aware.

It all depends on, as a parent, what you want, and also and how old your children are. If you think you’ll be here for only a few months, then it probably doesn’t matter so much. If you have a three-year-old, then

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you’ll want gentle day-care, with someone to talk to your child in his or her own language. But all of this changes significantly if you plan to stay longer, and your child is coming up to that very special point of about five years of age. That’s where they really need education, not simply babysitting. Then you have to make a decision. And that might mean new language skills, as well as education.

SCL International School has continued to grow from strength to strength, yet still maintains a caring and involved family atmosphere.

With its continued emphasis on individual learning, combined with an international standard of education, this is a school which really does make each student’s light shine brighter, and will make your kid’s time here truly . . . the best days of their life!

Rob De Wet

_____________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7741 8789. www.sclinternationalschool.com

New Branch Grand Opening at The Wharf Samui

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WEARING THE INK Tattoos are a very personal thing – so what are you looking for, here on Samui?

This isn’t going to be a review of shops and prices. It’s not even so much about ‘where to go’.

Rather, it’s about the ‘why’, about ‘who are you?’ and ‘what’s it all about?’ There has to be 20 different reasons for wanting to engrave your skin with something that’s never coming off. And probably three or four ways to join the club without taking out lifetime membership. And the best way to explain this last one is to talk about hippies!

Somewhere back in the mid ’60s, the world was full of hippies. Well, that’s the way it seemed to us pop-star-struck teens in my church youth club in Manchester. While the real hippies were living it all for real in California, somewhere round about 7:00 pm every Friday, there’d be a flurry of little schoolgirls dashing into the toilets via the back door. Only to emerge 15 minutes later, all covered in beads and headbands with face paint and flowers in their hair – all of which had to be removed when they later went back home to mummy and daddy.

And, really, not a lot has changed since then. As witnessed by the thousands of young men and women who just can’t wait to gallop away around the world on a gap-year voyage. These nice young boys and girls are subsequently thrilled to be in the company of the real thing; hard-core nomads with no place to call home, some being genuine fugitives, many restless and uncentred, and most of whom are pleased to wear the symbols of their lifestyle on their bodies as tattoos.

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Heads, necks, legs, full sleeves – every inky one a statement and memento. They’re doing this because it’s as much a part of their life as munching dance pills and the ingrained use of fluffwords like awesome, cool and badass. The college kids, safe with their return tickets, their MasterCards and their iPads, follow the leaders. The hip-speak is easy. But the tattoos? These awed hangers-on get tiny butterflies hidden on ankles or a little flower somewhere it won’t show with a business suit. Hardly cutting edge!

And then there are the biker tats. You’d be astonished just how many hard-core bike-freaks there are now on Samui – either here full time or else coming here and renting Harleys for two or three months every year. (And that’s not counting a solid core of dedicated Thai bikers, either.) The function of these tattoos is identical to the last example, though it may not seem like it – it’s also the same reason why Manchester United has a blazing red shirt and Bayern Munich a striped one: it’s tribal identity . . . a badge of membership, along with the leather jeans and the club patches and ‘colours’. And, really, this is the heart of the whole business. Although it’s influenced by current trends and passing fads, the purpose of nearly every tattoo is to show that the wearer is a part of . . . something!

There’s just one exception to this and it’s quite a recent development.

Nowadays, even the so-called genre of ‘body art’ is a term with little meaning, as all it has come to mean now is ‘tattoo’. You go to a shop and look through a book of samples, then say “. . . give me that one.”

But, in the last few years, genuinely talented and creative artists have been turning to this medium. Thirty years ago, they would have tried to exhibit and sell their paintings. Now, there is a growing appreciation for original artwork created in this form – tattoos. For example, Israeli-born artist Ami James works for $500 an hour and is worth $5 million. And New Yorker, Mike Rubendall, is booked for two years in advance and has already invested several years in travelling abroad, studying the art of China and Japan.

And here’s the interesting thing . . . Japanese art is the very latest trend.

Traditional Japanese tattoos belong firmly in the warrior class, and are echoed faithfully by their criminal fraternity (this is also true for every nation . . .) – the designs are hard, bright and chunky. But it’s the art of Japan that is sweeping the West – the organic flowing brush strokes of calligraphic style and the delicate transparent tones of the watercolours.

For many years already, the latest tattooing technology and equipment has allowed creative artists to make pencil drawings, but using ink on skin. But now such artists are not only free to express their creativity using the human body as their canvas, but are ‘selling’ every picture they paint!

I’ve deliberately avoided touching on Angelina Jolie and her Thailand tattoos. Likewise, the compulsion for travellers to rush and get a sacred tattoo from a monk with a pointy bamboo stick (while they chat and swill beer with their travelling chums). It’s just too painfully trendy.

Tattoo artists come and go, so it’s best to ask around while you’re here – word of mouth is hard to beat. There are just a couple of things to bear in mind – firstly these things take time, and you won’t get anything really impressive if you’re only here for a couple of weeks. And secondly, Samui’s an island and thus everything is more pricey here. But then, you’re also paying for something artistically unique. And that’s well-worth it if you want to be special, ‘wearing the ink’!

Rob De Wet

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HAND-MADE JEWELRY MADE TO ORDER. GOLD, SILVER, LEATHER, PRECIOUS AND SEMI PRECIOUS STONES. TWO LOCATIONS IN CHAWENG: 1ST: CHAWENG BEACH ROAD, PHONE: +(66)0 7742 2594 2ND: CENTRAL FESTIVAL SAMUI 2ND FLOOR, PHONE: +(66)0 7796 3811 WWW.THAILAND-JEWELRY.COM Nature Art Gallery Central Festival Samui CHAWENG BEACH ROAD

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STRONG TEETH, BRIGHT SMILE No matter if you live thousands of miles away, Bangkok Samui Dental Clinic is a natural choice when it comes to better teeth.

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Samui is synonymous with sun, sea and sand. It offers brilliant beaches and hedonistic vacations. And whether you’re here on a romantic break, just to wind down, or to spend some seriously romantic time with your partner, you’ll be well-catered for. But it’s not just those beaches that are brilliantly white. You may well be amongst the growing number of visitors who have a great holiday and leave feeling and looking healthier than when they stepped off the plane at Samui airport.

The reason is simple, and anyone can avail themselves of it: for much less than it’d cost in the West, you can visit the dentist on Samui and have many kinds of treatments done. I can hear some people recoil in horror; I can hear words along the lines of: ‘how can I trust a dentist in a country which is totally unknown to me and where I don’t speak a word of the language?’ Indeed, it’s a fair point. After all, even back at home, it may have taken you a while to find a good dentist.

But if you do just a little research on the internet, you’ll see that Thailand turns out to be a trusted health destination, with millions of people visiting its doctors and hospitals. What they’ve discovered is that medical standards here are strictly adhered to, and operations of all kinds are carried out routinely and efficiently. Medical tourism is here to stay, and each year more and more people come seeking treatments.

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At Bangkok Hospital Samui the dental department is run by Dr Supaporn Metheethakerng, DDS. A graduate of prestigious Chulalongkorn University, she trained in a government hospital on the mainland, before practising at Samui International Hospital, and has now been at Bangkok Hospital Samui since 2009. The dental office here offers an incredible range of dental treatments for a small island, and can compete with any city dentistry office. Whether it’s just a question of fillings or something a lot more complicated, Dr Supaporn and her team will almost certainly be able to help. The team has an orthodontist, periodontist, prosthodontist and endodontist, and their work extends beyond these specialities. In cases where a patient has had some sort of accident and has, say, a fractured jaw, the hospital surgeons are able to repair the jaw, before sending the patient to see Dr Supaporn.

Dr Supaporn says some 50 percent of her patients are repeat visitors from abroad, who schedule visits to Samui and book in with her at the same time. Asked how would-be patients make initial contact, she says that many write to her via email to enquire if she can help them. It may be a very general enquiry – after all, many of us don’t know what treatments we’re going to require – or it may be quite specific. Patients can also send her x-rays and photographs, if they have them. People who are already on Samui can simply phone for an appointment. The

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hospital, by the way, is very easy to find: it’s on the ring-road in the south of Chaweng, about a five-minute drive from Tesco-Lotus as you head towards Lamai.

will remain very bright for two years, but will decrease afterwards. This is why many people have the procedure repeated every few years. Patients are very happy with the results which look entirely natural.

You may be wondering now what you can have done during a holiday here on Samui. If you’re only here for a day or so, you’ll be able to do a check-up, teeth cleaning and whitening, as well as having routine fillings done. Most other treatments will take longer and you would need to ask Dr Supaporn herself for an estimate. Crowns, bridges, veneers and implants are all routine work for her, but you’ll need more than one appointment, of course, for these. Naturally, she also does root canal treatment, which can sometimes be done surprisingly quickly. The longest treatments are those for implants, as there is a lengthy healing process of between two to six months before the work can be completed.

Bangkok Samui Dental Clinic adheres to the most stringent hospital regulations. It goes without saying that all the equipment is very thoroughly sterilized and entirely safe. When it comes to anaesthesia, you need have no fears at all – Dr Supaporn and her team know exactly what they’re doing. Even nervous patients soon realize they have nothing to feel nervous about – and everything to gain by being here. The clinic has an excellent reputation and you can sit back and relax. And if your treatments require more than one visit, then you’ll be happy to come back again.

Dr Supaporn also offers aesthetic dentistry - a popular treatment is teeth whitening. It starts with your teeth being given a polish and then she chooses the colour selection for your teeth and you’ll be able to see how much whiter they will become. “On average most people’s teeth become at least nine shades lighter,” says Dr Supaporn. “The procedure is very highly effective and I’m often surprised myself by some of the excellent results.” The actual procedure relies on a machine as well as a dentist; gel is applied to the teeth and the machine emits burst of light, and the process results in the teeth becoming lighter in colour. The process is different from laser whitening. Lasers can cause quite a lot of sensitivity, whereas the process that Dr Supaporn uses, Brite Smile, is very gentle.

After the treatment your smile will be much improved and the whiteness

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Dimitri Waring

_____________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone: 0 7742 9500 ext 2500 or email bshdental@bgh.co.th. www.samuidentalsolution.com

BRANCH 1 CHAWENG BEACH ROAD OPPOSITE SPAGO RESTAURANT

TEL: +66 831715733

BRANCH 2 CHAWENG BEACH ROAD NEXT TO CENTRAL FESTIVAL

WWW.MSCARINO.COM

BRANCH 3 THE WHARF SAMUI FISHERMAN’S VILLAGE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MSCARINOO www.samuiholiday.com

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THE BEACH, THE CLUB, THE COAST How Centara Grand’s new Coast Beach Bar & Grill redefines the concept of the beach club.

At one time, many of the high-end resorts here were ‘exclusive’. It was something they prided themselves on; they boasted about it. And then somebody must have given this a bit more thought. They must have realised that this was entirely the opposite of what they were trying to achieve. Yes, it’s a trendy buzz-word to throw into your press releases. Except for the fact that ‘unique’ or ‘highly individual’ is actually what they were trying to say.

Because, after all, the very last thing that anybody wants to do is to exclude people. Every resort is looking to draw people in from the outside. It’s what they depend upon. It’s their life blood.

But there’s a lot of divergent thinking about all this. Some management gurus still argue that when you have one of the best reputations in the world for hospitality, then your name sells itself and people will pay anything you want to charge. But recently some of the best 5-star resorts have been approaching things in a different way. They know that their reputation is topnotch. Therefore, if they adjust their costings downward instead of up, they’ll not only attract exactly the same clientele as before, but they’ll open their doors to a whole new sector, too. And that’s exactly what’s been happening at the prestigious Centara Grand Beach Resort, located at the southern end of Chaweng Beach Road.

Centara is no stranger to Samui, being one of the longest-established chunks of 5-star real estate on the island. It may not be an internationally-known household word, but in recent years it’s certainly shown itself to be one of the most progressive of all the major Thai brands. This is the company that recently gave us Central Festival Samui mall. It could well have turned out to be a neon monolith, but instead proved to be a sensitive refinement on the theme, lending itself to the leafy and airy environs of our little island.

And so it comes as no real surprise that for the last two years, the company has been carefully mulling over a scheme to re-vamp the entire food and beverage presence which emanates from its luxurious Chaweng resort.

