Best Kept Secret
An exceptional resort with an outstanding restaurant, the 5-star Vana Belle lifts the meaning of ‘dining experience’ to a whole new level.
SO FAR SO GOOD
Taxi technology has come of age. Order your ride through NaviGo Samui for a brilliantly seamless journey.
A Warm Welcome
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Autumn, and the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ is upon us. Well, perhaps where you’ve just come from! But Samui doesn’t suffer in the same way at all. It’s true that our temperatures will have dropped to a pleasantly-cool 25 degrees or so, but the only mists you’ll see will be the rainclouds hovering at the top of the mountain. There’s certainly the mellow fruitfulness though – but then we’ve got that all the year round anyway. This is an ideal time of year to visit; it’s not too hot and the rainy season is still a month or two away. And in all the Western nations it’s the start of a new school year, meaning that there are usually fewer people in the resorts, on the street and waiting for taxis. And the shops won’t be so crowded either, making a visit to Central Festival Shopping Mall or Fisherman’s Village a positive pleasure.
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And what better time to make the most of the island’s famous Walking Streets? There are bargains galore, from local gifts and crafts right up to quality clothes and some lovely handmade jewellery. And that’s not to mention all that tantalising food – not just Thai, but of all nationalities – and usually some live entertainment, too. And if you’re just here to slow down and relax, well we’re famous for that, too! Our range of dining is to be envied. And then there are the spas, with something here for everyone. Come, relax and enjoy!
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Maenam Bophut Nathon
Chaweng
Samui
Lamai
soak up the serenity
1 & 2 Bedroom Villas starting from 2,490THB
Escape to Boujis Boutique Resort, an intimate cliffside retreat of 14 luxury villas with unparalleled ocean views of Chaweng. Located Cliffside between Chaweng & Lamai - call 077 448 544
Mediterranean Cuisine Amidst a panoramic dreamscape that overlooks the pristine Crystal Bay, The Cliff warmly invites you to a truly unforgettable dining experience on Koh Samui.
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2014, 2015 & 2016 2014
2015
2016
HAPA 2011 - 2013 Most Exquisite Dining Experience Most Trendy Casual Dining Restaurant Of The Year
Top Choice Award 2016
2005
2006
2007
2009
2011
2013
2014
2015
"Thailand's Best Restaurants" 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 & 2015
Reservations Essential For reservations please call 077 448 508 Bar daily 12pm - 2am
www.thecliffsamui.com
Kitchen opens 12pm - 10pm.
Choeng Mon
OPEN DAILY 09:30 AM - 06:00 PM Pink Elephant Samui Waterpark Maenam Soi 1, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Tel: 077423548, 077270809
Email: samuiwp@gmail.com samuiwaterpark@gmail.com Web: www.samuiwaterpark.asia Facebook: www.facebook.com/waterparksamui IG: samuiwaterpark
Nathon
Chaweng
Maenam Soi 1
Immigration Office
Kwankao Restaurant
Kirikayan Luxury Pool Villas & Spa
Avanta Condominium
Samui Quads Buffalo Raceway
Paintball
CONTENTS 18
18 The World Beneath The Waves Scuba diving’s your chance to be weightless and explore a world unknown.
26 Moving On Up
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An exceptional resort with an outstanding restaurant, the 5-star Vana Belle lifts the meaning of ‘dining experience’ to a whole new level.
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56 Popping to The Shops Stand by for a serious culture shock when you go food-shopping, Thai style!
Ghost Busters A look at some of the best fun on Samui and why ghosts are a part of it – at Lamai’s lady boxing!
110 To Serve and Protect Securing your property is vital, and that’s why we’re looking at B Smart Sys, over in Bang Po.
great prices.
Maritime, Modern, Magnificent
Detox Destination
Waterline combines beautiful seaside views with unbeatable food and drink.
The Spa Resorts are renowned spots not just for sun and sea but for improving mind and body.
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122 The Full Experience Drink Gallery is as much about eating
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Distinct in Design Immerse yourself in the world of craft beer at The Bees Knees Brewpub.
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as it’s about drinking. But it’s more than both.
128 Temples Fugit Loosely translated; temple fairs move around. A visit to Samui is not complete unless you’ve been to one!
The Heart of The Matter Whether you plan it or not, knowing your way around the cardiology unit at Bangkok Hospital Samui might be a very good thing!
50 So Far So Good Taxi technology has come of age. Order your ride through NaviGo Samui for a brilliantly seamless journey.
Gorgeous Gems Classic Gems offer high quality jewellery at
44 Nora + Beach = Buffet Nora Beach Resort is a Samui institution that’s stood the test of time and is still going strong – here’s one of the reasons!
Doubly Delightful Rocky’s Boutique Resort offers both casual and fine dining at The Bistro & The Dining Room.
38 Starry Eyed A peep behind the scenes at Chaweng’s Starz Cabaret – where not everything is as it seems!
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Be assured of peace of mind when investing in your holiday home at Oasis Samui.
Oriental Living opens LOFT.
32 Best Kept Secret
Sunshine Oasis
104
Always in Bloom We look at why Poppies boutique resort and restaurant is still flourishing after all this time.
134
Zoom and Smile If your idea of Samui is lazing on the beach, you need to give Dental Solutions some serious thought!
138 Indian Inspiration When it comes to lavish food, Noori India provides quality dishes at affordable prices.
T H E
H O M E
O F
I N S P I R E D
I N T E R I O R S
Phuket 424 Srisoonthorn Rd. Cherngtalay Tel/Fax: +66 (0) 76 325 419
Samui 9/18 Moo1 Maenam Tel/Fax: +66 (0) 77 247 675
info@oriental-living.net
www.oriental-living.net
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. 12 l www.samuiholiday.com
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.
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.
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.
AS FEATURED IN
AS FEATURED ON
CHILL DIFFER ENT
6pm - 9pm President’s Seafood BBQ
Reservations: 077 458 100
/ BeachRepublic
THE WORLD BENEATH
THE WAVES Scuba diving’s your chance to be weightless and explore a world unknown.
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Most people love beaches and swimming. And probably that has something to do with why Samui is so popular as a holiday destination. As you may know, the entire region around Samui is renowned for its scuba diving. Thousands come annually to learn to swim underwater. But why make the effort? Can it really be so much more fun than just spending time on the beach? And don’t forget you have to strap big heavy oxygen tanks to your back. So just what is about scuba diving that’s so catchy?
be an escape from all the sand dunes, if nothing else. She got more than that. She was instantly hooked. But by what exactly? “Scuba diving is the closest you’ll ever get to being weightless, unless you’re an astronaut. Even the tanks don’t weigh anything, once you’re submerged in the water. You’re completely free. And no longer subject to gravity. You can swim up, down or along with the greatest of ease. And of course you don’t need to come up for air. It’s a wonderful feeling. Learning to scuba dive was the best thing I ever did.”
Marita Fassbender is someone who knows exactly what makes diving so popular. She’s a leading light behind Easy Divers, a professional scuba diving and PADI school with three branches on Samui. She’s been a diver for many years, and still hasn’t lost her passion for being underwater. She didn’t consider going diving until a holiday in Egypt left her wanting for something more than the desert, beautiful as it might be. She heard about a short diving course and signed up. It would at least
Experiencing zero gravity can be a heady sensation. The buoyancy of the water matches the weights. That’s why you don’t bob up to the surface. Everyone who goes scuba diving speaks of that weightlessness as one of its major joys. You feel strangely and happily disconnected from the normal world.
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Once you’re under the surface it’s more like being in another dimension.
One that’s far from empty, of course, as Marita is quick to point out. “Some people equate scuba diving with going for a walk in the country, except you’re underwater. It’s actually totally different. You’ll see hundreds of fish – how many animals do you see if you go for a walk in the forest?” The flora and fauna are as mind-boggling as they are unfamiliar. Just watching TV documentaries about undersea wildlife can be exciting – so imagine if you get to see everything for yourself, close up. The only disadvantage for humans exploring under the sea is that they don’t have gills, enabling them to breathe like fish do. Marita acknowledges that swimming underwater without coming up for air isn’t natural for a human. Hence the need for those tanks, and just as important, professional training. That’s where the Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI comes in. The benefits of getting a PADI qualification are numerous. First off, you’ll be safe underwater. You’ll
know how to proceed with a dive, what it entails and this means you’ll feel a lot more confident. Marita recommends PADI because the body that runs the courses is entirely professional. Some dive companies just stick tanks on you and dunk you underwater, so it’s hardly going to be a thrilling experience, or enable you to dive with confidence and safety. PADI courses are logically divided up into different qualifications. It’s a bit like learning to fly – there’s not just a single qualification to gain, but a whole plethora, depending on what you want to do. Marita says there are other diving associations, but PADI is perhaps the best known. This is partly thanks to their very efficient marketing, she concedes. But that aside, they are genuine experts and Marita gives them the thumbs up. “The curriculum is well-structured and the materials are excellent. Every aspect of diving is covered. There are many rules and regulations – there have to be.”
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You can learn to scuba dive in your local harbour in the middle of winter, but you’ll find a tropical island like Samui is much more fun. Another of the perks of learning to dive on Samui is the dive sites themselves. Though the waters immediately surrounding Samui aren’t usually crystal clear, once you’ve reached the dive sites you can expect great visibility. Marita typically takes her students up towards Koh Tao on her company’s own boat, to where the finest waters are to be found, along with a myriad of fish and beautiful flora. Marita advises that before you sign up for diving, you have to ensure you’ve chosen the right course for you. She outlines different options. If you’re really not sure if diving is for you, then you can opt for a starter course, Discover Scuba Diving, where you learn just the very basics and can go down to a depth of 12 metres. There are many dive schools in Thailand but you need, she says, to make sure that you pick one that’s good. It’s essential you look at the equipment and check it’s in working order. If it looks rusty or poorly maintained then avoid the place. Equally important you should find out how many people will be on your course. “In Thailand,” she says, “you’ll mostly find courses with just very small numbers of people – four is a good number. Elsewhere in the world, the group can be as many as 15. That’s a bad idea as the instructor cannot give everyone the attention that they need, and also isn’t able to see everyone underwater at the same time. You should also make sure that any skills learned are practically demonstrated. As with most things, practice makes perfect.” For many novice divers, their enjoyment will end up going far beyond mere liking. It’ll be more like an obsession. For some it will be the start of a new life, spent underwater as much as possible. And a few, like Marita, will emigrate to tropical islands and begin a career of teaching diving. But for all, though, scuba diving is literally a portal to another world.
Dimitri Waring _______________________________
For further information, telephone 0 7741 3373. www.easy-diversthailand.com
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MOVING
ON UP Oriental Living opens LOFT.
From fashion and nightclub society in Amsterdam, to an art gallery turned high-end interior design and furniture service on Samui, Michael Dietvorst, the charismatic Managing Director of Oriental Living, is pushing new boundaries yet again, with the introduction of a new and innovative retail outlet named LOFT. Oriental Living is one of Samui’s best known and most prestigious providers of interior design and high-end furnishings, sourced mainly from Thailand and Indonesia. Over the last 20 years, they have continually listened to what their customers want, (or think they want!) and have worked together with them, tirelessly sourcing new furniture, new ideas and new designs, being flexible, moving goal posts, redesigning, until the desired look and feel is finally achieved. The end result must evoke that special atmosphere that is unique and individual to each and every customer. Through this ongoing determination and perseverance, Oriental Living have succeeded in becoming the company of choice for many home owners and investors on the island, providing a one-stop service for clients in need of tailor-made design and furniture solutions. They offer custom-designed furniture packages for private residences, hotels, real estate projects and businesses. Each piece of furniture is specially designed and made to meet the specific needs of the project. Their customer service representatives are always on-hand to offer friendly but professional advice and assistance. The Oriental Living team strongly believe in encouraging creativity and originality, but they also like
to surprise their customers and give them something totally new and inspired. Oriental Living’s collection of art and décor accessories is eclectic, to say the least. With so many years of experience in treasure hunting, there are always artefacts on display that sell for just a few thousand baht, as well as unique treasures worth hundreds of thousands. If you are looking for something exclusively commissioned, or a limited work of art, one of their talented specialists will certainly be able to find it for you. Their sources are primarily within Thailand; from Chiang Mai and Bangkok, but also from local artists in places like Phetburi province. Some pieces are sourced from the island of Java in Indonesia, where there is currently a large and growing industry in wooden furniture, each piece being handmade by skilled artisans using indigenous materials and techniques. Oriental Living have been responsible for the interior design of many award-winning properties on the islands of both Samui and Phuket. They are also experts in exporting furniture worldwide, handling the complete process from manufacturing and quality control to packing, documentation and shipping. The company principle is ‘To approach each job with dedication and to arrive at a perfect solution for every customer’. So don’t worry, if you are just here on holiday but see something you like, or you want to try and source something you have in mind but have just never been able to find, then these are the people to ask. The new retail venture, LOFT, will be somewhat different as it aims to
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operate as a shop, where you can buy whatever you see, but it will be run and managed by the same dedicated team of experts. With their wealth of experience, knowledge and contacts, they will be sourcing furniture, lamps and other unique accessories and artwork for furnishing all your interior and exterior spaces. They will still visit furniture fairs in select locations such as Jakarta, Singapore and Milan, but also aim to introduce more modern, minimalistic and natural looking Scandinavian furniture, some in synthetic materials which can often offer a harder wearing and longer lasting solution, given the sometimes harsh tropical climate that can occur in Samui. The quality and standard of items for sale will remain similar to that at Oriental Living. The team will still be searching for those unique and individual designs, but they may buy ten, of each item direct from a supplier or factory. This makes it more affordable for the customer and is the perfect solution if you are looking for just a few pieces to complete a room, or if you own a hotel, condominium or villa and want to furnish it in its entirety. LOFT is about buying retail, from the shop, but they also have a team on hand to source in bulk if you see a design or style that you like.
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The LOFT team have found a great location for their new retail venture. You will find it just across the road from the Big C Superstore in Bophut. The venue was previously a bar and restaurant called De Zip, if you ever went there, you will know that it has a huge space inside, with parking both directly outside and across the road at Big C. LOFT will be opening its doors to the public in August, so by the time you read this article it will be fully established and operational. It is an exciting time for the team at Oriental Living, and now LOFT. Be sure to visit, peruse, contemplate, chat with the friendly and helpful team, consider what would look good in your home,
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resort or business and hopefully make a purchase. This is sure to be a great success story and will give an extra dimension to the availability of furniture and accessories on Samui. Let’s show them our support and help them to ‘move on up’ - all the way up to the LOFT!
Karan Ladd
________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7724 7675. www.oriental-living.net
Welcome to Morya Pharmacy, your one-stop healthcare destination on Samui. 欢迎来到苏梅岛度假胜地之一的 Morya Pharmacy The new definition of a full service pharmacy. 以全方位服务理念为新定义的药房
The best and largest range of healthcare and organic products, gifts and souvenirs on Samui. 是苏梅岛规模最大，产品最优的生产有机产品、 礼品和纪念品的制造保健中心
BEST KEPT
SECRET
An exceptional resort with an outstanding restaurant, the 5-star Vana Belle lifts the meaning of ‘dining experience’ to a whole new level.
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I usually write these feature-stories in a certain way – a way that I know works well. I’ve written a lot of them. And I’ve found that being objective and writing in a dispassionate ‘voice’ makes everything sound more professional somehow. But this story is going to be different. I’ve been seriously impressed by one of the resorts here, and so I’m going to try to do them the justice they deserve. I turned up for the interview, and ended up outside reception in my car, after having spent a frustrating 10 minutes looking for a parking spot. A smiling Thai man came out – “Are you Mister Robert? Let me park your car. Please go inside, you are expected.” My parking funk vanished. I wandered up the steps and was met by a Thai woman, who again called me by name and then guided me into the lounge, where a cheerful man greeted me warmly. He’s the resort’s Marketing Communications Manager, Jonathan Urquhart. Let’s just pause there . . . I’m just a writer. I’m not particularly important. And yet here I was, with resort staff having been organised to meet me and greet me. This simple thing tells me that this company has perfected the art of both courtesy and hospitality. And if I’m getting this kind of warmth and consideration, then any guest who stays here will be treated like royalty! Indeed, before you even come here to stay, all your likes and preferences will have been discussed and noted in detail by Jonathan, and your personally-assigned ambassador will be constantly available to respond to your every need throughout your stay. As part of the Starwood Hotels portfolio of 1,100 resorts and hotels, guest at the 5-star Vana Belle are assured of a personalised service, and facilities of the highest standard. But this resort is also one of 80 in Starwood’s ‘Luxury Collection’, and one of only three in Thailand. A great deal of thought has thus gone into the design and styling of the resort, the aim being to absorb and reflect the local (and regional) culture, while at the same time subtly underlining this with world-class contemporary fittings and fixtures. The word ‘vana’ means ‘forest’ in Thai and ‘belle’ is the French for ‘beautiful’. And the immediate impression when walking through the grounds is that the original heavily-wooded hillside has been retained, and the 80 villas and suites somehow artfully blended into this. The elegant design concept that’s woven throughout the resort is based on the ancient legend of the Himmapan Forest, and everywhere you’ll come across motifs and statues relating to this, such as the striking ‘elephant-fish’ (kunchorn waree) at the centre of the lily pond, just past reception. This mythical creature is able to swim across a vast ocean towards heaven – so it’s no accident that this statue overlooks the sweeping slopes of trees that frame an infinity of sea and sky beyond. As you’d expect, the facilities here are nothing less than superb, ranging from the opulently exotic Vana Spa with its extensive range of pampering, revitalising and healing treatments, the fitness centre and the library – not to mention the location itself; on what amounts to a private beach in the adjoining bay to Chaweng, Chaweng Noi. But there’s an equally lavish set of options when it comes to wining and dining. In-house guests are indulged with quite possibly the best breakfast on the island, a Saturday brunch, seafood beach BBQ and even a ‘creative dining consultation’ which permits several choices of location and an indulgent approach to cuisine. There are two restaurants here; Panali is on the edge of the beach. And the elegant and refined Kiree is set higher and commands sweeping views. And it’s Kiree that I’m going to focus on.
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I’ve written literally hundreds of Samui restaurant reviews over the last ten years. But, to date, nobody has been able to establish the title of ‘must go-to’ Thai restaurant on the island. Certainly there are some very fine restaurants. But I’d venture to suggest that Kiree is the island’s best kept secret when it comes to authentic Thai food. I’m not talking the sort of ‘authentic’ you find on the street stalls or the food markets. This is authentic in the sense that the menu features some of the most memorable dishes from around Thailand, together with an exhibition-range of lovingly-assembled Southern Thai specialties. Furthermore, there are only a handful of restaurants on Samui which are able to offer this level of both service and cuisine, together within a gentile fine-dining environment with such a magnificent outlook. Kiree is most assuredly one of them. The restaurant itself in an essay in restrained elegance. What on first sight appears to be an inner room, merges with a twin as you walk further inside. Both are air-conditioned, and both have a wall of glass looking onto a two-level outer terrace, with a fluted canopy above and that breath stopping seascape beyond. Furnishings are sumptuous yet easy, with groups and combos of tables and chairs blending with added sofas and settles. The chef here is the well-known Khun Nattanan Deeruang, who formerly worked in the 5-Star Banyan Tree Samui, and has been Chef de Cuisine 36 l www.samuiholiday.com
at Vana Belle for three years, during which time he’s worked exclusively on collecting and developing unique indigenous dishes, particularly from the southern region. These have a strong emphasis on fish and seafood due to the close proximity to the Andaman Sea in the west, and the Gulf of Thailand in the east. It’s a pure joy to sit down to, for instance, his ‘Pad Thai Malagor’, a lively variation on this popular dish, using long strips of green papaya instead of the usual noodles. Or the showcase curry offering of ‘Gaeng Kiew Hwan Talay Yod Maprow’ – a southern-style green curry with seafood, coconut heart and rhizome that’s served in a coconut shell. I was equally as impressed by the friendly and attentive floor staff, all of whom spoke excellent English. But, then, thinking about it, I shouldn’t have been. When you make a booking you’ll suddenly become super-special; expected, greeted, guided and looked after. It’s all part of the art that’s Samui’s best kept secret – Vana Belle!
Rob De Wet
__________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 5555. www.vanabellekohsamui.com
STARRY EYED A peep behind the scenes at Chaweng’s Starz Cabaret – where not everything is as it seems!
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Anywhere else, a cabaret show is just that – a cabaret show. It’s an equalopportunity employer for men, women and those in-between to shake, rattle and roll via music, comedy, circus, burlesque, live-art, theatre – or bits and pieces of any or all of these. But in Thailand that same word has a different and very specific meaning. It’s a stage show where the performers are usually all ‘ladyboys’, although often supplemented by a handful of ‘showboys’, too. And don’t expect to be thrilled by their voices; it’s traditional that everyone mimes to the set-numbers that their dance routines are choreographed around. Due to the nation’s Buddhist beliefs, and the tolerance and acceptance that go with this, here there’s a very different attitude to transsexuals. They are seen as ‘the third sex’ and accepted in all walks of life from TV stars and teachers, to hotel or bank employees. Some have less up-market jobs, working in factories or shops. Many more are to be found in creative spheres, such as artists, beauticians or fashion-stylists. And a select few, those with the right sort of temperament, get all glammed-up and strut their stuff every night as show dancers in a ‘cabaret’. Thailand’s a very formal nation and places a high value on tradition – even those traditions that have only come into being over that last few decades or so! And so the format of a ladyboy cabaret, right across the country, is more or less identical. You’ll always see a couple of classical dance adaptations. There’s always a Tina Turner look-alike. And then a selection of semi-gay anthems like Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I am what I am’ or Dianna Ross’s ‘I will survive’. Then there’s the big mamma who does the comedy number, and so on. It’s almost as if you don’t have these, then you’re not doing things properly. There’s no live interaction with the audience. It’s all set, it’s all rehearsed, it all happens up on a stage, and it’s all repeated again and again every night. With one or two notable exceptions. And one of these is right here on Samui, at Starz Cabaret in Chaweng. Starz has been going for a while now. It originally kicked-off in 2004, tucked away down a side road not far from McDonald’s. Then, five years later, it moved to a far more prominent position right on the main Chaweng Beach Road, close to Soi Green Mango. You can’t miss it; it’s where you’ll see most of the performers between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm, all done up to the nines in sequins and stardust, out on the street, preening, smiling, and enticing you to come in for the show. But if this is your first experience of a ladyboy show you’ll take it all for granted. It’s a family kind of a thing, and the audience will have its fair sprinkling of mums, dads and kids. (It’s free to get in, but the drinks prices are adjusted-up because of this.) The women will be fascinated, studying the body language (and the bodies!), the mannerisms and the make-up. The men will vary from reacting likewise to being rather more nervous and not knowing quite what to expect. But this is nothing at all like the drag shows in the West, where beefy truck drivers gear-up in wigs and bras for an hour or two of wince-making unreality. Thai ladyboys are slim, small, smooth, pretty and feminine, and live their lives as women 24/7. And the kids? They’ll be nodding and tapping their feet and taking photos for Facebook. The kids are always the most laid-back!