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The most visible result of this is the recently-established ‘Coast Beach Bar & Grill’. And it has to be said, with some of the paint still barely dry, this venture has made everyone notice, sit up, and take a really good look at what is now one of the most laid-back, modernistic and superbly affordable gourmet restaurants on the island.

The first thing that hits you is the fact that everything opens out as you go through the entrance. What appears to be a wooden deck with a very nice canopied dining area, expands outwards and into a whole nest of different levels, ranging from air-conditioned glass-walled chic to big sand pits with cushions and rows of scooped beds along the fringe of the sand. The cool, clean decor and styling is vaguely Mediterranean in flavour, with lots of white stucco, huge daybeds, scatter pillows, wooden decking, and steps up and down. I’ve seen it done on a much smaller scale, but here they’ve dug out great chunks of land and moved the beach sand onto them, somehow pulling the beach up and into this part of the resort!

That’s the setting. The food? Well, it’s the equal of anything you’ll come across on Samui and, at an informed guess, anywhere else in the world.

Closer scrutiny reveals that there are several key areas: the air-con wine and cheese room, a very hip open-sided bar, an outside BBQ section, the air-conditioned glass-sided lounge, and an air-con pizzeria and grill room. And each of these sources of gastronomic goodies produce delights which can be enjoyed in any of the areas already outlined.

THE SIAM RESIDENCE B o u t i q u e

R e s o r t

Phone: +66 (0) 77 420 008 | samui@siamresidence.com www.siamresidence.com

Your Private Holidays in Samui Located at the beach of Lipa Noi, the Siam Residence is nestled in a tropical garden. Created to provide the very best of Thai hospitality, this small luxury retreat incorporates luxurious accommodation, attentive service and excellent cuisine in an atmosphere of calm and seclusion.

Enjoy our 1 or 2 bedroom luxury villas with separate living room, marble bath, two toilets, free wireless internet access.

The à la carte lunch menu features salads, pastas and risotto, gourmet burgers, and a light presentation of Thai dishes. The all-day offerings come at you in the form of various seafood selections, a variety of Japanese plates, ‘bitez’ (i.e. tapas!), woodfired hand-crafted pizzas, a huge selection of cheese exotica, a choice of any of a dozen lavish cold cuts, and a ‘market’ selection, which again are tapas-style mega-nibbles. And the evening dinner menu is a symposium of added extravagance, featuring lots of seafood and substantial portions of imported beef and pork cuts.

Every single menu and beverage item is ‘menued’ (all 1,300 items) via 40 iPad Air tablets with a specially-commissioned Centara menu program, complete with specially-commissioned shock-proof covers. And among what’s on offer, you’ll come across the sublime ‘St. James Smoked Salmon Salad’ – with romaine lettuce, toasted garlic baguette, crisp bacon, shaved parmesan cheese, anchovies in a classic Caesar dressing. This is 390 baht.

Or ‘The Claw’ burger – crispy soft shell crab with Asian coleslaw and lime dressing at 380 baht. Maybe check out the ‘Tasmanian Pan-seared Salmon Steak’ on a tropical bed of ripe mangoes, tomatoes and coriander, which will set you back 590 baht.

And then there’s the Family Brunch. Every Sunday, with three different pricing tiers, there’s an-all-you-can-eat gourmet food fest, with free-flow drinks, featuring the best compilation of menu items

plus a lot more. With a barbecue grill that’s as big as a tool shed (one of only two in the country) and with wandering ‘passadors’ rotating around every few minutes enticing you to consume more and more unendingly succulent still-sizzling morsels while you recline languidly in a horizontal cocoon-shaped beach-bed. Plus, on top of all of this, there are live shows and entertainment throughout the week.

If this was a ‘beach club’, it would be the tops. Even the recorded music that’s playing is cool and sweet, with not a trace of trance or dance to be heard, and it doesn’t blast the kebabs off your plate. This envious eatery has avoided labelling itself as anything. It’s simply ‘Coast’. It’s uniquely one of a kind – and not to be missed!

Rob De Wet

________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 0500. www.coast-samui.com

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Offering the very best in International education

www.iss.ac.th

141/21 Moo 6, Bophut, Koh Samui 84320 Thailand Tel: 077 48 45 48

HEAVENLY BODIES, HEAVENLY MINDS Discovering the art of yoga on Samui.

Yoga is enjoying increasing popularity, with an ever growing number of yoga studios worldwide; it is so popular that there are even classes held in shopping malls, offices and in public parks. On Samui there are beautiful white sands to lay your mats on if you wish, while some spas also offer instruction on the beach.

But what is yoga, exactly? The yoga teachers I spoke to describe it as a source for transformation, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It helps us to become more aware of ourselves and how we interact with the outside world, especially in relation to other people and the environment. Some people may practise yoga solely for the purpose of having a wonderfully sculptured body and to be in great physical shape. Other people may be practising to improve their health since yoga is able to improve chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma. Some may be more focused on mental health rather than physical, and see their practice of yoga as a relief from daily stress and other worries. Others still have a spiritual

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purpose for studying yoga. With all the differing styles out there, yoga can fulfil everyone’s objectives.

Whatever your reason for studying yoga, you can surely find a school to suit you on Koh Samui. Without getting too technical, here is a brief explanation of a few of the yoga styles that are available on the island.

The most physical of all yogas is Bikram yoga, based on a sequence of twenty-six postures and two breathing exercises, which were selected from Hatha yoga by the founder Bikram Choudry. This yoga was highly popularised in the 1970s and is still popular today. It is sometimes called hot yoga because all classes are taught in a room or studio heated to 40 °C. If you’re interested in this form of yoga there are classes at Big C supermarket, on the ring road, as you drive from Chaweng to Bophut.You will find some places that have developed their own style of hot yoga, for example Absolute Sanctuary in the north of the island, which offers a variety of yoga styles, including yin yoga and ashtanga.

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In yin yoga the poses are held for longer than in a regular yoga class, from three to five minutes. As you adjust your body into the pose the idea is to focus your mind on the pose itself, as well as being aware of any thoughts that come into your head. Apart from Absolute Sanctuary, The Yogarden, in Fisherman’s Village, also have instructors in this style.

Ashtanga is also very popular. It incorporates a number of yoga techniques, such as postures, breathing and concentration and meditation exercises. It is a very dynamic form of yoga with each pose being held for only five breaths, and is therefore physically demanding. If you are a student of this form of yoga, or would like to study it, many of the main schools on the island offer it, including Samahita Retreat in the south of the island and Absolute Sanctuary in the north.

If you’re looking for a gentler form of yoga then Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa in the south of the island offers a more Western style of yoga. Its classes are a very safe way to practise physical and mental relaxation.

If you are more interested in Eastern traditional style yoga then you can also find this on Samui. Kundalini yoga focusses on awakening the energy in the spine and within the body, through strong and powerful movements. Classes include meditation, breathing techniques such as alternate nostril breathing, and chanting, as well as yoga postures. If you are interested in this area of yoga there is a school in Lamai that offers Kundalini yoga classes. Still more styles include ying-yang yoga that you’ll find at Samahita as well as power yoga.

I myself have been practising yoga at Yoga Boraan in Maenam. Yoga boraan is a form of traditional yoga, based upon the teachings of Swami Satyananda. The teacher was a student of the Yoga School of Bihar and 68 l www.samuiholiday.com

has been studying and teaching yoga for well over 15 years. The classes comprise all aspects of yoga, asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), yama (non-violence), niyamas (study), meditation, mudras, (gestures) and bandhas (locks). This suited what I was looking for in yoga, an all-round grounding in all aspects. The classes are held in an old traditional style Thai house in front of the temple on Soi 4.

No matter what kind of yoga you choose to practise, if you have a medical condition you should always tell your instructor before starting a course since there may be some positions that are contra-indicated, while others can be truly beneficial for your condition.

There is no doubt that yoga on Samui has been developing in much the same way as in the rest of the world. New yoga schools are being planned and built on the island. There are places already on Samui where you can go on a yoga retreat and study yoga and meditation during your vacation. Or perhaps you’re interested in one of the teacher training courses that are on offer? All these needs are catered for.

For spiritual knowledge or knowledge in general about yoga or related topics some schools offer the chance to hear lectures or attend workshops from visiting teachers. Samahita has some very interesting workshops in this area, as does Kamalaya. So whatever your reason for studying yoga there is bound to be a class to suit you, whether you’re looking for something physically demanding or something more relaxing, Eastern or Western. Everyone can reap the benefits of studying yoga and Koh Samui is proving a popular venue for both learning and practising this very rewarding discipline.

Natalie Hughes

HANSAR

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AL IT

STEPPING OFF THE EDGE One of the most-acclaimed names in quality-styled fashion just happens to have shops on Samui – look out for Psylo!

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Samui gets a lot of visitors. Most months you can reckon on about 100,000 of them. That’s a substantial audience for the local stalls and shops to aim for. And it has to be said that there are a lot of shopping bargains to be found around the island. But in some ways, that’s unfortunate. Because it means many people here are out on the prowl, looking for the very lowest prices they can find.

True, there are some exceptions. Gold, gems, jewellery. Plus there are some exceptional local craftworks to be seen here and there, usually created with silver and semi-precious stones, or sometimes items of intensively handworked leather. But, overall, Samui (as with so many places in Thailand) is a ‘cheap Charlie’ paradise, with everyone hassling in line to get the best price on a brass Rolex or a nearly authentic Gucci.

And so, on the face of it, it comes as a surprise to discover that one of the world’s leading small fashion houses has staked a claim on not just one outlet here, but two. Two shops, within strolling distance of each other. This is an international chain, with other retail shops in prime locations – Bali, London’s Camden Market and, recently, a new one in the very hip international resort of Playa Del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. And they have an actively linked factory community in Bali, employing around 80 very conscientious workers – at responsible, skilled tasks and with responsible wages, and working in a strict eco-friendly environment. But none of this is quite so surprising when you meet and talk to the people who began all this, and who are still running it today.

When you do, then some things quickly emerge. Such as they are they are all not only very capable and conscientious, but they are perceptive, too. Their fingers are on the pulse of what’s happening and where.

Camden Market was singled out just as it moved out of its hippy/streetcred incarnation, and began attracting upmarket shoppers with gold credit cards. Likewise the recent venture into one of Mexico’s most-happening new hotspots. Which begs the question, why Samui? And the immediate response is that Samui is heading in the same direction. For every ‘Charlie’ who’s after a cut-price caftan, there are now five others who are keen to appraise highend goods. And, with the ever-increasing international 5-star hotel presence on the island, the proportion of these discerning and wealthy shoppers is steadily increasing. www.samuiholiday.com l 73

A contextual pause: there is fashion and there is fashion. My grandmother is still very much into ‘fashion’. But she (now into her 7th decade) would not shop at Psylo (although she most certainly would have pillaged the shop when she was younger). The direction here is not mainstream. But, depending on your outlook (and this is the key to it all), you either look around Psylo and your eyes light up, or you’ll sigh and walk away.

Psylo style isn’t a niche or a label - it’s an attitude. It’s a mind-set. If you have a certain lifestyle and a particular outlook on life, you’ll take to it instantly. You can’t adapt or try to fit yourself into these styles – Psylo fits itself to you, immediately. Or not, as the case may be!

The average clothes shop is a strip-lit cube with mass-produced fakefashion items hanging on plastic coat hangers in standard steel racks, with paste-on plastic decor and piped muzak. The average Psylo outlet has been created by tightly knitting every visual element into the same awareness channel, and sparing no effort, expense or time in order to integrate everything into one harmonious entity. The hangers, the racks, the décor, the lighting, the knick-knacks, accessories – the entire vibe of Psylo – creates an ethos that is altogether its own. Even the graphics, the design, the photography and all the advertising and publicity is done in-house.

I’m resisting the urge to put any kind of a label on the Psylo style: as soon as this occurs then some people will switch off automatically, such

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is the power of association. Even the photos that go with this article are ‘exclusive’ – meaning that for every one thing you see, there are 50 that you don’t. The only way to experience Psylo and what it offers is to go in, browse, and handle the sumptuous, sensual, and simply superb clothes.

And the very first thing that will happen when you do this is that you’ll freeze and go WOW! Everything feels like silk. The quality of the fabrics is quite possibly the best in the world. All the cotton – everything used – is 100% organic with no synthetics at all. This is one of the most responsible companies you’ll find anywhere. Everything is made in their equal opportunities factory in Bali. It’s all made by hand, from the firststage cutting, to the hand-finished buttons and zips, to the silk-screened designs and patterns; and then checked and quality-checked over and over.