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If indeed this is your first cabaret show, you won’t realise just how unusual it is. Unlike almost all other shows it breaks out from the traditional mould. For a start, the performance area isn’t on a stage separated from the audience; there’s a walkway up through the middle, too, and the numbers are choreographed to flow into and out of this space. Plus this show has got a compere, an MC in the form of the smiling and androgynous Cambell, an urbanely-witty and responsive host who’ll come on stage and chat with the audience and, fast as lightening, throw comments back and forth in true stand-up style – most entertaining. Cambell is in fact the heart, soul, and driving force of Starz. He’s been there since the start. He’s the one who organises everything, directs the shows, choreographs the numbers and decides what new material to use. “In the last few years,” he explained, “we’ve seen an explosion of visitors from Korea and China. So we’ve added a couple of numbers based on Chinese pop songs. They’re quite entertaining, and everyone loves them, even the Westerners!” Just look out for the quirky ‘Little Apple’, which is based on a sort of Chinese Country and Western square dance! But here’s another thing: most cabarets, it has to be said, get by well enough without a lot of imagination. However,
over the years, Cambell has arranged and created around 150 set pieces. So whereas other shows simply repeat the same program again and again, every show at Starz is different. The 8:30 pm show has different material from the 9:30 pm show. (Alright, a couple of pivotal items might be the same, such as the Whitney Houston number and the Big Lady humour (‘talok’ in Thai). And the template at Starz is that the first and the third nightly performances will be the same. But then, the following week, all the material changes again completely. “The difference here”, mused Glen Herring, one of the partners who own Starz, “is that our staff are on a salary: other places you’ll get strong-armed to buy drinks or take photos because that’s how the staff have to make their money. Also, over the years, we’ve gradually grown into one big family, with six out of our 18 performers having been with us since 2004. We eat together, support each other, and everyone helps out if someone is sick or there’s an emergency. It’s a unique show, thanks to Cambell. On stage everyone’s got stars in their eyes. But the reality is, at Starz, it’s not a job, it’s a vocation. And, gladly, it’s one in which everyone loves what they’re doing, starry-eyed or not!”
Rob De Wet
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NORA + BEACH = BUFFET
Nora Beach Resort is a Samui institution that’s stood the test of time and is still going strong – here’s one of the reasons!
Not many of you who are reading this will have heard of the Nora Group. And that’s not really surprising. It’s not actually an organised ‘group’ as such. In fact, it’s a small locally-owned, managed and operated grouping of very shrewd and successful business people. They’ve been around for a while now, after having opened their first and luxurious 4-star Nora Beach Resort & Spa, up the far-northern end of Chaweng Beach, back in the early 2000s. Four or five years later they’d opened two smaller hotels in Chaweng. But then, in 2009, they came out with a lavishly-luxurious 5-star offering, with the spectacular flagship of Nora Buri. And, in a stroke, revealed that they’d cleverly created a spectrum of accommodation that drew in everyone from backpackers to high-flyers alike. And that brings us to dining and, in particular, the idea of buffets. That word, buffet, still carries unsettling vibes for many people. It might bring to mind wedding receptions with chicken in a basket or junior school fêtes. But this is Samui! It’s a tropical island. And a 5-star-quality gourmet buffet on the beach under a star-spangled canopy is a different animal altogether. There will be a sumptuous spread with prime sirloin and lobster, live cooking stations, a whole table filled with sides, salads, 46 l www.samuiholiday.com
sauces and dips, and not even a hint of a single solitary sandwich – although you’d be free to make-up as many as you wanted! You see, Nora Beach has a reputation for throwing the finest all-youcan-eat high-end buffets on the island. It’s known for it. Indeed, at one time it was unrivalled, having a different buffet theme every single night – Asian, Polynesian, Mediterranean; you name it! But times change. And today, there are just two evenings a week when you can enjoy the glory that is the Nora Beach buffet. But, believe me, they are just as extravagant and fine as they ever were, and well-worth crossing the island to enjoy. Plus you’ve also got the added bonus of being able to opt for the à la carte menu if you wish, thus making it an affordable evening if there are children or those with smaller appetites in your party. The setting here at Nora is indeed ‘picture postcard’; right at the edge of the sand and fringed by swaying palms. This is a spacious resort which not only takes up a lot of real estate, but has been built on terraces that subtly stage different levels down the hillside. Which means you’ll need to go into reception and ask for a buggy to carry you down to the resort’s signature restaurant, known as Prasuthon. This is larger than
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it looks as, Thai-style, the floor area spreads beyond the bounds of the building and there are tables outside on the surrounding terrace and the beach itself. The space is quite cleverly broken-up, as there are actually two separate open-sided sala-style buildings linked together, both octagon-shaped. Everything here is at slightly different levels and connected by wooden decking, creating a cosy sense of privacy wherever you are sitting. On the lower area, between the pool and the edge of the building, there’s a nested array of laden-down tables all set with gleaming white cloths and brightly downlit by spotlights, forming a pleasing contrast with the softer, candle-lit dining spaces nearby. There’s a wide selection of hot dishes, ready-cooked and waiting in stainless steel heated servers. And an array of cold cuts of beef, pork and chicken. There’s a salad bar and another table with all sorts of sides, such as different types of rice, potatoes in the form of baked, boiled and fries, plus all sorts of pastas, too. But take a tip: choose your dessert early on and put it to one side at your table – the gateaux are sublime and hugely popular!
HANSAR SAMUI
101/27-28 Moo 1, Bophut Koh Samui 84320 Thailand +66 77 245 511 | www.hansarsamui.com
Both buffets and also the à la carte menu are the creation of the veteran Executive Chef, Khun Sit (Sitthichai Saephu) who had previously honed his career in various 5-star kitchens, before the disastrous tsunami of 2004 brought him here from Phuket. He’s a very cheerful kind of guy, often to be seen on the dining floor talking with his diners, and on buffet evenings he’ll be out there overseeing his team of chefs who are manning the ‘hot stations’. Tell them what you want and how you like it cooked, head back to your seat and relax, and it’s brought to you piping hot. Samui’s an island and so seafood is always high on everyone’s list. Thus, depending upon what’s in season, you can expect to see a selection of tiger prawns, oysters, mussels, blue or soft-shell crab, plus whole snapper and fillets of sole, amongst others. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen a sudden increase in Chinese tourists on the island, and thus there’s now a selection of impressivelypresented Chinese and Japanese offerings, too. The sushi and sashimi feature on a snowy-clothed table all to themselves, along with a variety of ramen dishes. Every Tuesday you can enjoy a ‘Thai Dinner’ buffet, while on Thursdays you can look forward to the excellent ‘East Meets West’ theme. Both evenings feature live entertainment that begins at about 8:00 pm. On the Thai night, there’s a troupe of traditional Thai dancers, together with 48 l www.samuiholiday.com
a small orchestra playing such traditional instruments as the ‘ranaat’ (bamboo xylophone) and the ‘phin’ (an unusual 4-string lute). And the Thursday evening features a display of Hawaiian dancing and some spectacular fire juggling and dancing, too. And most worthy of note is the strategically-slotted happy hour (although it’s actually a two-hour session). It which runs between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm: all spirits and liqueurs, plus local beers are half price. Which means that you can not only catch the super sunset whilst sitting and sipping down on the beach, but you can also ease yourself cheerfully into the mood for the rest of the evening to come. A final word. Some resorts now hold one beach buffet a week, charging around 2,000 baht a head, and relying on their in-house guests to turnout and see what’s happening. Nora Beach charge far, far less than this (and always have), and know that outside guests will come from far and wide. Which is why we continue to say – Nora + Beach = Buffet!
Rob De Wet
____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 9400. www.norabeachresort.com
Psylo Full page
SO FAR SO
Taxi technology has come of age. Order your ride through NaviGo Samui for a brilliantly seamless journey.
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Taxis have always been a crucial blend of man and machine: a timehonoured meld of human controller and wheels. It’s been that way for years. But now things have become a little more sophisticated, and there’s a third factor in the equation: technology. Satellites, circuitry and global positioning can now play a part in your ride. Just a few years ago when a taxi set off, the only way to know its location was via two-way radio. That grand era of squawking radio cabs is now on the wane. The cutting edge technology that’s replacing all of this hasn’t been with us for long, but it’s not confined to sprawling cities where the future seems to have already arrived: you can find it right here on Samui.
As soon as you do this, your phone will beep with a confirmation code. Once entered in your NaviGo account a Google map comes up and you can enter pick-up point and destination. You’ll automatically be given an upper and lower price (this is because the distance isn’t exactly known) and you’ll also need to factor in a surcharge of 100 Baht.
NaviGo Samui has been running taxis now for almost a year, and operates a seamless system that guarantees your ride. How does it work? As with most taxi companies there’s a central office, but unlike in the old days, you won’t find dispatchers hunched over endlessly ringing phones hoping and praying all the rides will work out. Clients have the option to call in with their requests (more on this later), but most book the ride via smartphone. It’s incredibly easy to do.
Once in the car, there’s a meter which calculates the fare exactly. It tracks journeys via Google satellites. This meter isn’t an old-fashioned box with wires, but a tablet pc with a large screen display that you can easily see from the back seat. And the information’s exactly the same as you’ll see on your phone screen. Everything’s literally crystal clear. Your phone screen also shows you the journey on Google maps. Gone are the days when rip-off drivers might take a few leisurely and unnecessary detours. And the price, naturally, is for the hire of the vehicle and not per person.
Simply download the NaviGo app from your phone’s app store and then you’ll be effortlessly guided through the process. You’re just a few screens away from your ride. First you need to sign up and create an account.
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Here are a few examples of NaviGo’s pricing for journeys. From the airport to Chaweng it’s 172 to 208 Baht. From the airport to Lamai 367 to 514 Baht and to Maenam 361 to 424 Baht. (These prices already include the 100 Baht surcharge.)
And there are some other big advantages to this system, particularly on Samui. If you’re living at an obscure address along some equally obscure
track, the driver can still easily pinpoint you. There’s no need to give complicated directions that still may not be adequate: ‘The house is just by the turn-off next to the Italian restaurant and the tailor shop,’ alas could apply to quite a few locations on our island – even in the same town. It takes about 20 seconds to order a taxi. Once registered, your ride is on average just 15 minutes away, but if you’re in Chaweng or Lamai, probably it’s not going to be more than ten. NaviGo’s vehicles tend to be stationed in the populous areas – especially if it’s somewhere like Central Festival – but no matter where you are, as soon as your request goes out, the cars nearest are alerted, and then the nearest available car is given the job. On your screen, you can now track the car’s progress to you. At the bottom of the screen you’ll see the estimated number of minutes before it finds you. That means if you’re, say, in a restaurant, you won’t have to leave your table till the last moment. No more standing by the road, looking at your watch and checking out the cars coming by.
If you’re in a crowded place, you have a few more options at your fingertips. You can send a note to the driver to help identify you (“I’m bald and in black with a sports bag”) or you can take a picture of yourself and send. None of this is probably necessary though. Your phone will give you details of the driver, his photograph and name. (There are no women drivers, currently.) You’ll spot him easily. You might be forgiven for thinking that NaviGo runs along the lines of other hyper-modern taxi services, whereby almost anyone with a car can become a driver. Over-enthusiastic and instantaneous wannabe taxi drivers driving old clunkers? This is definitely not the case with NaviGo. Firstly, they recruit their drivers. Most, currently, are former chauffeurs for hotels and therefore are very familiar with the island and know how to treat customers and their luggage well. Before they start working for NaviGo, they have to undergo a two-week training period and only then are they allowed on the roads. They all have to have a special licence that covers taxis and taxi vans. In addition, every month, they have to undergo a drugs and alcohol test at a local hospital. (They’re only told on the day they have to attend.) The vehicles they drive are all new and are owned by the company itself. The fleet, at the time of writing, consists of both cars and taxi vans. All have big, recognizable company logos on both passenger and driver sides. Vans can seat seven passengers if they’re each travelling with luggage, or ten, without. This is unbeatable value if you’re travelling as a group, say, to the airport or a ferry. 54 l www.samuiholiday.com
The vehicles are able to negotiate even the trickiest and steepest of hills on Samui, so you can be sure you’ll never be dropped off before your destination by a white-faced driver shaking his head at the wall-like mountain in front of him. Similarly, rutted tracks are no problem. Operating hours are from 8:00 am until 2:00 am; during these hours, you can book via smartphone, but if you’d like a ride outside these times, you’ll need to reserve in advance by calling directly. Similarly, if you want to hire a NaviGo ride but don’t have a smartphone, it’s still easy. Just ring the number at the bottom of this page. Apart from the technology that’s gone into NaviGo, they’re offering an entirely professional service enabling you to get from point to point with ease. NaviGo offers a service that’s currently unique on Samui. Technology is making rides safer, more convenient and easier to book. On an island where government-run public transport doesn’t exist at all, taking a taxi is something that most holidaymakers will do, at least once while they’re here, and NaviGo is here to help in every way possible.
Dimitri Waring
_________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 887 604 804. www.navigosamui.com
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TO THE SHOPS Stand by for a serious culture shock when you go food-shopping, Thai style!
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Thailand is a constant source of wonder and surprise. And that’s said with respect – no condescension at all. Even if you’ve lived here for 20 years, again and again you’ll just shake your head in awe. But, if you come here for just a few weeks, it can be overwhelming. So much so, in fact, that the vast majority of visitors to Thailand rarely venture out on their own. They stay unthinkingly, safely, close to their hotel and pick through glossy leaflets of organised tours. There’s a comfort in this kind of distance – being a part of all the sights and sounds yet being insulated, too. It’s a rare foreigner who ventures out on their own. And that, in so many ways, is a pity. The most rewarding thing about a visit to Thailand isn’t the sights; each golden temple is much the same as the next. It’s the culture. It’s the way in which Thai people get on with the normal things in their lives. Well, that’s not quite true. To be exact, it’s the difference between this and the way you would expect to do exactly the same ‘normal’ things back home. 58 l www.samuiholiday.com
That’s what’s so fascinating – the difference between your expectations and everyday way of life, and theirs. Even though so many things look the same over here – the smartphones, the cars and taxis, the police directing traffic, the kids on their way to school, the modern-looking hotels, hospitals and banks – all of this sits on top of a way of doing things, and an outlook on life, that will often bring you to a halt with its strangeness. Of course, the biggest problem is the language. Many people in Thailand can’t speak English. Samui is different. Here, English-speakers are needed and in demand. Even small local Thai restaurants have found it to their advantage to have a least one person who can communicate with foreigners. But the communities here still share one identical current with Bangkok. There is one level of the culture that caters for foreigners and tourists, and another and separate culture where Thai people congregate. And nowhere is this more focussed and apparent than when it comes to food and eating.
To delve into the way that Thai people regard and approach food would (and has done!) fill a book. It’s nothing at all like you’re accustomed to – as you may have realised after seeing a bank teller munching from an undercounter tray of noodles while serving customers. But here we’re looking at something more basic – something you’ll be able to go hands-on with for yourself – getting out and going shopping in a local market. Not the sort that you’ll find in places like Nathon, which appear in the early evening and cater for people wanting to sit and eat meals. But the sort where you go to buy your ingredients; seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit and suchlike. There are two ways to do this. The first is that you go with Thai friends – then stand in the background, uninvolved, while they do everything for you, like your own personal organised tour. The more adventurous way is to go it alone. This takes some courage. It’s uncharted territory, like those ancient mariners’ maps marked with ‘here be monsters’. It’s a hundred times more
difficult, scary and embarrassing and thus, equally, as many times more rewarding. This makes for real holiday photos, and with tales to tell to match. This is the real Thailand. And it might not turn out to be at all what you’re expecting! Firstly, assume that nobody is going to speak English. Expect this and go prepared. No, you don’t need to start learning Thai phrases, but you do need to be prepared to point, mime and wave your arms, look apologetic and smile a lot. And take a notebook and pencil: you’d be amazed at how many worlds a simple sketch is worth. Also make sure you have plenty of small banknotes – 20s 50s and 100s. No, you can’t use your credit cards. And all those 1,000 baht notes you’re carrying won’t do you any good here; it will just frustrate the seller and confirm the impression that ‘farangs’ (foreigners) are rich idiots after all.
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So . . .what to expect. Firstly, you’ll probably be stared at. True, Samui has its share of Thai women with farang boyfriends, so foreigners are not uncommon. But one, or two, on their own will raise an eyebrow or so. Also, don’t hassle, be patient. You’ll be attended to when they’re ready. Thai people can be surprisingly shy, but a broad smile from you will usually work wonders. Tip: take a bag to carry everything you buy; it’s embarrassing to struggle with lots of plastic carrier bags while at the same time trying to leaf through a pocketful of small banknotes. And don’t worry about being overcharged – this is one place where it isn’t going to happen. Second: you’re going to experience sensory overload. This is nothing like a trip to Sainsbury’s or Tesco. Here, apart from the canvas roof coverings, everything’s out in the open. Prepare yourself for the sights of strange fruit, lots of internal organs on display, blood pooling in the corners of tables and trays, perhaps even raw skewered rodents, trays full of grasshoppers and fresh and fried insects, and whole fish complete with eyes, teeth and innards. Try not to shrink away from the smells of over-ripe fruit, garlic and spices, wood smoke, drying seaweed, fermenting pork, and the inevitable wafts of bad drains that come and go. The upside? No chemicals, no E-numbers, no preservatives, no insecticides – everything is just about as truly ‘organic’ as you can get. Third: go with the flow. Deliberately make it part of the experience when you get things wrong. There are all sorts of tantalising stuff that comes wrapped up in tubes of banana leaves, for example. The first one might be mango and sticky rice. But if you get stinky grey egg and mushy vegetables the next time around, welcome the learning curve and chuckle about it. And when you get back, looking around at the anonymous, shrinkwrapped, antiseptic offerings at your local supermarket, you’ll sigh. After Thailand, popping to the shops will never be the same again!
Rob De Wet 60 l www.samuiholiday.com
treat yourself at least once the dining room
Probably the most beautiful restaurant on the island and definitely the best food. Dine outside on the rocks by the sea or inside the open air ‘dining room’. Our exceptional chef and his team present a wonderful cross-over of Mediterranean and delicious French cuisine. The Dining Room is open every day for lunch and dinner. We hold regular events and often live music. Rocky’s Boutique REsort, Koh Samui. Reservations 077 233 020 dining@rockyresort.com www.rockyresort.com. On the ringroad just south of Lamai.
SUNSHINE
OASIS Be assured of peace of mind when investing in your holiday home at Oasis Samui.
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At one time, buying land in Thailand was something of a nightmare. But now laws and building regulations have become more strictly applied, procedures have changed, and the whole business has become more established and settled. And it all boils down to this. Do your homework carefully. Then chose a developer with a proven track record, together with a sense of design that you find attractive. And buy into one of their projects.
terrace – yes? Well, when you’ve looked over the design features at The Ridge, the answer’s a positive ‘no’. The concept of boxiness has been banished by the striking asymmetrical curve of the roofline, sweeping pillars and the combination of square and curved staircases. There’s a pleasing organic sense to it all, and the grouped villas meld harmoniously into their surroundings.
Such as, for example, the prestigious The Ridge. Located in the Choeng Mon area, on a section of the high backbone that runs inland from the island’s most north-easterly tip, the panorama is stunning – from the misty pastel of Koh Pha-Ngan, panning into a spectacular aerial view of the temple at Wat Plai Laem on the nearer shoreline. There are just eight three or four-bedroom luxury homes here. Both the design concept and the architectural styling are exemplary. Also, many of the original trees of the ‘ridge’ have been retained, and this is echoed in the internal landscaping. This, together with thoughtful positioning of each villa on different levels, achieves the maximum of individual seclusion and privacy.
If this has piqued your interest, you’re out of luck! Construction began in 2013, and the project won the Thailand Property Awards ‘Best Residential Development (Samui)’ for 2014 – 2015. And all the villas have now been sold. However, there’s a new project on the go.
If you’ve been looking around at property then you’ll probably have noticed that some developers have taken the easy way out in terms of the architecture. We’re in the tropics. So all that’s needed is the standard sort of room, but with an outer wall of window glass that opens onto a
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The development company of The Ridge is headed by Rodney Waller, an experienced developer in his own right. Rodney is hands-on and involved, having started off in the UK property industry before expanding into Asia, and picking up a Business and Economics degree plus a Post-Graduate degree in Law along the way. But his real leaning-curve came in Hong Kong around the time of flux just prior to the hand-over to China. “It was in Hong Kong that I developed a particular passion for property investment, and I spent a lot of time studying real estate and Asian property markets,” Rodney explained. “And after 10 years there I came to look at
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.
HANSAR
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.
Thailand and recognised the opportunities here for pre-construction development and sales. I’m fortunate to have teamed up with an excellent construction team and a very talented architect, M-system, whose work includes projects for the Olympics in Beijing, as well as the tallest building in Vietnam, the Novotel Han River. And now we’re all getting very excited about our new project in Lamai, Oasis Samui.” And, looking at the site-plan of Oasis Samui, it really does look like the development group is on to another winner. It’s a little larger this time, 19 villas in all, but the same thoughtfulness has gone into making each unit as private as possible – each one makes full use of the topography and is angled so that none directly overlook any of the others. There’s a similar outlook here, in that the project is elevated and has a superb vista, but with an inbuilt design feature in that the land features the gigantic granite boulders that are characteristic of the area, in addition to having larger land plots and more natural greenery. Or, as the brochure describes it, “a private estate of signature pool villas, located in the lush tropical surroundings of coconut palms with views over the turquoise blue seas of Lamai”.
Stephen Dion “an epicurean experience one shouldn’t be missed”
H Bistro at Hansar Samui 101/27-28 Moo 1, Bophut, Koh Samui +66 77 245 511 www.hansarsamui.com
But the most exciting thing of all is that it’s just a few minutes away from Samui’s new ‘Fisherman’s Village’ (or ‘Boardwalk’) at Hua Thanon. This is the most ambitious, and probably the largest-ever, project put together by the local government, with plans for restaurants, bars and shops. Not only that, but two of the island’s international schools, and also Lamai Beach, the new Makro and Tesco-Lotus superstores and Bangkok Samui Hospital are all within a ten-minute drive. This is a shrewd choice of location as the area around Lamai is now coming back into favour with a vengeance: there’s just no easily accessible land left west of Chaweng any more. For some it can be a bit daunting, buying from a site plan. But the architect’s professional 3D visuals are an immediate reassurance. Plus there are complete furnishing packages that can be included in the cost, together with after-sales management and maintenance and even a comprehensive rental-management arrangement for those who are looking for solid returns on their investment. And an enormous plus is that as soon as the first payment is made, the land is immediately registered in your name, which is most unusual, and with later payments following construction progress. It’s also a good indication of the proven integrity of the developer, and much the same sort of guarantee as money in the bank! The advantages of pre-sales are hard to ignore. Firstly, you can easily step-in and negotiate any design changes or additions that you’d like to make. And then you’ll not only be spreading the total cost over a period of time, but also have the satisfaction of knowing that its value will have increased upon completion. Plus, of course, the potential income from letting is an enticing off-set to the overall cost. Why don’t you research it for yourself? Google both ‘The Ridge Samui’ and ‘Oasis Samui’ and then, while you’re at it, get yourself a copy of Rodney’s book, a mine of information titled ‘The Essential Guide – Buying Property in Thailand’ – he doesn’t only know what he’s doing, he writes about it too!
Rob De Wet
____________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 856 920 550 or 0 858 853 334. www.oasissamui.com 66 l www.samuiholiday.com
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DOUBLY DELIGHTFUL Rocky’s Boutique Resort offers both casual and fine dining at The Bistro & The Dining Room.