The small team of Ami Ganiel, his business partner, Dan Keller, and longterm co-designer, Shoki, have no intention of standing still, and regularly implement different winter and summer collections, in an ongoing cycle of fresh ideas and inspiration. They’ve now introduced an entire range of kiddies’ clothes, which will have delighted parents clawing at their wallets. There’s a fully integrated vibe with the accessories, and the to-die-for shoes and boots that are hand-made by their Spanish designer. Plus you’ll also find a few odd things on the discounted racks – particularly this month as they’ve just moved over to the Summer collection.

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If you were in London, Paris or New York, and a friend told you about the totally super new Psylo shop there, you’d be supercharged. Straight round there in your lunch hour, earmarking and setting aside goodies for when payday came around. But this is Samui. It’s almost automatic to think that nothing special happens in this sleepy little haven. But you’re wrong. Psylo has happened, with its super-stylistic brand of couture. It’s not for everyone. But you won’t know unless you look. Go to Chaweng, in Central Festival

Mall. Or just across from this, on the beach road. And then you’ll know that these world-class designers are adventuring just a little bit off the edge!

Rob De Wet

________________________________________________________ For more information, telephone 0 7725 6157. www.psylofashion.com

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A LOVELY

Koh Tan is one of the nicest little islands to visit on a day trip.

Photo by Claudio/fantasyatwork.com

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There are perhaps about 20 smaller islands off the coast of Samui, but it’s hard to visit most of them. Here, as with any kind of excursion, you are usually better off signing up for an organised tour. That way you are minimising the error-factor, and the tour operators are experienced – they do this for a living, every day. However, you’ll find that the tinier islands aren’t on their schedule. But if you’ve been here before and you reckon you know your way around, then it’s certainly more adventurous to strike out on your own.

One question that springs to mind is – ‘what do you want to go there for . . . what do you want to do?’ If it’s only a question of packing a picnic basket and heading off to a deserted isle to luxuriate in utter isolation, then there are one or two you can actually walk to if the tide is right.

Such as little Koh Farn Noi that’s almost touching the coast off Choeng Mon. For others, like the picturesque Koh Som, off the very north-eastern tip of Samui, you’ll need to find a boat to take you. But most people who head off on trips such as these are seeking a bit more variety and some social stimulus, too. The ‘Five Islands’ up near Baan Taling Ngam are an interesting choice: they are home to the swallows from which bird’s nest soup is made, and they are protected by armed guards – so it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stop off at a beach there for a swim. And so, bearing all of these factors in mind, Koh Tan has become a popular choice.

Koh Tan (often spelled ‘Koh Taen’) is supposedly the only small island off the coast of Samui that’s inhabited. But this is something of a nebulous

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concept, as it discounts the gunslingers in the precariously perched cliff-face huts of the Five Islands! Also I’m told that there are various little islands where local fishermen make regular stopover camps. But to all intents and purposes, this is the only accessible and permanently inhabited island. There is another such island, but it’s perhaps out on a limb by itself. It’s Koh Wang Noi, the closest island to the mainland ferry port of Donsak, and only 20 minutes away from there by boat – although that makes it almost an hour from Samui. This tiny island does indeed have a resort, the ‘Koh Wang Natural Resort’ consisting of 12 traditional wooden-stilted bungalows but, apart from this little-known resort, there’s nothing else there. If you search for it on Google you’ll find a website that’s entirely in Thai, and it doesn’t seem to be promoted (or even known of) by any of the Samui tour agents.

On the other hand, much of the appeal of unspoiled Koh Tan is that it has a community of almost a hundred people, plus a temple, school and clinic. There are also several small and comfortable bungalows to rent and a number of restaurants.

There are no roads and no vehicles on the island, and no cabled electricity either, with generators kicking-in for just a few hours each day. This has made the island something of a cult amongst peace and nature lovers, and it’s often in demand as an unspoiled haven for those seeking a quiet retreat.

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Both these islands are a part of the Katen archipelago, and Koh Tan is the largest of a group of seven that is known as the ‘South Islands’.

The island’s natural beauty is held in high esteem, and the Koh Tan Conservation Society is active in identifying and labelling plants and buildings of interest. There are numerous species of big and beautiful butterflies, rare on Samui, plus quite a few caves that house colonies of fruit bats. And there are no dogs. This is most unusual, as just about everyone on these islands keeps dogs. And this has given rise to both a local legend plus an alternative name for the island – ‘No Dog Island’.

There are several variations of this fable, the main one being that any dog setting paw on the island will die a horrible death/go insane/ magically disappear, due to an ancient curse. The other slant on this is that the original dogs were all hunted and consumed by a large snake, and the ghosts of these dogs strike fear into immigrating canine hearts.

Two rather more down-to-earth alternatives are, firstly, that the large numbers of bats on the island emit sound frequencies which distress dogs. The other is that the mainly Muslim inhabitants generally don’t like dogs as much as their Buddhist counterparts!

You’ll discover that just about every resort on Samui offers tours or daytrips to Koh Tan; if not directly, then they’ll quickly arrange something for you. But a word of caution here. The way that this often works is that the tour operators have an arrangement with the boat owners. A mini-bus will pick you up from your resort and take you to the boat, along

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with other customers – so you need to be outgoing and of a sociable disposition. Also, many of these boats are ‘long-tails’. That means they are powered by a car engine bolted onto the back, powering a long shaft, plus propeller down into the water. These boats are hot and very noisy. It’s not a lot of fun sitting right next to an exposed diesel engine for six hours, so if the thought of this doesn’t appeal, inquire about boats with inboard engines instead.

On the other hand – it’s well worth it! The water around Koh Tan is crystal clear, and you’ll undoubtedly stop for an hour for a swim and to marvel at the spectacular corals and teeming marine life that abounds.

All these excursions also seem to stop off at the nearby island of Koh Mudsum, too. Here you can enjoy the dappled shade along the fringe of the beach and there’ll be a barbecue with refreshments included. And if you’re so inclined, you can even arrange to be dropped off for the night, with lights, tents and a barbecue grill. With all these options, it’s not hard to understand why a run to Koh Tan has become one of Samui’s most popular offshore outings!

Rob De Wet

Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Spa 154 Moo 2, Chaweng Beach, Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Tel: +66 77 231 500 Mob: +66 81 751 6073 Fax: +66 77 231 520 Email: info@baanhaadngam.com, booking@baanhaadngam.com, www.baanhaadngam.com

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Olivio ~ beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort Chaweng Beach.

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ISLAND CHARMS Adjusting to life on Koh Samui.

You step onto the ferry, your stomach a bundle of nerves and excitement. Will this be everything you’ve dreamed of? Palm trees, beaches, exotic cocktails, resorts, stunning sun sets? You have a picture in your head - you’re sitting under a palm tree, mojito in your hand, sunning yourself while enjoying a book you’ve been trying to finish for ages. You’re moving to Koh Samui. Yes! You will make this work.

You watch the island getting closer and closer, and as the ferry docks at Nathon, you are keen to quickly set food on the island and start exploring. The island is fairly easy to circumnavigate in a day, once you’ve accepted the state of the roads and realised there aren’t any motorways. Non-stop you can do it in just over an hour, but it’s a challenge not to stop and check out some of the breath-taking views of rocky coves, cliffs, sweeping bays and beaches along the way.

If you’ve been living elsewhere in Thailand, the first adjustment you’ll have to make is getting used to the cost of things. Things are not cheap on Samui. I lived in Hat Yai before moving to Samui, and you could get anywhere in the city on a songtaew for 10 baht, on a tuk-tuk for around 50 baht depending on the time of day, or take a 15 minute motorbike taxi ride for 50 baht (a tad cheaper than the 150 baht I’ve been charged for getting a motorbike taxi from Maenam to Bangrak!) Accommodation is also more expensive here, but given the choice, I’d much rather be living over the road from a beach than in a city.

In the less ‘touristy’ parts of Thailand, farangs (the Thai term for ‘foreigner’) are less common, so you are openly stared at. But this doesn’t happen on Samui, which is strangely weird for those of us who’ve just got used to it. It seems at times that there are more foreigners living here than locals. I have spoken more German in the past six months than I did when I lived in Germany (okay, that’s a slight exaggeration but I’m sure you know where I’m going with this). This island is truly multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-lingual.

You can easily forget you’re in Thailand - which can be viewed as a good or a bad thing depending on which side of the bed you got out of that morning.

The drive from the ferry port takes you past literally 100’s of eateries. French bakeries, www.samuiholiday.com l 85

German beer gardens, places offering English breakfasts, Italian pizzerias and American steak houses. And of course tucked between the international offerings are the local Thai places. It’s so exciting - you can eat anything here. There is never any need to go without your favourite food from home (I’m waiting for a South African restaurant to open. Anyone?)

So while you still have amazing Thai food to enjoy, if you wanted to, you could eat from a different country every day. I love this about Samui.

One thing that is really noticeable, when you’ve been here for a few months, is the great sense of community. That’s the thing about being on a rock stuck in the middle of the sea - people tend to stick together and look out for each other. Becoming a regular in coffee shops, getting to know staff in shops, restaurants and supermarkets and actively taking part in Facebook Community groups - it almost makes you feel like you live in a small village in rural England (except that the weather is hot and there is spicy food everywhere!)

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The biggest adjustment is probably the power/water problems. There’s nothing that reminds you that you’re living on an island quicker than when the power goes off (and shortly after that, the water). The electricity on Samui (unless you’re in a hotel with a generator) is prone to cutting off shortly after any downpour of heavy rain. Sadly in some areas (mine included), the water is provided by electric water pumps, which means that when you have no electricity, your water pump stops working too. I know it sounds cheesy, but it does give you an opportunity to appreciate the small things in life. Take time to sit on the beach in total darkness, look up at the stars … and decide to book yourself into a hotel with a generator for the night.

Even though it’s small, Samui really has everything you need. Doctors, dentists, hospitals, shops, hairdressers, beauty salons, tailors and of course the most important thing you need when living in Thailand, plenty of 7-11s. If for any reason you do need something on the mainland, the ferries come and go regularly throughout the day.

Living on an island is different, and it does produce its own unique challenges, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. The beaches, the palm trees, fresh coconut water, secluded bays, warm water, the incredible diversity of people, food, cultures and languages. It’s the whole world on an island.

And yes, I often sit on the beach under a palm tree with a huge smile on my face, mojito in one hand and book in the other and say quietly to myself, ‘I live on a tropical island in Thailand’.

Maybe one day I’ll believe it.

Colleen Setchell

The Barge Nora Buri's Signature Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: thebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com

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UP,

UP AND AWAY

Having fun with drugs in Thailand is totally not a good idea!

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It’s almost impossible to write a story like this. I’m either going to sound like a moralising granny, or I’m going to come across with something bland and general. Either way there’s an excellent chance that I won’t do much good. Because what I’d really like is to warn people off. But the ones who need such a warning probably won’t be reading this.

And those of you who are reading this most likely aren’t into fun drugs anyway. So what the heck! Let’s just regard this as a cautionary tale of Thailand. And that, of course, includes Samui.

British Home Office, for instance, is quite specific what drugs are ‘Class A’ – heroin, cocaine, crack, LSD, PCP, opium, ecstasy and even magic mushrooms, amongst many others on a very long itemised list. Thailand is much less exacting about it all. And to complicate matters, there are different ‘schedules’ for psychotropic substances as opposed to narcotics, each of which carry different penalties for possession. Bottom line: unless you’re caught with a large quantity of something, fines will vary from day to day, place to place, and from person to person.

In today’s internet-savvy culture, urban legends spawn thicker than mushrooms in a cellar. And to add weight to the mix, every now and then one of our shabbier daily papers will splash up some new shocker about Thailand. Scams, prostitution, corruption, ladyboys, beach parties, drugs; it seems that, if there’s not much going on, not much news, then Thailand’s always handy to fill the gap. The result of all this is that very few people actually really know what happens over here. And what’s likely to happen. Especially when it comes to drugs.

So let’s get down to the reality of what’s readily around. Right away, it has to be said that things have changed drastically in the last 15 years or so. The first time I went to Koh Pha-Ngan, at the end of a meal I found a neatly rolled joint on the little saucer where you’d normally expect to see the bonbons. And mushroom omelettes and shakes were openly advertised everywhere. But in 2003, the then PM, Thaksin Shinawatra, instigated a blitz on drugs that resulted in over 2,000 supposed dealers being shot dead in a three-month period. The effect was two-fold. It reduced the number of dealers and the amount of drugs in circulation for a year or so. And drug prices went sky high.