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Hugging a tiny, secluded bay in the south of the island, where lush green hills descend to the water, Rocky’s is a resort where guests are treated like family, whether they’re staying or dropping in to savour the first-class food that’s on offer at the two restaurants here. The Bistro has an unusual approach; you cross a stone bridge over a stream and you’ll see the restaurant, which is open every day for lunch and dinner. The menu features the best of modern Italian and Provencalinfluenced cuisine as well as Thai dishes. You can enjoy simple delights such as sandwiches and exceptional pizzas. Or treat yourself to Steak au Poivre, grilled grain-fed Australian tenderloin, with brandy and peppercorn sauce, or Butter Fish Wrapped in Betel Leaf, with turmeric and coconut sauce, stir fried asparagus and homemade chilli oil. Commanding wonderful views, right by the sea, you’ll find The Dining Room. It’s ideal for long, leisurely meals that start with watching the sun set over the water while you sip on a cocktail at the adjacent beach bar. You can eat in the restaurant’s very tasteful interior, or right on the rocks themselves at candle-lit tables (you’ll definitely need to reserve these in advance, by the way). Open every evening for dinner, The Dining Room offers classical French cuisine with a modern twist. You can enjoy very varied dishes, such as Hokkaido Scallops, with topinambour purée, sauce almandine, wilted baby spinach, Parma ham and white truffle oil or the Rack of Lamb, delicious sous-vide Australian Top Paddock lamb, along with confit shallots, caramelized endives and cumin carrots. The culinary team here are extremely well trained; they can, for example, deal with any kind of food allergy and have recently developed some gluten-free dishes. And as everything is made from scratch, the staff know exactly what’s gone into the food. You won’t find any packets or
processed food in the kitchen; instead they put the initial ingredients together themselves. That way they can guarantee each and every dish’s goodness. An inordinate amount of attention and time goes into the simplest of things. Gravy, for example, is never a casual afterthought, but is carefully made over a period of three days, so as to ensure it’s filled with flavour. Rocky’s not only has a very skilled executive chef, but is also very lucky to be blessed with a General Manager, Martin Fells, who spent years as a professional chef himself. Martin is on hand to personally assist his team, and when he has some spare time, you’ll be quite likely to find him in the kitchens himself, experimenting or cooking up something special for his guests. He’s been at Rocky’s for nearly five years, and intends to stay, as he enjoys being in the resort. With its friendly staff and family atmosphere, it’s as popular with returning guests as it is with returning diners. High quality doesn’t mean to say that the food has to cost a fortune. It doesn’t. Martin and his team ensure that costs are kept down as much as they can be. There’s a large variety of dishes on offer, and you’ll always find plenty to suit your pocket. The same goes for drinks. Rocky’s has an astonishing list of 165 wines that range from Old World to New World making it one of the biggest collections on Samui. But don’t worry if you’re not sure which wines are best with the dishes you’ve chosen, staff are able to give advice. Naturally you can also drink wine by the glass, and in addition there are small bottles of Moët & Chandon Champagne for two for that special moment with a loved one. You can also try the Sunny Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon red from Australia – a delicious wine that’s in high demand at Rocky’s.
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Very popular with guests are the five theme nights at Rocky’s, held at The Dining Room. Just take your pick and it’s guaranteed you’ll enjoy a very memorable evening. On Mondays, there’s surf ‘n’ turf with live jazz, then on Tuesdays, a Thai night. This features a four regions buffet, covering the entire gamut of Thailand’s best dishes. While you eat, you can enjoy the excellent Thai dance show with live Thai music on traditional instruments. On Wednesdays Rocky’s puts on a romantic candlelit dinner and then on Fridays, a barbecue beach party with an amazing fire dance. The week finishes on a musical note with a live jazz soirée held every Saturday, featuring the à la carte menu. In addition, Rocky’s also offers a private romantic dinner. You start with a cocktail and watch the sun go down, and then move to a private gazebo on the sands. It’s decorated with flowers and candles. You’ll need to phone ahead to reserve and at the same time let the staff know what requests you have. As with everything, staff are open to suggestions and will do their utmost to make the occasion a very special one for you both. Rocky’s also runs its own Thai cooking class. There’s a choice of dishes that you can learn to make, with all the favourite Thai dishes covered. The chef will teach you how to make them exactly as he does – restaurant-perfect in other words. After you’ve finished, you can relax and eat what you’ve cooked. In addition, you’ll also be presented with your own chef’s apron and hat, and of course, printed instructions for the 72 l www.samuiholiday.com
dishes, allowing you to make them again once you’re back home. The Dining Room now offers a select grill menu that’s cooked on lava rocks, guaranteeing that all the flavours are retained. The lava grill selection includes many delights. Choose between chateaubriand steak for two (240 Days Grain Fed Australian Tenderloin), filet mignon, strip loin, rib eye and lamb or chicken breast or Atlantic salmon. Portions are generous, and to go with them there’s a choice of two dozen side dishes and six sumptuous sauces. Rocky’s also hold occasional one-off events such as wine dinners and hosts organizations such as Samui’s Rotary Club. They’ll also be happy to provide weddings and wedding receptions, birthday parties and gatherings of any kind, from simply social ones to elaborate corporate events. Rocky’s has all the comforts you’d expect from a five-star resort, and with exceptionally good service from its staff, its restaurants are highly recommended for top-notch food and drink.
Dimitri Waring
____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 3020. www.rockyresort.com
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GORGEOUS
GEMS Classic Gems offer high quality jewellery at great prices.
If you think that the world of gems, at least as far as Thailand goes, is synonymous with tricky negotiations in broken English, and perhaps not up-toscratch jewellery, then you’re a little bit out of touch. Quality jewellery isn’t just confined to Bangkok - you can also find it here on Samui. After all, this is an island where you can now find shops that are as sophisticated as their counterparts in any cosmopolitan city: there is style, value for money and friendly, efficient service. And fashion isn’t lagging behind, either, as you’ll find up-to-date clothing, accessories and, of course, jewellery. One of Samui’s longest running businesses is Classic Gems, which has been operating here since 1990, although its history goes back further than that. It’s part of a long family tradition that has its roots in Bangkok, and a factory making quality jewellery. The current owner, Khun Chayapa Pongchababnapa, learned the jewellery business from her father, and he learned it from his father. She saw a need for an equivalent outlet here on Samui, and set up a separate factory and store here. Over the years the company has gained many repeat customers due to the quality of its products. Classic Gems has a cachet for style and sophistication, which is so often missing from jewellery shops in Thailand and the region. This is a company which wholeheartedly puts its expertise into service, dedication and most importantly, the gems themselves and the way they are fashioned into jewellery. www.samuiholiday.com l 75
Classic Gems is a member of the Thai Gem and Traders Association, and adheres to their standards. In addition all diamonds are sold with certification from the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America), which is an authority on gems and everything to do with them. It’s an independent body and evaluates all gems submitted to it. The certificates that are issued detail the authenticity of the gem that you are purchasing, giving you peace of mind that it’s completely genuine. Each diamond has to be 20 carats and each is individually certified with grades for colour, quality and clarity. In addition, you can be assured that only 14 and 18 carat gold and the finest quality silver are used. The store is located in the south of Chaweng, right on the beach road, opposite Centara Grand Beach Resort. It’s easy to find, but if you prefer you can also take advantage of Classic Gems’ minibus service. You only need to call three hours ahead of when you’d like to be picked up from your hotel, and they’ll come and get you; it couldn’t be simpler. The air-conditioned shop is spacious, and there’s plenty of room to walk around and appreciate the exquisite jewellery that’s on display. You’ll
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also see immediately that all the prices are extremely good value for money, making choosing some jewellery either for yourself or a loved one a thoroughly relaxed experience – there’s no need to be worried about the price tag. Display cabinets showcase some of the finest quality jewellery that you will find on Samui, and you’ll see a huge collection of beautiful rings. Classic Gems also has bracelets, earrings and necklaces. If you’d prefer something in silver there is also a silver section and another one for pearls, which mostly come from the seas off China and Japan. There are knowledgeable assistants on hand to give advice should you ask, but otherwise they’ll be happy to let you simply browse. Their expertise is comprehensive, so if you have questions, then don’t be afraid to ask. They can provide information on anything to do with gems from the very general right down to the very specific and can, for example, advise on the best setting for a particular stone.
REFINED DINING, COCKTAILS & MORE Are you ready for a brand new dining experience? Join us at RockPool, Kanda Residences' spectacular beachfront restaurant and bar situated just 5 minutes from Chaweng. Daily happy hour with buy one get one free on selected drinks from 2pm until 7pm.
For reservations or more information call +66 77 234 500 www.rockpoolsamui.com Facebook: rockpool.kohsamui
Many people walk into the showroom and fall in love with that one special piece which catches their eye. Others may take longer to decide as there is so much choice. It’s best not to hurry, as you’ll be choosing something that is going to last centuries. But what’s on display is only part of what Classic Gems offer. If you bring with you (or better still email beforehand) your design idea, it can be made to order at the factory that’s right on site. Jewellery can therefore be customized especially for you, all the way down to the stone and the way it’s designed and set. This goes for both single gem rings and intricately designed pieces that use multiple stones. Incidentally, even the settings at Classic Gems are individually guaranteed and certified, and they’re designed so that they can be fixed easily should they ever get damaged. And that brings us to the next point. The service here doesn’t end with a sale. Aftercare is extremely important when it comes to many jewellery items, and the ongoing maintenance of your jewellery, such as cleaning or resizing, is performed at Classic Gems completely free of charge. This is perfect if you live here or return to the island regularly. Classic Gems certainly dispel the myth that buying gems and jewellery in Thailand is a fraught and stressful occasion. Gone are the days when you could never be quite sure of the value of what you were buying. You no longer need to be an expert in order to know what’s good. Today, you can find very fine examples of gems and jewellery where the quality is certified as genuine.
Dimitri Waring _______________________________________ For free transportation or further information, telephone 0 7723 0479. www.classicgemsamui.com
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Let Waterline’s menu take you on a journey. Globally inspired, highlighting seafood, meat and poultry the menu is infused with our chef’s worldwide culinary passion. The menu will delight the palate while evoking words, thought and memories. Come and visit Waterline 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
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Detox Destination The Spa Resorts are renowned spots not just for sun and sea but for improving mind and body.
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When guests arrive at either of Samui’s two Spa Resorts, one of the first things they notice is how green the surroundings are. Looking out from the terrace, jungle-clad mountains predominate, and the vista is remarkably green. Then there are the coconut trees that Samui is justly famous for, cultivated everywhere on the island, climbing all the way up to distant summits. A breeze soothes tired spirits and guests just let their cares drop away from them. The twin resorts – everyone refers to them collectively as The Spa – exude all the charm of the old Samui, a destination where you kick back, slow down and start to savour life. And just like in olden days, you’ll see couples and friends sharing meals in tranquil salas. Later they’ll retire to comfy wooden chalets that have distinctive wig-wam roofs. Wood, seemingly all but banished as a main building material from the island hotels, is still valued here, and the chalets are all made of this. The ubiquitous concrete of some resorts is less in view. The emphasis is on the natural, but not self-consciously so; the resort isn’t trumpeting its eco-mindedness. But what’s really exciting for those coming here is that this is far from typical as resorts go; it’s not just about relaxation and little else. Guests may be here on holiday, but their holidays have a purpose. Over the years, thousands of guests have travelled here to experience cleansing and the benefits of detoxing the body, as well as learning to meditate and increase their sense of well-being. The original owner, Guy Hopkins, probably never guessed that his ideas would prove so popular. Demand was great and he had to open a further spa. It’s a short distance away, up in the mountains. Dr John Schreiner has been working at both spas for 12 years. He stumbled on Guy’s original spa in the 90s, while out walking on the beach. He signed up for a detox, benefitted from the program, maintained contact with Guy and was later invited to work there. He’s now managing both the resorts, working in tandem with Dr Annabel Nichols.