Plus, of course, the other aspect to be aware of is that people come over here with in-built assumptions. They’ve grown up in the West, unthinkingly absorbed its culture and values, and instinctively assume that something at least very similar to this exists the world over. They’ll expect courteous and dispassionate treatment – a fair and honest deal – from the police. If arrested, they’ll expect the law to work in the same way as they’re used to back home. And it simply blows them out of their socks when they discover that it doesn’t and it isn’t. Worse still, the ‘rights’ they’ve always thought they had just don’t exist over here.

First off – serious drug offences still carry the death penalty. The truth, though, is that this hasn’t actually been carried out since 2004. In the West, drugs are divided into different classifications. But the Thai Narcotics Act is comparatively vague about what actually constitutes a Category 1 drug, referring to “dangerous drugs such as heroin”. The

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When it comes to visitors to Thailand, the target group for drugs are the travellers and gappers. Not only do the islands host the largest beach party in the world (the monthly Full Moon Party on Koh Pha-Ngan) but also there are perhaps a dozen other all-nighters, from smaller beach parties to well-appointed nightclubs. Yes, there are drugs going around, but be very wary of anything that’s being flaunted. It’s common for the police to set up sting operations and such Thai officials are not renowned for their subtlety. But if you’re persistent and determined to get high, then you’ll come across cannabis, mushrooms, ecstasy, ice, ya-ba and cocaine. But the downside of jail time and heavy fines is usually deterrent enough, and most party-people just end up getting plain old-fashioned drunk instead.

You’ll also hear rumours about all sorts of set-ups involving drugs.

It is said that sometimes, corrupt officials will plant drugs on an innocent victim, just to rake in some under-the-table graft. Is it true?

Today, I really don’t know. But I can tell you that in 1998, as a teacher in Bangkok and a single man flying home to the UK to join his family for Christmas, I was ‘stung’ as I was checking my baggage in. An official took me into a cubicle, patted me quickly down and ‘produced’ a small packet of white powder. It was probably talcum, but was I going to make a fuss with my plane on the runway? I dug out every penny that I had, Thai and British pounds, and was then quickly waved out and into the lounge.

It’s not the same as back home. Drugs over here are firstly expensive, then really dangerous to mess with, and just not worth all the problems that come with them – and that’s on a good day.

On Samui, if you want to get high, stick to alcohol. Any other kind of an ‘up’ and you might just find yourself being ‘away’ for longer than you expected!

Rob De Wet Fine Beachfront Dining serving Thai, Seafood & International Cuisine.

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North Tel: 0 7742 9400 Fax: 0 7742 9498 E-mail: reservation@norabeachresort.com www.norabeachresort.com

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W WHAT’S ON AT

W Retreat Koh Samui offers way more than the average resort.

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W is enigmatic. Once you start to think about W Retreat, then you start to pose questions. What is it, exactly? The over-simple answer is that it’s a resort. It has rooms you can stay in, 74 pool ‘retreats’ as they are called. So that’s exactly what it must be, surely – a resort? That answer is mainly correct, but it’s not a resort – a hotel – in any usual sense of the word. Just spend a bit of time there and you’ll see that things aren’t stapled down quite the way hotels usually like them to be. It’s a place where conventions are often turned on their head. That doesn’t mean to say the hotelier’s rule book gets thrown out of the window, but it does get creatively and very colourfully scribbled over – new ideas, new styles, new ways are all encouraged here. If you think that this is all a grand and giddy experiment that’ll pop like a cheap lamp bulb, then you’d be wrong: the people behind W are in the 15th year of running the brand, and have peppered the world with their hotels and retreats.

W Hotels is hot on design and considers innovation to be crucial; the group has a total of 44 hotels and retreats, including 16 W-branded residences. They’re all situated in highly sought-after destinations, be they cities or vacation areas such as Samui. That’s just the start … once W has built a property then come all the other ingredients: entertainment, fashion and art. Most hotels don’t really bother with anything like this, or if they do, it’s only as an afterthought. For W, it’s part of the deal; it’s in their corporate blood and they throw themselves totally into what they’re doing.

So it’s more than just a place to stay. In fact, the people you see at W aren’t always going to have a room key. They might be there for one or

other of the many events that the brand stages; W is also a space for artistic vibrancy of many different kinds.

When the day turns into night you can really see the truth of this. To get an idea, drop into W’s Woobar on a Thursday for their ‘MO-HEE-TOE Madness’, an evening of fun, music, and yes, mojitos, and you’ll soon realize what’s going on is quite unusual. There’s no leaning against a bar with a glass in hand and nodding along to a bit of live music. The bar itself is totally different. It easily ranks as one of the most creatively designed bars on the island. It’s certainly got a brilliant location, an amazing spot on the island’s north coast. It’s easy to get to, by the way.

If you’re coming from Chaweng along the ring-road, when you are leaving Bophut, take the turning on the right after Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa (look out for the W Retreat signpost) and simply follow the road to its end.

As you walk through the atrium of W, the bar is there but you probably won’t notice it – the eye is drawn to the vast panorama of sea with Koh Pha-Ngan in the distance. Pass through the atrium and you’ll quickly realize that you’re in a bar, though one that’s not encased with ceilings or walls. It’s comprised almost entirely of water and sky. Seating is sunk into a shallow pool; just lean back and you can take in the stars overhead. And once the music starts, you’ll know you’re in for an evening that’ll be memorable in the best possible sense of the word.

On Thursdays, the night of the aforesaid madness, you can drink mojitos while listening to Kelly Kellam, who’s in charge of music for W here on Samui. A singer and songwriter himself, he’s resident DJ, and creates the

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music to go with the evening. It’s not just a question of going through playlists, he selects and changes the music to go with the mood of those present. So it’s a very individual kind of evening. He’ll play with music making it brilliantly fitting for whatever’s going on. As he puts it, “People have come here for a special evening. That includes not listening to the same kind of music that they might hear in the cab coming over. It’s more about what they can relate to…but have never heard before. Music is a lot to do with memories, but here I hope to create new ones, so that the evening becomes fluid, exciting and, yes, something to remember.”

It sounds like a tall order, but spend some time listening to what he does and you’ll see that he works a definite magic when it comes to creating atmosphere. He’s also a dab hand when it comes to knowing the music world, and it’s thanks to his connections that the resort is able to put on top performers.

Incidentally, Kelly’s a very approachable figure and enjoys interacting with his audience – part and parcel of the W philosophy is the friendliness of the place; just because the folk at W are successful at what they do, it doesn’t mean they’re standoffish.

Working down from the rooftop Woobar, you’ll come to The Kitchen Table. It’s an all-day dining restaurant with a full Thai menu as well as Western favourites. You can also partake of the extraordinary ‘W T-Time’, which again turns out to be nothing conventional. Instead of the usual largish buns, an army of tiny, beautifully-made cakes, nibbles and other goodies appear in a chest of drawers made out of completely transparent Perspex. It’s tea for two, but your camera will also want to take part in it.

Garth Welsh, who directs everything that’s culinary about W on Samui says that he and his team have gotten into craft beers, with Danish maestro Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, one of the world’s most creative craft beer makers, just having invented a special brand for W Resort. You can try it in Sip Bar, right by the beach. Here, they have 40 craft beers to choose from, including two on tap. Mikkel is just the kind of person that W likes – he’s able to express artistry of an unusual kind and do it in an unusual

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way. “He doesn’t have his own brewery,” says Garth. “He gets started on a new beer by just finding a local brewery, going in and asking the owner if he might ‘borrow’ it for a while. He calls himself a nomad – a beer nomad.”

Namu restaurant, meanwhile, is close by Sip, and Garth says its food can be summed up in the phrase, ‘Asia tomorrow’. A good few people have thought it’s a Japanese restaurant, but it’s a catchy synthesis of Asian flavours, with Japanese being predominant. Is the food tasty? It is – abundantly so. Let’s just say that Namu’s chef, S.K. Choi, is a minor celebrity in his own right – he’s used to cooking for the famous, and was a winner of an episode of Iron Chef. He also likes to invite guest chefs to cook with him, all of whom are eminent in their field. For two nights in July, Michelin chef Jacob Jan Boerma will be coming to Namu – it’ll be the first time that a three-star Michelin chef will have cooked on Samui.

Last, but not least – check out Beach Grill, which specializes in fresh salads and grilled items. You might want to come on Saturdays for what W calls ‘Beach-Bar-B-Q Reloaded’, when you’ll be able to dine on a whole lamb. Kelly incidentally plays at this from midday until 4:00 pm.

Whether you’ve come to drink mojitos, taste a beer nomad’s creations or eat high tea from drawers, you’ll see that there are some very creative spirits standing behind W. Best of all; you don’t even need to be staying here to partake in what’s going on.

KHAO SOK

The Cliff and River Jungle Resort

Come and Relax with us at The Cliff and River Jungle Resort in magnificent Khao Sok. Enjoy the natural beauty and fresh air at this Scenic Riverside location.

Sightseeing Info - Canoeing - International Restaurant Luxury Recreation Facilities - Elephant Trekking

for more information and reservation please call 0 872 718 787, 0 812 721 221, 0 7791 3050 Fax. 0 7791 3099 www.thecliffandriver.com

P. CHAWENG GUEST HOUSE

100 ISLANDS RESORT

Located at the end of Soi Colibri, opposite Centara Grand Beach Resort.

Thai owned and managed, offering the beauty of Thai style architecture combined with European comforts.

The first boutique hotel in Suratthani.

Reasonably priced with friendly service and a family atmosphere. Relax by the pool or ease your tensions at the luxurious spa.

Dimitri Waring

______________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 5999. www.wretreatkohsamui.com

Recommended by Lonely Planet

Tel.: 0 7723 0684

Tel.: 0 7720 1150-8

SCREEN TEST The sun is deceptive – how to enjoy your stay here and keep your skin in one piece, too!

Question: what’s the best car to buy? Answer: what a silly question! The best car for what – racing or shopping? The cheapest to run or the most reliable? The most-ecofriendly car, the car with the lowest petrol consumption, the best electric car? There’s no such thing as a ‘best car’! What’s best for you won’t be the same for me. Everyone’s different, and has different needs! It’s so obvious – why ask such a silly question in the first place?

Well, because when it comes to cars, everyone has already worked things out for themselves, that’s why! They know exactly what they want, and why they need it.

Therefore, it’s quite self-evident that the question is misleading. But when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun, most people are quite content to take passing advice.

Wear a hat, use lots of high-factor sunscreen, and put a towel over your shoulders if they start stinging. Which is much the same as saying, “. . . take your hand out of the fire when it starts to hurt”.

Already I bet some of you are tutting and shaking your heads and thinking about turning the page – yes? Because the other thing about this topic is that everyone reckons they already have it all sorted out, thank you! But, just as it is with cars, everyone is different when it comes to the sun, too. And the good advice that you think is right for you might not really be the best thing at all. So let’s see if we can straighten this all out, with some basics to start with.

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Your skin is affected by the ultra-violet content of sunlight. There are two sorts of ultra violet, UV-A and UV-B. The UV-B is the main culprit behind sunburn. UV-A is more long-term and has a more-gradual and lasting effect, prematurely aging the skin, causing wrinkling and sagging.

Experts still disagree as to exactly how skin cancers eventually occur, but opinion today is tending to believe that UV-B is the cause. This is the process we need to protect ourselves against – the effects of both UV-A and UV-B. But we have nature on our side, to some extent anyway. Our body creates its own defence against UV rays in the form of melanin, which is a pigment manufactured when the skin is exposed to sunlight for any length of time. This offers some protection against being burned, but is not effective in preventing longer-term damage. However, in the first instance, how sensitive your skin is to sunlight depends on your racial characteristics. People who originate in tropical or Mediterranean climates will have a darker, thicker skin. And those from temperate or cool climates, with pale skin (in particular, redheads!) need to take a lot more care.

But, knowing you’re going away on holiday, you can use a bit of wisdom and prepare for this before you go (and also build up a bit of a tan, too). Make the most of sunny spells: work on those parts you know will catch the sun the most. Make a point of sitting with your face upwards towards the sun for an hour, every now and again. Work in

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the garden with the tops of your shoulders exposed. Alternatively, you could always head for a program at your local tanning salon! Try to do everything you can to build up the melanin, and avoid the sudden trauma of blasting your skin with massive and unaccustomed doses of UV. Next, we’re into the lore of sunscreen, sunblock, suntan lotion, sunburn cream, sun cream, or whatever you want to call it. And with anytime at all spent in the sun over here, this is quite obviously a must, not just to protect your skin, but to moisturise it, too. This is where you have to not only be aware of your skin type, but also understand what the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) numbers mean and how they work. There’s no mystery about it, even though quite a few people aren’t entirely sure.

It’s all based on how long a person can sit in the sun before it begins to damage their skin. You need to work this out for yourself, according to your skin type. Also, don’t forget that after only 20 minutes your skin might still look the same – but if you then go indoors, half an hour later it will probably have turned red. Also, be aware that cloudy days are often as bad as sunny ones, as it’s the UV light that causes the damage, and this will pass through the clouds. Even sitting in the shade is no guarantee, as UV will reflect off water, sand or even walls.

So let’s assume that it takes 20 minutes for you to begin the burning process. If you use a factor 15, then in theory this will allow you 15 times longer before your skin starts to burn . . . i.e. about five hours. But

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that’s the theory; in practice, it depends on how evenly you’ve spread the cream, how much you’re perspiring, whether you’re taking dips in the pool and so on. Putting it another way, SPF 15 filters out approximately 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 keeps out 97% and SPF 50 blocks 98%. They may seem like tiny differences, but if you have a sensitive skin, these extra percentages will make a difference. And no sunscreen will block all UV rays. Plus, whatever the factor number, bear in mind you’ll need another application after about two hours anyway!

Do you realise that the Thai people think we’re quite insane? All of this is the other way round in their culture. A tan is a sign of low status, of someone who has to labour outside in the sun. Hence, they spend a lot of time on skin whitening, instead of browning.

And they keep well away from all that nasty UV. And so the best thing is to really take it easy for the first four or five days; sit in the shade . . . you’ll still tan but much more gently.

Wear a hat when in the sun, but maybe forget the sunglasses unless you like the panda look. Do all the things you’ve read about and slap the cream all over, even when it’s not sunny. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Rob De Wet

Our Siam Ten Senses Treatment focuses on the ten main senses in human body.

Restoring body systems and improving the balance.

Green Resort Green Spa Detoxifying and Slimming Program Healthy Thai Restaurant Natural Wing Health Spa & Resort 11/5 Moo 6, Maenam, Koh Samui, Thailand Tel: 0 7760 2111, 0 7760 2112 Fax: 0 7744 7243 Mobile: 0 819 682 796 Email: info@naturalwing.com, www.naturalwing.com

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MEDITERRANEAN DECADE Serving top-notch delights since 2004, The Cliff Bar & Grill has more than stood the test of time.

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When you look round Samui these days, you’ll see that it’s basically short of nothing when it comes to food and drink. There are restaurants of all kinds, from the simple to the sublime. But just a decade ago, there were few suppliers here, and many foods were extraordinarily hard to get – it was like panning for gold. It was very difficult to open a restaurant that specialized in food from outside Thailand. The Cliff was one of the first places to brave that culinary void. Lionel Helena, who has been The Cliff’s manager from the very first days, saw at first hand that while it might be easy to get local products from Samui itself, it was another matter to get products from the mainland or from outside Thailand.

Before opening The Cliff, owner and master chef Bradley Munns had already painstakingly travelled to Portugal, Spain and Italy to find the right combinations of herbs, spices, olive oils, ingredients and recipes to please his guests. It’s thanks to Bradley’s dedication that he was able to succeed in bringing quality food to Samui, and it can be safely said that he was one of the first restaurateurs to do so. Things have changed a lot since those early days and there are more suppliers now, new routes from farm to kitchen and generally a very savvy, international approach to food.

If The Cliff cut its culinary teeth in hardscrabble times, it also meant that it established itself as dependably reliable, a reputation it holds to this day, serving up excellent and highly tasty food that’s eclectically Mediterranean in style.

The kitchen team is headed by Chef Sergio Martelli. He’s from Ancona in Italy, and has been on Samui for the last 13 years. He’s worked at The Cliff, heading its culinary team since the restaurant’s earliest days, and has a cachet for producing creative food that focuses on the Mediterranean. As he’s made Thailand his home for so long, he also understands exactly how to use the country’s ingredients and foods to produce further great tastes.

Spanish-born Nicolas Vicenc is Sergio’s right-hand man, and brings inspiration from the Basque country, where he trained, but he also adds some French touches too – his mother is French and he learned as a child to cook the dishes she loves. He’s responsible for The Cliff’s all-day tapas menu, making this restaurant one of the few places where you can get genuine Spanish tapas, rather than an imitation. The tapas menu features dishes such as Stewed Cowtail Raviolis, Tuna Carpaccio on Tomato Sponge and the excellent Salmorejo Chef Style, which is a tomato soup, served cold. Once you taste dishes such as these, you’ll know why tapas has remained so abidingly popular in its home country, and why it’s caught on in so many other places, too.

At The Cliff, the best meats are used, with beef being flown in from King Island, Australia. It’s aged 21 days and is always chilled, not frozen – allowing for more freshness and, of course, taste. Vegetables are equally good; they’re organically grown and include herbs that come from The Cliff’s own herb garden. It’d be difficult to get better quality than that.

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Go for lunch or dinner, and you’ll have a choice of some highly tempting dishes. You can start with a tasty salad; choose between Mediterranean salad, with cheddar, cashew nuts and apple, or Greek, or perhaps a chicken salad – you’ll find more on the menu, which by the way, is on The Cliff’s website.

There are also different breads for you to try, such as bruschetta mista, garlic bread, and bread sticks with olives from Italy. A series of yummy appetizers comes next and you’ll enjoy Portuguese piri prawns, curried Goan ones, or perhaps live imported oysters (they’re shucked and served fresh).

Mains never disappoint at The Cliff. There are seafood platters and fresh line fish – catch of the day – grilled to perfection with Italian lemon and herb sauce. They’re served with Spanish rice or French fries with salad.

The Cliff offers a lot of seafood and this is one of the places where you can dine on lobster. It goes without saying that if a fish is native to Thai waters, it’s caught locally and so red snapper, sea bass and calamari are all from nearby waters.

Meats are equally delicious. Try the house speciality, Portuguese piri piri chicken, marinated in special piri piri sauce then grilled over charcoal.

Also recommended is the Australian rib eye steak, or the highly delicious lamb chops from New Zealand – you get three of them, each weighing 100 grams. Steaks and chops come with tasty sauces; choose between garlic, blue cheese, pepper sauce, BBQ sauce and mint sauce. Steaks are served with button mushrooms and fondant potatoes. In addition there’s also a variety of pastas that are sure to tempt your taste buds and fill hungry stomachs.

The Cliff stocks 140 different wines from all over the world, including champagne, so there’s always plenty of choice. And if you can’t decide, then the staff will be able to advise you. Wine Spectator magazine

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awarded The Cliff its award of excellence ‘for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world’. So if you’re a wine lover, you can be assured you’re in good hands at The Cliff.

Pleasures don’t stop after the main course. Deliciously decadent desserts await you, such as the ever-popular tiramisu, chocolate brownie cake and ice cream. You can also enjoy the platter of blue cheese, cheddar and brie. And if you enjoy cigars, this is one of the few places on Samui where you can find them on offer.

You’re sure to enjoy eating at The Cliff; after all its popularity has been vouchsafed by Thailand Tatler, with The Cliff being designated as one of the country’s best restaurants. The Cliff is easy to find; drive south from Chaweng and it’s on the ring-road just a kilometre before you reach Lamai. You can’t miss it as there are no buildings either side. It overlooks Thong Takian Bay, one of the island’s best beaches, and has beautiful views. Naturally the restaurant’s terrace is extremely popular, but in any case it’s always recommended to make a reservation. The Cliff is open daily from midday until last food orders at 9:45 pm. Drinks continue till a lot later and on Friday’s DJs play in The Cliff’s air-con cocktail bar.

With great choices when it comes to food and drink, along with its picturesque setting, The Cliff is a natural choice for a superb lunch or dinner.

Dimitri Waring

____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 8508. www.thecliffsamui.com

Let Waterline’s menu take you on a journey. Globally inspired, highlighting seafood, meat and poultry the menu is infused with Chef Roberto Belletti’s worldwide culinary passion. A story teller through his food, the menu will delight the palate while evoking words, thought and memories.

Come and visit Waterline from late July to experience a journey on a plate.

Manathai Koh Samui Samui Ring Road Lamai Telephone 0 7745 8560-4 www.manathai.com Serving daily between 11:30am – 10:30pm

ART AND

NATURE Head for the shop that’s so full of heart – Chaweng’s Nature Art Gallery.

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Just take a look along Chaweng Beach Road. It’s a busy little strip. And it’s also a prime tourist trap. The logic is simple enough; this is where most of the tourists are, after all. And, on the whole, this makes shopping there great fun. But it has its down side too. Although there are hundreds of shops all selling the same kind of gifts and mementos, it’s hard to find the good stuff. Quality items. The sort of thing you just know is in there somewhere if you keep on looking. Fortunately, you don’t have to look very far. Because ‘Nature Art Gallery’ is just about directly opposite the main entrance to Central Festival Mall.

It’s an ironic fact that so-called ‘designer’ goods mostly have very little thought in their design. It seems enough merely to stamp them with the labels of Gucci, Prada or Versace. But here it’s the opposite. The moment you look around you’ll see endless items that simply shout creative flair, from the unassuming to the bold, and every one of them has been individually, painstakingly and lovingly designed. And yet there’s not a brand name to be seen at all.

But, before you’ve even entered the shop, it’ll grab you from outside on the street. It stands out – especially in the evening. It glows. And it’s not the bright hit of neon, either. In fact, the warm, golden, mellow presence of Nature Art beams out in a soulful contrast to the cool and glitzy glimmer that surrounds it. It’s partly the fact that every single surface – ceiling, walls and floor – are clad in the same golden wood. It’s partly the warmly diffused tungsten lighting. But as soon as you’re in, you’ll sense there’s something more to it.

This’ll no doubt take a while. You’ll be fazed at first; there are so many things all around. You’ll wander and scan, hesitantly, drawn this way and that, trying to take it all in. But at some point, it’ll strike you. It’s not

simply quiet: it’s more than just that. It’s actually tangibly tranquil. There’s an odd sense of calm in this shop. Then you’ll see that people coming in slow their pace. Without knowing, they talk in hushed voices. It’s hard to pin down. But the fact remains - this isn’t just a shop full of treasures (and good ones, at that). It’s something strangely special, too.

Nature Art Gallery opened here about six years ago. Partners, Michael Trav and Shai Nissim, are well-versed in the lore and energies of crystals and stones, having had more than 20 years’ experience of working with them. But the shop – and now there’s another one across the road in Central Festival Mall, on the second floor above Uniqlo – goes further.

The partners have spent time in assembling and showcasing what’s almost a collective of artisans and craftsmen, all in one place. You’ll find a plethora of jewellery, mostly made of silver, set with a whole variety of stones and crystals. But there are samples of fine leatherwork, too - bags and belts and wallets and purses. And then to the heart of the store: a huge range of raw crystals in all shapes and sizes, to buy as they are, or to be used in a setting of your choice.

Shai comes from a background that encompasses Reiki, massage and reflexology, and he’s attuned to the potential energy of the stones and crystals. “Used wisely, their energies can align you with more positive physical health,” he explained. “Each type of stone has its own properties, and when these are matched to the vibrations of your chakras, they can assist in healing physical ailments or in enhancing concentration, and in many other directions, too.” If you’re uncertain about any of this, then you’ll find some very friendly advice forthcoming from both Michael and Shai, together with free handbooks on the subject to guide you.

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But, unlike all those shop fronts that simply re-sell mass-produced goods, here at Nature Art Gallery there’s a suite of workshops upstairs. And if you can’t find the stone in a setting that you like, they’ll work along with you to create something specifically to your liking, creating a custom ring, bracelet or pendant to your precise instructions. Indeed, their resident Nepalese master-craftsmen come from a family that has a long history of making jewellery for the King of Nepal. They are equipped to mould and cast items in gold and silver, or to re-mount new stones in existing pieces – even to create jewellery to your own designs. And this idea is popular with couples who have come here to get married; matching ‘his ‘n her’ rings to your own design.