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Nora Buri SH Sep - Oct 2015
B a r g e & Te r r a c e
The immediate question is the obvious one: does cleansing really work? John, who still regularly undergoes cleansing, gives a resounding yes. He says, “What we’re doing is slowing down the body by getting rid of the toxins that build up inside. It’s a cleanout and when that happens, the emotions and spirit gets cleansed as well. There’s a spiritual element too – not that we promote it. Cleansing is natural. It’s good for you. It’s not really a treatment for any particular disorder. Once the toxicity of the body’s been reduced then you’ll function better.” The cleanses aren’t simply restricted to water. John says, “Guests have vegetable juice, shots of wheatgrass and can drink vegetable broth. It’s not a strict fast, where your only intake would be water.” You might think guests soon start to suffer all the pangs of hunger, but due to the intake of nourishing liquids, cravings for food are quite minimal. And as time goes on, they quickly become fewer.
Fine Beachside Dining at The Rice Barge & Terrace Authentic Thai Cuisine Daily A La Carte and Thai Set Dinner No visit to Samui is complete until you have dined at The Rice Barge & Terrace
Most guests partake in three and a half or seven day programs that also include colonic enemas. It might seem a strange way to have a holiday, but there are many, many repeat guests; The Spa Resorts have collected hundreds of testimonials from satisfied customers. The concept here seems to be one that’s laid-back and tolerant. It’s not boot camp; there’s no military feel to the place and people aren’t flexing their jaw-muscles and gearing themselves up for another round of punishing health activities. Neither does it have the vibe of a cult, all floaty clothing and no substance. The guests seem refreshingly normal; so too do the staff and practitioners. Enjoyment seems to be one of the main concepts, and perhaps almost ironically so when it comes to food. Both the spas have a restaurant called Radiance that’s gained some serious accolades for good food. It’s scrumptious whilst keeping to healthy guidelines. Diners are won over by dishes that feature both raw food and
Rice Barge & Terrace Nora Buri's Signature Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: ricebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com
vegetarian ingredients. But it’s not hard-core: there’s meat too, and beer and wines are also available. But what about when guests go home? Is it just a question of slipping back to the old ways? After all, beer and bratwurst are always waiting, and supermarkets are filled with temptations. It’s all too easy to ‘retox’ – as it’s sometimes called in spa language. John says it’s up to the individual. “But once the body is re-calibrated, you’re more likely to choose healthier foods. If you put as much salt on your food as you did before, you’ll really notice it – an unpleasant taste. Eating some deep-fried chicken may make you feel sick. You’ll appreciate natural foods more, like fruit. So, hopefully, you’ll be tempted by good choices afterwards, rather than by bad ones.” But while at the spas, guests find that there’s more than just cleansing going on. For example, they enjoy daily meditation sessions at each of the spas free of charge. To learn the process doesn’t take long, and even if it takes most people years to master, the benefits are phenomenal – right from the start. In addition, guests can also have sessions with practitioners specialized in varied health fields. The spas have a hypnotherapist, nutritionist, reiki master, energy worker and a cranio-sacral practitioner, while John himself is a chiropractor. There are also various courses on offer. Surprisingly none of the cleanses or indeed anything the spas are offering is over-priced; charges are very reasonable, meaning guests can enjoy their time here without worrying about the cost of it all. Both spas are open to non-residents; you don’t have to sign up for anything
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and plenty of people turn up for anything but cleanses. For example, there’s a special massage and clay facial, which includes a session in the spas’ popular steam rooms. It’s probably one of the best deals on the island. There are a whole range of massages all performed by expert masseuses. Other people come for yoga or chi-gong. Recently, both properties changed hands, and whilst the new owners are keen to keep The Spas’ traditions going strong, they’ve also opted to give both the resorts a spruced-up look. The buildings are being renovated, and in the massage salas, air-con is being added, taking the brunt out of the hot, hot days that Samui experiences at times. A new bar is going up on the beach, along with a further massage area. Both the level of comfort and the number of amenities have been given a boost. But the concept remains the same as before. Compared to the typical type of holiday, The Spa Resorts seem to be offering some strikingly different possibilities. For almost a quarter of a century they’ve been inspiring guests to eat, drink and even think differently. That’s a big draw but the other holiday opportunities haven’t gone by the board – there are swimming pools, the sea and always a sense of being in a place that’s fun and laid-back, too. In short, this is a place to come for many reasons, though not to suffer.
Dimitri Waring
____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 4666. www.thesparesorts.net
Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Villas 154 Moo 2, Chaweng Beach, Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Tel: +66 77 231 500-8 Fax: +66 77 231 520 Email: booking@baanhaadngam.com, www.baanhaadngam.com
Romantic views, soothing sounds and classic Italian fare with a modern approach combine to please the most discerning diner. Olivio - a must for visitors and locals alike. Olivio ~ beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort Chaweng Beach. Free round trip transfer from Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. For reservation please call 0 7723 1500-8
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DISTINCT IN DESIGN Immerse yourself in the world of craft beer at The Bees Knees Brewpub.
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It’s not just cooking that takes place in the kitchen. A lot of other things happen there too, and much of it is experimentation. There’s always someone who one day clears the big sensible kitchen table and does something completely different. Jim Smith is one such person; he spent some 40 years in his kitchen first experimenting and then producing an exciting range of beers. But why beer? After all, you can find it just about anywhere and it’s usually not too expensive. Jim wasn’t worried about supplies or costs; he just liked the challenge of making it himself. He had no idea that he’d one day become a professional. It could be called the law of accretion; you learn little by little and each micro-layer of knowledge rests on the one under it, until the realisation hits the amateur that he or she now knows as much as any professional. Decades long in the making, a new skill is one day completely mastered and it’s time now to simply continue or to get practical and go pro. Jim decided to open his very own brewery. The results of his labours you can see when you visit his brew pub in Chaweng. The place reflects just how much he’s dedicated to beer. Stainless steel vats are right there – this is a live brewery with the beer flowing direct to the taps and to your glass. A man fully dedicated to his craft, Jim’s a likeable and focussed person, who loves nothing more than making great beers. Thailand, of course, isn’t short on beer – it’s everywhere, and you’d have to be lost in some very deep jungle not to come across some or other place selling it. So far, so good, but while Singha and Chang endlessly tough it out to be the number one supplier, the world of craft beer has come to 88 l www.samuiholiday.com
the country. Craft beer isn’t meant to compete with the big producers, but is a chance for small producers to brew beers that have vibrant and often quite different tastes. Such beers are enormously popular, and people of all walks tend to like them – not just beer enthusiasts. Thailand’s craft beer scene started off in Bangkok, and over the years has attracted much attention, yet today few brewpubs exist here, and certainly not on the nation’s islands. It’s definitely a first for Samui, and offers something unique to the already sophisticated food and beverage scene here. Jim settled on four different beers. He brews a wheat beer with a soft fruit flavour using Australian Galaxy hops, a porter with English East Kent Golding hops, which has a flavour of coffee and chocolate, a lager beer with German Hallertau hops and an English bitter with English East Kent Golding hops. His equipment can make many more types, due to its versatility. There are no added ingredients or chemicals at all and everything is brewed fresh on the premises. A challenge that Jim faces is that none of the ingredients are to be found growing in Thailand – the climate here’s totally unsuitable. He can’t just nip down the road for supplies, so this requires detailed planning. Similarly, it’s hard to come across the equipment needed for brewing, so for this, Jim turned to China and to a specialist brewery manufacturer. Once everything was in place and he had permission to brew, he got going. The process starts with mashing malted barley and wheat then straining and boiling the resulting liquid, known as wort, with hops. He then cools the wort quickly to fermentation temperature, adds yeast and ferments according to a temperature plan. Jim uses lower temperature fermentation and allows longer for complete fermentation and conditioning. The beers are served draught only. www.samuiholiday.com l 89
Nora Beach Samui Holiday July-August 2016
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
Sometimes Jim’s asked what to eat with the beers he makes. On Samui there are already instances of specific craft beers being paired with equally specific foods. Jim feels some combinations really work well and says that smoked food tends to go well with the porter, while cheese goes with the English bitter and spicy foods with the lager. The wheat beer, meanwhile, tends to go well with salads and desserts. Jim’s considering offering food at The Bees Knees but is happy for his guests to order in from outside – there’s a Thai restaurant right next door, or you can have food delivered, or even bring your own. There’s no charge for this. He’s also happy to put on parties and gatherings. The Bees Knees is open from 3:00 pm to midnight. Parking is available on the street or in the lane next to the brewpub. You’ll find it on the Chaweng Lake road, about half way along, on the left hand side as you head towards the beach road. The atmosphere is laid-back and informal, and Jim himself is a very welcoming figure. Word has gone round that there’s craft beer on the island, and Jim has many supportive customers. Brews like Jim’s are from the heart. They’re creative, different and above all unique. They belong to a new class of hand-made and heart-felt products that are becoming ever more popular. Yet at the same time, they’re harking back to medieval times when beers were in the hand of a very few enthusiasts. What goes around comes around. An age-old skill is charming us all over again and on Samui, as elsewhere in the world, people are enjoying individually crafted brews.
Dimitri Waring
____________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 855 372 498. www.samuibrew.pub
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THE HEART
OF THE MATTER
Whether you plan it or not, knowing your way around the cardiology unit at Bangkok Hospital Samui might be a very good thing! We all look forward to our holidays. It’s an exciting time. But the most fun comes in the planning. Deciding where to go. Narrowing it down. The dozens of hours on Google keep us going through the long, dark, months. It lifts us up. And then, as the time draws closer, it’s time for all the details: making lists, checking reservations, packing bags, fixing up a taxi. And in the middle of all of this, tucked away somewhere, is the holiday insurance. Some people aren’t really aware of this. But many others are, and make a point of buying a comprehensive medical option. After all, everyone’s holiday nightmare is to be sick or injured thousands of miles away from home, in a land where you can’t speak the language. It’ll probably never happen. But it’s worth paying that bit extra just for the peace of mind. Hold all of this in your mind for a moment. Let’s look at quite a different scenario. People of all ages come to Samui from all over the world – singles, couples and families. In some cases they qualify for free or subsidised medical treatment back home. But in the vast majority of cases, check-ups, treatments or operations have either a waiting list or are expensive. Knowing this, many people deliberately select a holiday destination where they can benefit. They can take a break, and at the same time take advantage of the lower cost of treatment. At one end of the scale is that an operation is needed but there is a long waiting list. At the other end is something like cosmetic surgery – it’s nonessential but it’s cheaper abroad. And so there are many who come to Thailand, and to Samui, simply because the surgical procedures that they need are instantly obtainable and also cheaper, even factoring-in the airfares and accommodation.
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And so to the point of this story. The human heart is a miracle. It works non-stop from long before we are actually born until the day we die. It’s a muscle-structure. But unlike every other muscle we have, it never ceases to expand and contract, pumping without ever stopping, every moment of every day, even when we sleep. It’s the strongest – the most resilient – organ in our body. It can stand up to all sorts of abuse. It can tolerate decades of cigarette smoke and other sorts of mistreatment. It can extend itself and pump harder and faster for long periods of time when necessary. It will do this even when it is not entirely healthy or no longer as strong as it used to be. However, even though you might be 100 years old, mostly it’s not the heart itself which fails. Any ‘failure’ is usually due to a sudden lack of oxygen in the blood – it’s only when the heart can’t get enough oxygenrich blood passing through it that the heart muscles begin to fail. And when this happens it stops pumping blood around your body, and you suffocate through lack of oxygen, just as if someone has put a plastic bag over your head. It takes between five and ten minutes before permanent brain damage occurs.
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Doctor Nat Chavanich is the resident cardiologist at Bangkok Hospital Samui in Chaweng. “Most folk have the impression that only older people have heart attacks,” he explained. “It’s not true. Indeed, if there’s a family history of this it can happen even at an early age. But what is more usual is that a combination of poor diet and lifestyle slowly damages your body. There’s a gradual build-up of material (usually cholesterol-based) inside the major arteries, particularly the big ones that lead in and out of the heart. This reduces the blood flow to the heart, and thus the amount of oxygen it can pump to the brain.” “However, it can also result in congestion in the blood flow, causing a blood clot,” he continued, “and if this then moves along the big arteries, it will stick in one of the heart valves and stop it working. This is what we call a heart attack (myocardial infarction). But there are always early warning signs. If you can say ‘yes’ to the symptoms then you need to have a detailed checkup immediately.”