It really does take some time to look around and take it all in. The quality of everything is extremely high; take a look at the simple wristbands, for example, made of leather and silver. They’re more expensive that the stuff you usually see at local craft fairs. But there’s absolutely no comparison in the way they’ve been made; the ones here will last you for decades. Examine the clasps of the necklaces and pendants, and the way in which the stones have been set. They are all solid, substantial and well-engineered. An outstanding design or an attractive group of stones means nothing unless they are put together in a substantial mount.

And, here, they all are.

Samui Discover authentic Indian Cuisine

Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng Center Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Chaweng Buri Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng South at Chaweng Cove Resort Noori India - Central Festival at Chaweng Beach Road For reservation (English) - 0 867 407 873 or 0 7741 3108 For reservation (Thai) - 0 813 960 283 E-mail: nooriindia_samui@yahoo.com www.nooriindiasamui.com

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Lastly, something really special. Just recently, the shops have begun showcasing bags, belts and wallets made by ‘Allen’. The belts and wallets are nice enough. But take a really close look at the larger shoulder bags. Not only are they made of the most superbly supple (yet strong) leather, but they have been ‘worked’ in a way that’s almost magical. The design is subtle, yet complex, with layers of pouches and pockets and zips. But the decoration and the way it’s been woven plaited, beaded and ruched into the structure of the bag is exceptional – made by elves from Rivendell, perhaps? If you’re looking for an exceptionally individual gift, then this is it. And this is the place – Nature Art Gallery, in Chaweng.

2013 WINNER

2014 WINNER

SCL International School International Education from Pre-school to Secondary Educating the Mind Nurturing the Soul



 Small classes  Individual education plans Fully qualified teachers  A family atmosphere

With these qualities, it’s not hard to see why the children at SCL are achieving so much A warm welcome is extended to anyone who wishes to visit the school

Rob De Wet

_______________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7742 2594. www.thailand-jewelry.com

SCL International School

206/26 Moo 4 Maret, Lamai, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84310, Thailand Phone: 0 7741 8789 Mobile: 0 810 910 714 Email: emma@sclinternationalschool.com www.sclinternationalschool.com

LOOKING BACK The history of the Thai nation features some interesting twists and turns!

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Did you know that Thailand is one of perhaps four nations across the globe that have never been conquered and colonised? This is a grey area though, as there’s still debate about the implications of ‘occupation’ and ‘colonisation’. But the bottom line is that, throughout its history as an entity (a country in its own right), Thailand has never relinquished control or government to any other nation. (And if you’re wondering about the others, you can add Nepal, Turkey and Bhutan to the list, too.)

I do not intend to bore you rigid with a succession of dates and unfamiliar names of ancient Asian nations and monarchs. Suffice it only to say that the genetics of the people, who now call themselves Thai, can be traced back to northern India almost 4,000 years ago.

They were known as the Nanchaoans, and migrated towards China and eventually settled in Hunan province. But due to the invading Mongol hordes, they moved out to the south after only 400 years. By then they were known as the Tai people, and they settled among the Khmer, Mon and Burman populations whom they encountered along the way. By the 12th century, they had established several small states in Upper Burma (Shans), the Mekong Valley (Laos) and the Chao Phraya River Valley (Thais).

And that’s about it. I could fill another dozen pages with all the subsequent expansions, inter-border scuffles, land grabs, in-fighting and concessions that then went on for several hundred years. The first Thai kingdom, Sukhothai, expanded into the eventual seat of government, Ayudhaya. The Europeans made contact with the Thais in the 16th century, opening doors of trade and commerce to nations including Portugal, the Netherlands, England, France, China and Japan.

What’s fascinating to realise is that at this time, in both Ayudhaya and also in what would later become known as Bangkok, there were no roads. All travel and commerce went by way of the extensive canal

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Welcome to Sa-ard’s Watersports Center on Koh Samui. Where everyday can be an aquatic adventure – above and below the crystal clear blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Join us and discover what r eally makes these islands so very special.

(‘klong’) network. The Thais had never seen horses (or carriages). It was only when the first foreign embassy (French) was established in the early 1600s, that the Royal Family were treated to this modernistic form of travel, as the French ambassador insisted on bringing with him all the trappings of his rank.

He was initially frustrated, however, because his walled and selfcontained embassy allowed no access to the outside, as there were no roads for him to travel on. He quickly got around that one by simply presenting the king with two carriages, plus horses and grooms to match. And, as predicted, it didn’t take long before a small network of roads began to appear, linking the courts, palaces and temples.

(Although the access road to the French Embassy took several years more – the king didn’t want to be paralleled or even upstaged by a foreigner!)

Still with us? Good! Because it’s no mean feat to summarise 98% of Thai history in 300 words! But, having painted the background, my intention here is to outline a few of the more recent, colourful or simply human developments in Thai history – or at least to give you something you can relate to. The country became known to these ‘farang’ (foreign) traders as Siam. Then in 1939, the name was changed to Thailand, or in Thai language ‘Prathet Thai’, which means ‘Land of the Free’. And it wasn’t long after that the classic Hollywood musical, ‘The King and I’ appeared. Yul Brynner played the part of HRH King Rama IV – but the Thai administration of the time (1956) was not pleased. Although the general background was close enough to the truth, the way the king was portrayed was simplistic and not particularly respectful – he came across as little better than a slightly more capable Siamese George Bush!

It was in fact this monarch’s grandson and successor, HRH King Rama V, who followed in his footsteps to become the Nation’s most loved and respected historical ruler. Even today, in most Thai homes

Our brand new catamaran Fountaine Pajot Belize 43 “Kindred Spirit” can comfortably take 15 people on a day trip and sleep 6 people on over-night excursions.

The starboard hull has a double stateroom with ensuite bathroom and living area. There are also two double state rooms in the port hull with a shared bathroom. You’ll also find a large galley and a living area with CD/DVD player and a 28 inch colour TV. All the cabins and living areas are fully air-conditioned.

Sa-ard’s Watersports Center also offers Private Speedboat tours to the beaches and snorkeling destinations of the surrounding islands.

Manager and Skipper is Sa-ard, one of Thailand’s most celebrated windsurfers. He took part in the Olympics 1984 in Los Angeles and 1992 in Barcelona, was a long time member of the Thai National Windsurfing Team, has been Asian Champion and 5 times Gold Medal Winner in the South East Asian Games. You simply could not be in better hands!

King Rama V visits Thaan Sadet Waterfall, Koh Phangan in 1888

and places of work, you’ll see two revered images. One is of the current and beloved monarch, Rama IX, HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The other is of Rama V, HRH King Chulalongkorn. He spent long periods abroad in Europe and America, studying new methods and technology, and adopting appropriate ways of farming or manufacture on his return. It is also interesting to note that he was the person responsible for putting Koh Samui on the map, back at the end of the 19th century. On his return from trips abroad, The King would often take a break over on Koh Pha-Ngan for several weeks. Prior to this, the Thai nation had never heard of either of these islands.

But probably the most curious events in recent Thai history occurred back in 1941, not long after the outbreak of WWII. The Thai Prime Minister of the time, Khun Phibun Songkhram, had already established diplomatic links with the Japanese. They were planning to strike at The Allies on a broad front, spearheaded by an attack on the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbour.

They wanted to co-ordinate this with an attack on the strategic island of Singapore, via a march down through Thailand for which they were seeking the cooperation of the Thai government. Khun Phibun realised that he might strike a better bargain with the opposition. So he bargained with the Japanese for chunks of land in Burma and Malaysia, and at the same time let it be known to the UK and US governments that he feared invasion by the Japanese and requested an alliance.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the best of diplomats. Or the most secretive, as both the British and the Japanese received intelligence about this at the same time.

The result was that the Japanese suddenly invaded Thailand at dawn on the

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8th December 1941, attacking five different coastal cities from their fleet in the Gulf of Thailand. There was no one to take command, as nobody was able to contact Khun Phibun, for some reason. No troops were mobilised, the invaders met resistance only from army cadets and local police, and the Thai surrender came at midday. The negotiated agreement was that the Japanese could use Thailand as a temporary base. Thus it came about that Thailand was officially conquered on the 8th December 1941, and signed an armistice on the 21st, agreeing Thailand’s autonomy as a Japanese ally.

It seems that there wasn’t much here that the Japanese seemed to want back then! But just imagine if this had happened when the Land of Smiles was big on tourism. You might now be staying at a Japanese hotel – such are the twists and turns of fate!

Rob De Wet

S A M U I

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www.samui-ultimate-samui.com

KOH SAMUI www.samuiholiday.com l 119

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Get away for a break at Khao Sok National Park and The Cliff and River Jungle Resort!

122 l www.samuiholiday.com

There comes a time in the affairs of men, as Shakespeare said, when life becomes tedious. The same old sunshine, the same old golden beaches.

Day after day of picture postcard scenes, with the deep blue sky and those little fluffy clouds. Palm-fringed sands. Seascapes with pastel islands. All these things are simply joyous on day one; with 30 hours of travel and a dizzying jetlag, they’re welcomed with sun-oiled open arms.

You flop by the pool with a book. Then later, explore around. Find great restaurants. Go on a boat trip. Find better restaurants. Adventure up the mountain. And then, if you’re lucky, you go back home.

If you’re lucky? Yes. Because you haven’t been staying here long enough to get bored. You came, you enjoyed, you went. But not everyone’s so fortunate. Thousands of people now stay on the island for months at a time. And there does indeed come a point where the gloss starts to dull a little. When grabbing every little bit of sun is no longer so urgent.

Unless you’ve taken the time to study it, then the words ‘Surat Thani’ will evoke the vague image of some kind of city, industrial and grubby, with huge sprawling outskirts and an airport that’s the nearest one to Samui.

Partly true. But it’s also the name of the gigantic host province that runs virtually from coast to coast – from the east coast near Samui, across to the Andaman Sea on the west – almost 13,000 square kilometres in total. There are only about 150,000 people living in Surat city itself, and then a mere 50,000 or so scattered around in the remaining 12,500 square kilometres. In other words, except for one small city, the rest of it is virtually deserted.

A close look at the map seems to bear this out. There are no fewer than three huge national parks in this province, with two of them side-byside taking up the entire western half of the land mass. There are no highways or major roads here. It’s a region of silence and lush greenery and morning mists on the water. It’s a tangle of rivers and lakes, rainforest, hills and mountains – an area of great natural beauty.

The virgin rainforest is some of the oldest in the world. The mountains aren’t particularly high, but they’re dramatic in the way that balding patches of granite bleach through the vegetation. The same granite range than runs all the way down the coast and forms the memorable outcroppings around Phuket and Krabi.

And the best bit? Remote and unspoiled as it is, it’s astonishingly easy to depart from Samui and arrange a connection that will get you right to the main Khao Sok National Park. There are a couple of ways to go about this – fly to Surat Thani to start with, for instance, or go on the ferry to the coastal town of Donsak. After that, there are several options.

But, by far the best way to do this is to grab your magic internet tablet and key in ‘The Cliff and River Jungle Resort’. Because they are old hands at all of this and will sort it all out for you.

The resort features traditional Thai-style wooden houses, up on stilts, that have been fitted-out to a western-standard inside with all mod cons and luxury bedrooms and bathrooms.

www.samuiholiday.com l 123

124 l www.samuiholiday.com

The resort is spacious, and has a variety of different accommodations to cater for singles, couples or groups. It’s notably more up-market than many in this area, having an excellent Thai and international restaurant, plus a well-organised spa which offers a range of pampering and relaxing treatments.

Plus there are a dozen or more activities on the menu, too.

These range from placidly bobbing about on a big rubber tube on the shady river, to powering your own canoe on a guided tour around, or wobbling around on the back of an elephant.

There’s just so much to look at, to absorb and take in, that the temptation is to do very little indeed. Saunter around with your camera perhaps. Read a book and listen to the silence. Take a nap. Or even hike a little, if you have the shoes for it. It’s a whole world of difference, when you compare it to Samui.

Scan their website. Take a close look at the tab that’s headed ‘How to Get There’. There are several ways to do it. Make your way to Surat Thani airport, then take a bus to the edge of the park (in Thai – ‘Phupha Lae Lam Than’). Or take the Surat Phuket bus to the same destination. In either case, you will be met by a minivan from the resort and taken there free of charge.

Contact the resort beforehand, explain your plans to them, get their advice, and keep in touch by phone – particularly as you begin your journey outwards from Surat Thani. That way you can quickly call them and hand the phone over to the Thai driver if there are any problems or a breakdown in communication.

A change is as good as a rest. And this kind of a change, with its utter peace and tranquillity, the silence of the morning mists and the virgin rainforest, is less of a ‘rest’ and more of a rejuvenation project for jaded beach-lovers. It’s just what’s needed when the island life begins to drag!

Rob De Wet __________________________________ For more information telephone 0 7791 3050. www.thecliffandriver.com

Daily Theme Nights From 7pm.

Monday Classical Thai Night Buffet - THB 590 Tuesday Catch of the Day - from THB 250 Wednesday Italian Night Buffet - THB 490 Thursday Steak Supreme - from THB 300 Friday Beach BBQ Buffet featuring live music and a fire juggling show - THB 690 Saturday Surf & Turf - THB 790 Sunday Roast Chicken Sunday - THB 390 Daily Happy Hours at Beach Bar Buy 1 get 1 free beers and cocktails from 12pm - 2pm l 5pm - 7pm l 9pm - Midnight Sentinel Band Enjoy music from the Sentinel Band - Monday to Saturday from 7pm – 10pm Dining on the Beach Moonlight beach dining with your own private chef, from THB 1,500 per person

Chaweng Noi Beach

Tel. 077 448 994

info.kohsamui@impiana.com www.impiana.com

126 l www.samuiholiday.com

A SHORE FOUND GIFT In the hands of Chef Roberto Bellitti, Waterline will evoke your memories.

www.samuiholiday.com l 127

The setting’s spectacular. Waterline, as the name suggests, is right by the sea. And the sea isn’t the only water it overlooks; right outside the restaurant you’ll find a large free-form swimming pool. This gives Waterline an added bonus, making it a great place to come and spend a few hours swimming and getting a tan. If you’re driving round the island, it’s a good place to take a break – and a beautiful one at that.

The restaurant is part of Manathai Koh Samui, which stands out on the island for its colonial architecture. There’s nowhere else quite like it.

It looks as if it was built during the same era as Raffles in Singapore.

The colonial façade, window shutters and bougainvillea-lined terraces conjure a feeling rich in history and the charm of a bygone era.

Surprisingly, it turns out to be very modern and has just gone through a complete renovation, making it an even better place to stay. But you don’t need to be a hotel guest, of course, to go and have lunch, dinner or even a simple snack or drink at Waterline. Everyone’s invited. The restaurant’s easy to find: as you drive along the ring-road from Chaweng to Lamai, you’ll find it on your left just after the turning for Tamarind Springs. It’s open daily serving food between 11:30 am and 10:30 pm.

Waterline offers you the choice of seaside dining between coconut palm trees, casual snacks sitting by the bar, easy eating poolside or in the shade of one of the dining pavilions, all of which offer sea views and a sea breeze.

Chef Roberto’s menus have been crafted with price in mind too; be it a bar snack or full gastronomic Chef’s Table menu, you’ll leave with the memory of service and food rather than the sting to your pockets.

128 l www.samuiholiday.com

KAYAKING Explore the caves and beaches of the Angthong National Marine Park Offices located behind Bondi Pub in central Chaweng and on Chaweng Lake Road opposite Lake View For reservations please call 0 7730 0615 or 0 878 866 097

www.bluestars.info

Everything that’s on the menu comes courtesy of Executive Chef, Roberto Bellitti, who’s gotten creative with his native Italian and Mediterranean cuisine and who’s been influenced by his global explorations. In a relaxed fashion – only a professional could have a hope of pulling this off, and not many at that – he’s taken highlights from his own memories of different places and times and transformed them into evocative dishes, tastes and treats that are extremely satisfying.

Waterline’s day time menu suggestions includes salads, sandwiches and burgers and Roberto’s put together an irresistible selection: you’ll be tempted by the 150g Wagyu beef burger, with melted cheese topping and streaky bacon, or his signature burger, simply called ‘The Waterline’ which is a black ink sesame burger stacked with fish patty, lobster claws and squid and served with prawns and crab mayonnaise. Presentation is another way the Waterline team will surprise you and leave you with memories of your menu selection. Just as the shore of a beach’s waterline can be a treasure trove of finds, the cutlery, glassware and plate wear is an eclectic mix, sourced from across Thailand.

Menu names are part of Chef Roberto’s story telling. A dessert consisting of chocolate, beetroot and goat’s cheese is simply and aptly called ‘Yummi’. ‘In the Pot’ will excite any dessert enthusiast; you’ll feel like a child and will smile with delight when you see your dessert, a rendition of carrot cake that comes alive almost in 3D.

These dishes are also included in the larger evening menu. The courses are called ‘stories’ as they are presented in the menu with the Chef’s notes on how they came into being. Take just one example, the dish simply called ‘Volcano’ – it’s named after a Sicilian island, where the original ingredients all originated. Roberto’s turned the geography of the rocky islet into a dish with seared tuna loin, almonds, oregano crust, black olives and semi-dried tomatoes. He’s included marinated red onions and capers, with the ensemble finalized by a splash of orange dressing. Taste it and you’ll find yourself transported to the Mediterranean. A lot of love and attention to detail has gone into this treat – and this is just a starter. It shows the lengths to which Waterline’s culinary team are prepared to go.

Many of the dishes are seafood-based and are creatively put together, whether traditional or completely original. ‘Salmon in the Garden’ is beautiful to the eye and surprising on the palate, with undertones of pickling, wasabi and lemongrass. There are plenty of seafood alternatives to enjoy such as ‘Travelling’, which is Hoisin-marinated duck breast along with a creamy cassoulet of mixed beans and Toulouse sausage, along with Grand Marnier jus. China meets rural France in this succulent gourmet treat.

Waterline drinks have been created to compliment the memory-evoking food menu. When you arrive you might want to try one of their cocktails.

Highly recommended is the one named after the restaurant itself – ‘The Waterline’. It consists of Ketel One vodka, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, ginger ale and syrup. It’s a truly tasty combination as is the ‘Manathai Spice’, a carefully blended mix of Zacapa, lemon juice, honey syrup, kaffir lime leaves and soda water. There’s also a selection of Thai and

130 l www.samuiholiday.com

Zico's is an electric combination of colourful calypso, vibrant carnival rhythm and dance.

A unique party experience not to be missed! Every night is fiesta night at Zico's.

The beat goes on, and so does the dancing.

Tuck into a superb selection of all you can eat grilled seafood and meats, prepared just for you, complemented by large salad bar.

CHAWENG BEACH : OPPOSITE CENTARA GRAND BEACH RESORT SAMUI T : 077 230 500-10 | E : zicos@chr.co.th Open daily : Bar 17.00 - 01.00 hrs., Restaurant 18.00 - 23.00 hrs.

WWW.CEN TARAHOTELSRESORTS.C OM

international beers and you’ll find Chang, Singha, Heineken and Tiger, as well as Corona. On tap they have Singha, served in cold glasses by the pint or half pint. The wine list is clever and global and you can find a wine to match your meal with ease by glass or bottle.

For anyone who has ever walked along a beach shore and explored the waterline, whatever you may spot conjures questions of lost and found treasures, their origin and history. Here at Waterline you will find treasure, as this menu evokes memories through the gastronomical story telling of Chef Roberto and the team. Opening in late July, with expert chef Roberto Bellitti in charge of Waterline, a dining journey awaits you here.

Dimitri Waring

_______________________________________________________ For reservations or further information telephone 0 7745 8560–4 www.manathai.com

132 l www.samuiholiday.com

CUSTOMS DUTIES The traditions of Thailand include some customs that are important to know about.

A “chaotic veneer”. That’s what it has been described as. That’s what overwhelms first-time visitors to Thailand, particularly as 95% of inbound flights land in Bangkok. In our cosmopolitan age, it’s all too easy to use the words ‘culture shock’ – I’ve even heard them used to describe an unfamiliar corner shop back home. But until you first find yourself in the middle of a capital city where ‘East meets West’, you ‘ain’t seen nothing yet!

Although Bangkok seems modern and cosmopolitan, it’s part of a nation with an approach to life that’s not even vaguely similar to our own. One of the first signs of this new culture you’ll see immediately is the ‘wai’.

This is the prayer-like gesture of respect and greeting that’s made by bringing the raised hands together at chest height. To the eyes of an outsider, it seems that this is merely one general gesture – a wai is a wai is a wai. But not so, and there are unspoken rules about this that every Thai child simply absorbs while they are growing up. So study the form of this greeting and try to spot the differences. Imagine it to be a bit like a salute: the casual greeting amongst friends or near-equals is a flowing and relaxed rapid raising and lowering of the hands to chest height. On a more formal or important occasion, the hands are kept in place for longer and the fingers are stiffer. If the person you are greeting is of a higher social status than you are, then your hands will be raised higher so that your fingertips touch your nose – the higher your hands, the more you are humbling yourself and showing respect.

It’s amusing to see newcomers sometimes almost ‘worshiping’ serving staff by wai-ing them wildly with their hands up on their foreheads. To a Thai this is much the same as when a Westerner throws himself fulllength on the ground in front of The Pope! It’s quite out of place. Young children, also, should not be wai-ed by adults. There are so many shades of meaning contained in this one simple gesture that it would fill a book (and has done so, numerous times). Therefore, the simple rule is to wait until you are wai-ed and then return it in a similar style. But happily, the Thais are a most tolerant and accommodating race and have become accustomed to their visitors doing odd things!

However, there is one aspect ingrained into Thai society for which there is no equivalent in the West, and the ignorance of which can have sudden and dire consequences for the unwary. The Thai Royal Family

is sacrosanct, and the current monarch, HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is so revered that he now has attained the status of a demi-god. Any criticism of the monarchy is strictly and immediately punishable by law.

No lawyers, no bail, no courts – in some cases you will go straight to jail. Even throwing money about or tearing up a banknote will make your Thai friends frown; all the money has an image of The King on it. Thailand is a very nationalistic country, and the national anthem is played in public places twice a day (also in cinemas before a show).

On Samui you might only experience this at the cinema, or if you’re at the bus station, ferry or airport at 8:00 am or 6:00 pm. You might not be familiar with the tune, but when everyone else stands up, it’s respectful to follow suit.

These are the two biggies. The whole business of the wai is quite amusing. But the reverence of the Royal Family is cast in stone and it’s vital to appreciate its importance. The Thai people quick to forgive – on most things! But this very element also has a downside. Listen out for the unofficial national ‘anthem’ of “mai pen rai”. You’ll hear it everywhere and under many different circumstances. “I’ve lost my wallet!” “Mai pen rai!” “My air-con is broken.” “Mai pen rai.” “My airport taxi hasn’t arrived/my coachman has been struck by lightning/I’ve been bitten by a rabid tarantula” – “Mai pen rai.” The loose translation is ‘never mind’.

It’s the verbal equivalent of a shrug but can mean anything from “so what!”, to “what do you expect me to do about it”, to (said with a glare) “go away”. Fortunately Thai staff on Samui have been trained to have a much more constructive attitude, and it’s extremely unlikely you’ll hear this when you express a concern! But elsewhere across the island (and the nation) – be prepared!

There are dozens of little daily customs and traditions, but it’s beyond the scope of this article to unravel them all. Things like, it’s really rude to use a toothpick without covering your mouth (but, on the other hand, it’s okay to openly pick your nose). Or just something as simple as Thai names.

Thais still use our old-fashioned system of ‘honorifics’ – titles like ‘sir’ or madam’ are used automatically, and that includes a respectful one that we haven’t got – the word ‘khun’. I suppose that the nearest meaning would be to respectfully put the word ‘person’ in front of someone’s name. So don’t just call your waitress ‘Nok’ or whatever. Call her ‘Khun Nok’ instead. www.samuiholiday.com l 133

134 l www.samuiholiday.com

The only other things to touch upon (or not to touch) is perhaps ‘monks’ and ‘body parts’, as they’re obliquely related. It’s forbidden for a monk to have any physical contact with a female, and vice versa. So if you (or your wife/companion) lurch into one on a swaying train, come out with a very high wai and lots of apologies.

Also the head is considered the holiest part of the body and the feet the lowest. Avoid sitting with your feet up and pointing at someone.

Try not to pat anyone affectionately on the head – the space above it is a clear run to heaven. And whatever you do, never, ever, step

over someone else’s head. But on Samui this can only happen in two places. One is on the beach; but it’s rarely that crowded and, anyway, the Thais can’t abide to sit in the sun. The other is in the bedroom. And here it all depends on the circumstances as to whether you’re enthusiastically observing a Thai custom or simply doing your duty!