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The first indication of an ‘at risk’ heart condition is when the heart has to pump faster in order for the body to get the oxygen it needs. At rest, a young, fit, athlete might have a heartbeat of only 40 beats per minute. A healthy adult with a desk job perhaps 80 to 100. But anyone with a consistent heart-rate of more than this needs an immediate cardiovascular examination. “The warning signs to look out for are shortness of breath when doing ordinary things like climbing stairs,” Dr Nat elaborated. “Then palpitations – an irregular heartbeat. Perhaps you may also sweat, even though you’re not doing anything energetic. And if you also have a high resting-heartbeat, you’re at risk. You could have a heart attack at any time. However, the facilities at Bangkok Hospital Samui are firstrate. As far as cardiology goes, the following diagnostics and tests are available: treadmill test; ECG, echocardiography and X-rays; carotid Doppler ultrasound study, and CCTA (Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography) imaging of both the heart (and brain) and major supporting arteries.” For most of us, heart attacks are like road accidents – we’re careful to try to avoid them, but if they happen then we have insurance, and we hope that they’re not going to be serious and we’ll get another chance. But, if you could go to some kind of fortune-teller and know in advance when you were going to crash your car, would you ignore it? It’s the same with your heart. But with this you can get a forecast. And it’s quicker, easier and cheaper to get it done here on Samui. It is better to get a check-up than to rely on your holiday insurance! Make it a part of your holiday planning. That way you’ll never regret it!
Rob De Wet
_______________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7742 9500. www.bangkokhospitalsamui.com 96 l www.samuiholiday.com
ALWAYS IN
BLOOM We look at why Poppies boutique resort and restaurant is still flourishing after all this time.
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Samui changes at night. It’s all about the sky. During the day, there’s infinity above. The vast blue dome of the sky is dappled with clouds, and it drops to merge with the hazy thin line of the nebulous sea. But night comes on fast. Blue fades to pastel and the sky is gauzy with golds and pinks before the last shouts of the day fade to grey and the sun whispers away. Everywhere lights wink on, a myriad of sparks and flushes and gleams. But now it’s all smaller, somehow. Cosy and compact. It’s all wrapped around us, here, where we are, close to the ground. The lights of the night shimmer and dance, each place a new image, every turn a new whim. The concrete of the road is heavy and dull, orange from the street-lights above, yet snappily fringed with neon and glare, bannered with cars that flare, then crawl glowing like coals as they go. Here, and there, it’s softer, more subtle. The romance of soft lights. The enticing glow of an entry half-revealed. You’re tempted to enter, drawn in . . . exactly as will happen when you come up to Poppies from the road outside, and all the dimensions shift once again! In the daytime it’s gorgeous, too. Just 24 luxuriously-fitted cottages peep out from a fairy-tale setting, framed by gigantic trees festooned with hanging roots and vines, set along little looping paths that ease up and over picturebook wood bridges past tinkling streams and rocky outcrops. Poppies has been here since 1994. But prior to this a whole year of thought and planning went into just the ground plan and design-layout alone. In fact it’s generally agreed that Poppies was the first ‘boutique’ resort on Samui; meaning that it was privately-owned and managed, and combined
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traditional Thai elements with quality European-style furnishings and fittings. Back in the early ’90s, it was unheard of for the island’s resorts to take-in diners from outside – other than a passing afternoon snack on the beach perhaps. But right from the start, Poppies decided to make the restaurant something special. It wasn’t just going to be a great restaurant with a world-class chef. It was going to break new ground and offer outside guests a chance to enjoy not only one of the most picturesque settings on Samui, but some of the best eating too. After all, after if you’ve got it, what’s the point of keeping it hidden away? Although Poppies restaurant has an excellent à la carte menu, with both international and Thai cuisine, the most sought-after offerings are in the ‘kantoke’ section. This refers to the traditional Thai custom of creating a selection of small dishes that are served at the same time, and presented on a rattan tray. Poppies has elevated this to something of an art form, having created no fewer than five very varied types of kantoke sets for two persons, including one specifically for vegetarians. There is the ‘Traditional Thai’ kantoke, and a collection of dishes representative of the regions of Thailand in the ‘Four Regions’ offering. And to top that there’s also the resplendent ‘Royal Thai Kantoke’, which comes on authentic Benjarong porcelain, decorated with elaborate cloisonné enamelling and real gold leaf and actually contains no fewer than ten dishes (including the choice of jasmine or brown rice).
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But what makes this kantoke collection unusual is that there’s also a spectacular seafood creation. There’s no point detailing the contents of every single kantoke that’s available here; that’s quickly accessed online on Poppies’ website. But let it be said that the seafood kantoke is simply outstanding! The whole approach to the idea of the assembly of a lot of small dishes for two people has been so successful that it’s even found its way onto the à la carte menu, in the form of the ‘Selection of Small Seafood Dishes’ and ‘Selection of Small Poppies Favourites’ – although these are both sitting in the shadow of the majestic ‘Poppies Seafood Extravaganza’ (also for two persons) which is nothing short of decadently wicked! But if that wasn’t incentive enough, then a Saturday night at Poppies takes some beating. A great many resorts hold all-you-can-eat buffet one night a week – it’s a way to keep their residents in-house and stop them from heading out to places like Poppies! But here, instead, the normal menu is in place (including all those wonderful kantokes). And there’s also an evening of Thai music and dancing. Note the word ‘evening’. At Poppies, every Saturday night, you can expect a full three hours between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm, allowing for occasional 10-minute breaks, and with a small orchestra of real musicians. And there’s additionally a craft fair running throughout the evening, with ongoing demonstrations of the artisans in action. And it all happens in the night time, when an outing to Poppies is the island equivalent of fairyland. The greenery is aglow with hidden spotlights 102 l www.samuiholiday.com
that shimmer upwards to the treetops. The little pools and tiny bridges are accented with warm lights reflected off the shimmering water. It’s a wonderland, and everywhere there’s gleams and dabs of glimmering light, guiding you ever onwards to where the lights flood the pool in brilliance: and this is now covered-over and forms the stage on which the orchestra sits, cheerfully nodding and swaying to the music. In all honesty, this actually runs against the conventions of Thai ‘perfection’, in which every note is practiced and played with mechanical precision. Likewise the dancing: it should be impeccably in unison and minutely exact, even down to the rigidly mechanical smiles on the dancers’ faces. But this dancing group comes from the local school, enthusiastically trained by their teacher, Miss Nannaphat Boudam. And the sheer enjoyment and excitement of the young dancers is joyous to behold. They are just loving every moment, as is the audience. And the happy smiles on both sides are straight from the heart. Nowhere on Samui is there a Thai dancing showcase with a restaurant attached. But at Poppies Samui, you’ve got it. Not only that, the food here is some of the best anywhere. No wonder Poppies continues to bloom!
Rob De Wet
_______________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 2419. www.poppiessamui.com
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BUSTERS A look at some of the best fun on Samui and why ghosts are a part of it – at Lamai’s lady boxing!
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Thai people believe in ghosts – although that’s a bit simplistic. But there’s nothing like this in the West, so it’s hard for us to grasp. Essentially, Thais believe that people who’ve lived a good life will reincarnate into the next one, while the spirits of the baddies are stuck here wandering about, causing all sorts of mayhem and malice. This story is about the ‘lady boxing’ in Lamai. But, to appreciate what you’re seeing, you’ll need some background first. Without which, well, it’s just a couple of girls thumping each other for cash – only a small part of the tale. Thai boxing (Muay Thai) is a very serious business indeed. And in almost every way there’s an entirely different approach to the boxing we know in the West. For a start, it’s all very spiritual, and there’s a lot of ritual attached to it. You’ll sometimes see visitors smiling about all this, and wondering if it’s all a bit of a show for the tourists. Well, actually, it isn’t. It’s all back to those ghosts again, and the belief that the head is the most sacred part of the body and must be protected by spells and prayers, and by invoking the help of good spirits. This is a completely different facet of the happy-golucky smiling faces you see around you on the street and in the shops and resorts. And it’s worth understanding these things if you want to get the most from a visit to the ‘lady boxing’. There are three Muay Thai stadia on Samui. The main one, the biggest and best-known, is in Chaweng, in Laem Din, at the end of Soi Reggae. This is the Petchbuncha Boxing Stadium. Over the years this has risen from an overpriced tourist trap to being the most prominent Muay Thai venue in the whole of Southern Thailand. Plus there’s also now a smaller and newer one located behind Starz Cabaret in Chaweng; ‘Samui Stadium’. And the third one, the one we’re heading to, isn’t a stadium at all – it’s just a boxing ring! And it’s in Lamai. Once upon a time, Lamai town centre had two clusters of ‘beer bars’. One set of these were blocky rectangular structures made up of a small room with a tiny U-shaped bar attached. The other set were all little ‘rotundas’ – a thatched circular roof with matching circular bar beneath. Due to this they earned the nicknames ‘Square Bars’ and ‘Round Bars’ respectively. Somewhere in the middle of the 2000s, the entire nest of the Square Bars was demolished. And this matched that period when Lamai was in a serious decline, overshadowed by the energetic expansion of Chaweng.
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At which point someone came up with a clever idea. Why not build a boxing ring in the middle of the Round Bars? And that’s what happened. In the early days the weekly shows featured enthusiastic male amateurs seeking to gain a little experience and hopefully earn a crust in the process. There was no money for the winner, but a quick tour of the audience usually collected a respectable sum in appreciative tips. And then, nobody truly knows how or why it happened, one day a pair of young ladies appeared in the ring. Legend has it that the girls worked in different bars and had become entangled in an intense love triangle, with one of them enraged that the other had stolen her boyfriend. Feelings ran high and shouting matches were ongoing, leading one day to the pair of them going at each other hammer and tongs, tooth and nail. The owners of each bar stepped-in and said, “Enough! You can both get this over with and settle it once and for all and with honour, on Saturday . . . there!” . . . and pointed at the boxing ring in the middle. In this era there were no female boxers on Samui (and very few elsewhere). Word spread, and the crowds flocked in to see the spectacle. This new idea was so successful that the program evolved to the point where, out of the eight bouts each Saturday, six 108 l www.samuiholiday.com
of them were between females – hence the name that emerged; ‘Lady Boxing’. Today it’s advanced again and become much more main stream, now that women have established themselves in Muay Thai (albeit still at the fringe, as Muay Thai is traditionally about ‘male warriors’.) The contestants all wear professional kit and earnestly undertake the pre-fight rituals to ask permission from the spirits to fight, and then appease the good spirits, invoking them to destroy any bad spirits and their hidden malice. Two elements are symbolic and are always worn. The lesser of these is the magical ‘Prajioud’, the ‘bandages’ around the biceps which have two cords attached and are worn throughout the fight to protect the fighters from injury. The other is the headband that looks like a tennis racket; the sacred ‘Mongkon’. The Mongkon has magical powers, has been thrice-blessed by a Buddhist monk, and the magic is directed at the most sacred part of the body, the head. The fighter is not allowed to touch it. It’s handled only by his trainer, who chants incantations and casts spells before placing it on the fighter’s head. After which the fighter enters the ring by leaping
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over the top rope – it brings bad luck if he goes under it. Unless it’s a female fighter, that is. She is obliged to enter only through the bottom ropes, and only then may receive the Mongkon on her head. The show is advertised to begin at 9:30 pm, but in reality kicks off about an hour later. There’s no charge to go in or sit down, but the bars bump the drinks prices up a bit to make up for it. And the program has changed, too, with the ladies – now serious and looking professional – usually having just three bouts. You’ll also see young male amateurs and even very competent kids of 10 or 11 years old. But the best thing of all is the atmosphere. It’s electric! It’s infectious! It’s enormous fun, with all the bars screaming for their champion, singing, chanting and stamping. Yes, it’s all serious stuff at heart. But with everyone generating such a psychic tsunami of positive vibes, there’s probably a whole lot of ghost-busting happening, too!