Rob De Wet www.samuiholiday.com l 135

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Inspiring Impiana

There’s always plenty going on at Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi.

www.samuiholiday.com l 137

One of the joys of coming to Samui is to find an unexpectedly good resort which has something way beyond the usual. It could be the setting, the food and drink, the accommodation or it could just be a heady combination of all of them. There are hotels in the world so wonderful that you feel, surely luck has a lot to do with their success.

But hoteliers don’t believe in luck; they believe in making great choices right from the start. It begins with choosing the land, and ends with every square inch being utilised to please the guests who’re going to be staying. And then there are all the services that are on offer and a thousand other things besides.

Whether you stay at Impiana Resort, or are just coming there for a drink, you’ll feel impressed by what you see. Walk up the steps of the entrance and you’ll realize that the atrium perfectly frames the sea beyond it, giving you a taste of what’s to come. Its effortlessly laid-back ambience will soon work its charms on you and you’ll enjoy your time here.

Impiana is located in Chaweng Noi – you’ll find it just two kilometres south of Chaweng on the ring-road; it’s quieter here, and while beaches just to the north can feel a bit crowded at times, here there’s a lot more space. The sea is usually a beautiful blue, and the waters shallow, but deep enough for swimming.

All the accommodation is luxury-standard and features lots of space, ensuite bathrooms and comfy beds. Most rooms look onto the sea and all

138 l www.samuiholiday.com

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B Smart has quickly earned the reputation for being one of the most progressive and innovative system integrators in Thailand.

Along with high quality products and a very knowledgeable work force, you can be confident that B Smart Sys. Co., LTD will meet and exceed your expectations.

Hotline: 0 815 631 685 Email: bsmartsys@gmail.com For Taxi: ร้านตั้งอยู่ตรงข้ามโรงแรมนภาใส แม่น้ำ�

If you are looking for something wonderful and different, Zazen restaurant is the place for you to discover. Their master chef emphasises the use of healthy organic ingredients while infusing dining participation. Zazen is truly one of the most romantic and serene beachside dining restaurants on the island. Every night this charming establishment lights up over 100 candles to set the ambiance for you to experience.

Tel: 077 425 085, 081 737 8771 Email: fb@samuizazen.com Website: www.samuizazen.com

Samui Every conceivable Indian dish is on offer here – and they are all delicious! Conveniently located in Central Chaweng, the restaurant is open from 11:00 am – 11:30 pm.

For further information, reservations, and take-away orders (free delivery in Chaweng area), telephone 0 7741 3315.

Asia Travel are light and airy. It goes without saying that the amenities in the rooms are superb. There’s even a suite right by the sea. Imagine stepping out of your room onto warm, golden sands.

Both the restaurants at Impiana offer plenty of treats and delicious food. The resort was built just over a decade ago, and the restaurants have been upgraded in that time, but have always maintained their reputation for amazingly good food. Sabai Restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner while Tamarind Bar and Lounge offers an excellent Thai menu. Of course, if you’re here for dinner you can rest assured that there’s a selection of wonderful wines to go with the food.

Asia Travel is the most popular travel agency on Koh Samui. Established 15 years ago, they are well known to provide updated travel information reasonably priced for all international and domestic needs. Their second to none consultancy service will help you with all aspects of long or short stay requirements such as visa, work permit or company registration and finances. Asia Travel is well known for their quality services as mentioned in The Lonely Planet.

Tel: 0 7723 6120, 0 7742 1342 Fax: 0 7742 1185 Email: asia_int@samart.co.th For Taxi: ร้านตั้งอยู่ที่ถนนหน้าทอน

At Tamarind you can enjoy a choice of two set dinners. Both consist of Thai favourites, for example, Tom Kha Gai and a Massaman curry (though here it’s lamb, unusual in Thailand). You can also order dishes individually and finish off with desserts that are too tempting to refuse. Try the excellent Mango Sticky Rice with Mango Sorbet and Chocolate Crumbs.

Sabai Restaurant, meanwhile, offers equally great-tasting food.

If you’re a guest here you can start the day with a sumptuous breakfast buffet, served until 10:30 am, and thereafter it’s all day dining. You can opt for Thai or Western favourites. The menu has two pages jam-packed with Thai foods such as Prawns in

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Tamarind Sauce, Crab in Black Pepper Sauce or Chicken in Yellow Curry with Potato. The Western dishes command a further four pages, starting off with the finest appetizers such as Australian Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio or Lobster Bisque. There are a variety of salads to follow, including a classic Greek salad and Poached Salmon Salad with Asparagus.

A lunchtime favourite just has to be Impiana’s own pizza which you can customize with your own toppings. Then there are burgers, sandwiches, delicious French fries and plenty of pasta dishes including the sumptuous Lobster Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese.

Impiana has a whole selection on its menu featuring New Zealand mussels, which are prepared in various ways. Under the meat and fish section you’ll find Pan-Fried Salmon Filet with Sautéed Spinach and Garlic Fried Potato, and Grilled Tenderloin Steak with Grilled King Prawn, Mustard Mash, Spinach and Garlic. These are just a couple of examples out of many.

If you would like to arrange something truly special, then opt for a romantic dinner on the beach, with a private chef cooking for you. The dinner includes flowers and a beautiful gazebo. And if you want, you can make the evening doubly memorable by having some 200 candles placed on the sands.

The resort has culinary themes for every day of the week. Monday is Classical Thai Night with a Thai buffet featuring dishes from all around the country. Tuesday is Catch of The Day with freshly grilled seafood.

On Wednesdays, it’s Italian Night, with a buffet dinner of salads, entrees and pasta. Char-grilled steak from Australia, along with pork and chicken star in Thursday’s Steak Night, while on Fridays there’s the Beach 140 l www.samuiholiday.com

Barbecue. When the weekend comes, you can enjoy Surf & Turf on Saturday night, and to finish the week there’s the Roast Chicken Sunday Buffet – yes, an original Sunday roast with mashed potatoes, homemade gravy and salads.

Impiana Resort has three separate happy hours, from midday till 2:00 pm, from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm and finally from 9:00 pm till 11:00 pm.

Included are soft drinks, local beers, standard spirits and cocktails. If you buy one, you’ll get one free.

There’s also has a beautiful bar close to the sands where you can relax and have some food and drink before heading out into the sun once more. It’s simply called Beach Bar. Naturally, you can eat here, too, and if you’re here in the evening, you can even have a sumptuous dinner brought over from one of the restaurants. Or you can enjoy a romantic private dinner with a special floral set-up on the roof of Beach Bar under its beautiful almond tree.

Always an excellent choice, Impiana Resort has been delighting its guests for well over a decade now, and thoroughly deserves its great reputation. Food and drink, brilliant rooms, a wonderful setting – it’s one of those places that holidaymakers come back to again and again.

Whether you’re looking for a dream holiday or just a wonderful dinner, then you’ll enjoy what Impiana Resort has to offer.

Dimitri Waring

____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone: 0 7742 2011. www.impiana.com

PROPERTY CLASSIFIED

Villa for Rent/Sale - Yupa Villa 1 5 fully furnished bedrooms with air-con throughout. All bedrooms ensuite, one with jacuzzi.

Living area fully furnished with TV and internet. Thai/Western kitchen. Swimming pool, remote control gate, security camera around house, safety box, parking area, garden.

Tel: 0 818 917 912, 0 897 636 032 E-mail: cr@chawengbayviewsamuiresort.com www.chawengbayviewsamuiresort.com

The Estates Samui

Villa for Rent/Sale - Yupa Villa 2

An exclusive and private collection of ultra luxury homes, cradled on a hillside overlooking one of the most pristine stretches of beaches on the island. A mixed-use development, including villa residences and the Four Seasons Hotel. Each villa features a private infinity pool with large sundeck, sunken dining pavilion, spacious living and dining areas, state-of-the-art entertainment and technology, indoor & outdoor bathrooms. Price starts from THB 150 million

3 fully furnished bedrooms with air-con throughout. All bedrooms ensuite, one with jacuzzi.

Living area fully furnished with TV and internet. Thai kitchen.Swimming pool, remote control gate, security cameraaround house, safety box, parking area, garden.

Website: www.theestates-samui.com Email: propertysales@minornet.com Telephone: +66 (0) 8 5484 8752

Profitable Established Business for Sale 18 hole, concrete tracked, mini golf course. Member of the World Mini Golf Federation (one of only 2 in Thailand). 3020 m2 of land including 2 storey house with foreign ownership. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 extra apartments. Sale includes well established, profitable Thai Limited Company.

Location: Near Choeng Mon Tel: 0 817 879 148, www.minigolfsamui.com

Tel: 0 818 917 912, 0 897 636 032 E-mail: cr@chawengbayviewsamuiresort.com www.chawengbayviewsamuiresort.com

Private real estate with incredible 180-Degree views The actual view from this house is the picture above. This 4-bedroom house has been built according to European standards on 972 sqm. It is centrally located near Nathon and only 500 metres from the main road in a small, warm and tidy community. Priced very competitively, this house is ideal for couples or young families ready to live in paradise.

Price: 8 Million THB only Tel: 0 819 709 632 Email: asiatravel_international@yahoo.com

Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui

CHAWENG BEACH Land For Rent Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng South Land for Rent: 15-20 years Plot 1: Land Size: 30x110m (Beachfront 30m) Plot 2: Land Size: 8x110m (Beachfront 8m) Currently houses a resort but is perfect for redevelopment.

Contact: Mr. Saroj 081 536 2015 Ms. Siri 088 882 5636 Mr. Wiroj 081 307 2122 E-mail: srn123456@gmail.com sissysiri888@gmail.com mpisit2600@gmail.com

Chaweng Beach Poppies Resort

Plot 1

Land for rent

Kirikayan Boutique Resort

Plot 2

Land for rent

Santib

Santiburi Beach Resort Golf & Spa

Rim Talay Restaurant at Santiburi Beach Resort, Golf & Spa

Premier Pool Villa at Bo Phut Resort & Spa

L'Ocean Beach Restaurant at Bo Phut Resort and Spa

buri Resort

Bo Phut Resort & Spa

FEATURING THE OUTSTANDING 18 HOLE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSE FOR YOUR PLAYING PLEASURE, THE SANTIBURI GROUP WELCOMES YOU TO EXPERIENCE OUR FINE DINING AND THE HOSPITALITY OF TWO EXCEPTIONAL BEACH RESORT GOLF AND SPA.

12/12 Moo1, Maenam, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84330 Tel: +66 (0) 7742 5031-5 Fax: +66 (0) 7742 5040 E-mail: info@santiburi.com www.santiburi.com

12/12 Moo 1, Bo Phut, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320 Tel: +66 (0) 7724 5777, +66 (0) 7743 0201 Fax: +66 (0) 7724 5776 Email: info@bophutresort.com www.bophutresort.com

Sales Office: 245/7 Sukhumvit 31, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2260 2530-5 Fax: +66 (0) 2260 7570

NAMU

TAKING ITS NAME FROM THE KOREAN WORD FOR WOOD, NAMU COMBINES THE BASIC LIFE ELEMENTS TO CREATE A NEW CULINARY WORLD THAT EMBODIES ASIATOMORROW.

OODLES OF NOODLES Come and try a bowl of Chef SK’s delicious ramen noodles from Namu’s ‘Oodles of Noodles’ set menus that offer a choice of Noodle options, served with Pork Gyoza and Mixed Berry Ice Tea. EVERY FRIDAY - SUNDAY NOON - 4 PM. COOKING CLASS AT NAMU Gain insider access to art of preparing Sushi, Sashimi and other Japanese favorites side by side with the chefs from our acclaimed signature restaurant, Namu.

WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FROM 4 PM – 6 PM AT THB 4,200++ PER PERSON OPERATION HOURS Dinner. Daily at 6 pm – 11 pm.

Lunch, Friday – Sunday at Noon - 4 pm Bring Samui Holiday Magazine (July/August 2015) and to receive a complimentary bottle of premium sake.

For reservations please contact: Tel. 66 77 915 999 Email. bf.wkohsamui@whotels.com Explore more: WRETREATKOHSAMUI.COM OR SCAN HERE @WRETREATKOHSAMUI @WKOHSAMUI /WRETREATKOHSAMUI W RETREAT KOH SAMUI