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Rob De Wet
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TO SERVE AND PROTECT Securing your property is vital, and that’s why we’re looking at B Smart Sys, over in Bang Po.
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Samui has changed. At one time, people only came here for a holiday break. Today, many of those people still come here, but to their own house, not to a resort. Some of these people are residents, cashed-up, retired and living here. But others come and go, staying here for a few months at a time. Some properties are gated and guarded. But most of them aren’t. Yes, Samui is certainly desirable all right. And criminals like that a lot. Back in the early days, one or two break-ins used to happen, here and there in the low season – off-season there’s less money to go around. Thieves grabbed what they could and ran. But now it’s big business. Teams from the mainland spend time here hunting. Then, targets acquired, they’ll hit three or four places at once and be back on the next ferry and gone. Security bars? They’ll put a chain around, hook it up to their truck and rip everything out in one go. The whole job takes just 15 minutes. And if someone nearby phones the police? Well it’ll take half an hour before someone on a scooter turns up in response. But that’s the way it used to be, just a few years ago. Today, there’s just no reason for this to happen. Even the least-technically
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minded of us can use the internet. And for just 20 or 30 Dollars can install an IP camera which can be viewed on a smartphone. You can even set it up to detect movement and sound an alarm, or send you an email. It’s amazing. You can actually watch the burglars in your home, and use your phone to record it all and take mug-shots of the thieves as they work. There’s only one small problem, though. It’s not actually stopping them. And anyway they only need to turn off the electricity to your house and that’s the end of the story – you don’t even get to enjoy the live-action replays. Well, to be fair, this internet/smart phone solution is the same as any household burglar alarm, but with a viewing screen attached. Your security is only ever as good as the system you use. With an internet-cam system, if you’re living here on the island and just going out for the day, you set the alarm. And if it goes off, you’ve got time to call a neighbour and the police. But you can’t do that with any certainty from abroad. And so, if you sometimes go away from Samui, you need a much more effective system. And that’s where a company by the name of ‘B Smart Sys’ comes into
the picture. This is a security company run by Khun Napaporn Nopsuwan, who is more-usually known by his nickname of Khun Bee. His family is old Samui stock, and Khun Bee was born and raised on the island. And that’s important. All too often business spring up here, set up by opportunists from the mainland, and a year or so later they’ve moved on to pastures new. But B Smart has been operating successfully for more than a decade now, and expanding steadily as word has spread, and newer technology has been introduced. Speaking of which, the quality of today’s surveillance and monitoring equipment just takes your breath away. Video images are high-definition and crystal clear, even in total darkness, due to the invisible illumination of infra-red lighting. Motion detectors can be wired or wireless, passive infrared, ultrasonic or, for larger areas, even microwave. Well-designed systems, however, usually combine these elements together. In the early days of wired systems it was not difficult for intruders to simply cut the power supply to the house. But today’s closed-circuit systems are self-powered and work ‘in reverse’, triggering magnetic relays if external power wires are tampered with or cut.
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“Really, although the video surveillance is eye-catching, it’s a useful but secondary aspect,” said Khun Bee. “By itself it’s not very efficient and only serves to let you know there’s a problem. The operative word here is ‘system’. And that means a combination of different sorts of alarm triggers, all linked to a central control unit. That’s the basic minimum. But then what? You need an effective response to the alarm, too. And we can set it up so that a nearby neighbour, or the local police station, is contacted automatically if there are intruders on your premises.” Khun Bee and his team can supply you with anything from a straightforward surveillance system (have you any idea just how hard it is to DIY and link several cameras at once to your iPhone?) through to top of the line custom-made installations by such world-leaders as BOSCH, Kenpro and Fujiko. Plus he’s also is a stockist for the entire range of Italian ‘bticino my home’ integrated systems, which are designed to match the décor of your home and blend in unobtrusively. But there’s also a full-on service for commercial premises too, and B Smart have already equipped many of the top resorts on the island, major hospitals, numerous petrol-filling stations and a lot of the convenience stores. Incidentally, there’s now a range of Siemens fire alarms and detectors, as well as peripherals for fire prevention, warning, and evacuation control.
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At one time all this kind of hi-tech equipment used to cost serious money. But as each new generation of electronics has emerged, so the baseprice has dropped, making it now an affordable proposition at every level. Furthermore, it’s a quick and painless job to install this state-of-theart gear, nearly all can be done and dusted in one day and, more likely than not, work can begin a day or so after you’ve made the decision. You’ll find B Smart out on the north coast at Ban Tai, almost directly across from the signposted turn to Belmond Napasai Resort, not far from the Susco gasoline station. Khun Bee has a team of engineers on call-out, along with three vans that are used around the clock for emergencies and maintenance, ensuring that at all times his service is ready to protect you, and keep it that way!
Rob De Wet
____________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 815 631 685. Facebook: Bsmartsys Fujiko Samui
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MARITIME, MODERN, MAGNIFICENT Waterline combines beautiful seaside views with unbeatable food and drink. 116 l www.samuiholiday.com
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Waterline is a hot destination for those who love good food in a relaxed, seaside setting. What could be more tranquil than a lazy lunch by the pool, with views out to the enigmatic south of the island and the edge-of-thehorizon hills that mark the mainland?
Waterline is spacious and open-plan, offering plenty of choice when it comes to seating. You can relax under coconut palms, sit by the bar for a snack, or enjoy the shade of the restaurant’s interior. Food here is extremely affordable – guests aren’t paying more for the chic surrounds.
Waterline is one of the restaurants at popular Manathai Koh Samui, a unique resort that turns plenty of heads. Seen from the road, its elegant cream façade and tasteful gardens epitomize the dream of a nostalgic hotel. With its louvered window shutters and bougainvillea-lined terraces, it seems to have stepped out of some deep colonial past, thanks to its appealing mix of the European and the Oriental. The surprise is that the resort is actually completely modern. Its owners were keen to build a hotel with a difference, and they have definitely succeeded in creating a venue that exudes magnificence. It’s a striking addition to seaside Lamai.
The menu focuses mostly on Mediterranean and western fare but with quite a few Thai-inspired dishes, too. It’s a combination that draws many diners to spend time here. The selection’s been lovingly put together over time by both a western and a Thai chef, and thus presents an extensive range of dishes that are guaranteed to please. Waterline’s day time menu suggestions include salads, sandwiches and burgers.
Behind Manathai the land rises up dramatically in a lush hillside dotted with rocks and boulders; in front the sea stretches away to distant horizons, blue and tranquil. This enviable setting is just one of the highlights of Waterline, an elegant and laid-back restaurant that charms not just holidaymakers but the island’s residents, too.
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Diners also have the chance to try out the excellent thin-crust pizzas. There are six of them, and they range from the traditional to the innovative Thai-style chicken laab pizza, where spicy minced chicken forms the topping along with basil leaves and chilli. It’s not too hot, though; this is a combination that really works and is delicious. Many diners enjoy the burgers, which are again a mix between the western and the Thai-influenced. A delightful Wagyu beef burger is an international mainstay, but for lovers of Thai-style food there’s an excellent salmon burger
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Well being @ The Spa Resort that comes with shredded pomelo (Thailand’s answer to grapefruit), creating a fresh, tangy taste that is sure to please, and also a very satisfying chicken satay burger. Everything that’s on the menu is made from scratch. There are no nifty short-cuts or substitutes for genuine ingredients, and this results in food that’s the epitome of tastiness. The dishes are modern and include culinary grace notes from many different parts of the world. Diners can find an astonishing variety of flavours and these aren’t just European or Thai; depending on the dish there might also be Chinese or Japanese influences. Tastes are delicate and entirely apt for each dish. Incidentally, at lunchtimes there’s an excellent promotion for just 400 Baht; diners can opt for a pizza, burger or pasta and either a soft drink or local beer, such as Chang or Singha. All prices, however, whether promotions or not, are very reasonable. Portions by the way are on the generous side. For dinner, guests can enjoy the same delights as they can for lunch, but there are also other additions too, that tend to evoke curiosity.
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EXCELLENCE
This is the original health destination on Koh Samui offering only the best Vegetarian, Raw and Healthy Thai Food. Daily @ both locations 07.00 am until 09.30 pm. Radiance is a part of The Spa Resorts. Lamai Beach: 0 7723 0855 & Lamai Valley:0 7725 6615 Email: thespa@spasamui.com, www.thesparesorts.net
These dishes are called ‘stories’, and are presented in the menu with the chef’s notes on how they came into being. They harken back to journeys, landscapes and traditions of far-flung places. Take just one example, there’s a dish simply called ‘Volcano’ – it’s named after an island close to Sicily, and all the ingredients that go into the dish can be found on that island. It consists of seared tuna loin, almonds, oregano crust, black olives and semi-dried tomatoes. When diners taste the dish, they find themselves transported to the Mediterranean. A lot of love and attention to detail has gone into treats like this one and there’s a whole plethora of them, waiting to be discovered. There’s also live music, too. On Monday nights Soul How Band plays to diners, and on Tuesdays it’s the turn of Aria. The music is designed not to distract from the food but to be a gentle accompaniment to the evening. The latest addition at Waterline is their Thai night, featuring sumptous Thai cuisine and a magnificent Thai dance show. More information on this, and other happenings at Waterline can be found on the resort’s Facebook page (ManathaiSamui) and on Instagram (waterline_manathai). Waterline is open daily, from 8:00 am all the way through till 11:00 pm, with last food orders at 10:30 pm. The restaurant’s easy to find: as you drive along the ring-road from Chaweng to Lamai, you’ll see it on your left about half a kilometre after the IT Building and just after the turning for Tamarind Springs. If you’re coming by car, there’s plenty of parking space available at Manathai, directly across the road. This is one place in an increasingly crowded Samui that’s easy to access. For diners seeking both excellent food and a laid-back maritime setting, Waterline is one of a clutch of contemporary-style restaurants that fulfils diners’ wishes. By day, the open-sided restaurant lets in the natural light and the entire sea vista, while nights the blue sky fades into a restful dark and the pavilion’s warm lighting takes over. Waterline certainly goes well beyond accepted standards when it comes to pleasing those who walk through its doors. It invites everyone, resort guest or not, to come and partake of its fare, whether that’s a quick drink, snack or full meal.
Dimitri Waring
____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7745 8560- 4. www.manathai.com
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SAMUI ULTIMATE ENJOY THE VIEW • FEEL THE QUALITY • LIVE THE LIFESTYLE
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HILLTOP PROJECT 6 BREATHTAKING SEAVIEW PLOTS FOR SALE. UNIQUE 5 BEDROOM VILLA FOR RENT OR SALE & 3 BEDROOM VILLA FOR RENT OR SALE.
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19 SEAVIEW PLOTS FOR SALE (16 SOLD), 4 BEDROOM VILLA FOR SALE OR RENT & 1 BEDROOM VILLA WITH SWIMMING POOL FOR SALE OR RENT ALL PROJECTS HAVE ROAD AND ELECTRICITY IN PLACE
Plai Laem Soi 8, Choeng Mon, Samui, Thailand Contact : 081 537 3088 (Mr. Yo)
NARAI KIRI RESIDENCES
HILLTOP PROJECT PLAI LAEM PARADISE
sales@naraikiri.com yochaweng@hotmail.com www.naraikiri.com www.samui-ultimate-samui.com
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THE FULL EXPERIENCE Drink Gallery is as much about eating as it’s about drinking. But it’s more than both.
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It’s evening, and the chic space that is Drink Gallery is already filling up, while outside the curious are giving it interested looks. As well they might: it’s certainly a feather in the cap for Chaweng’s beach road, and there’s nothing else remotely like it on the island, or even far further afield. It seems to belong in a cosmopolitan city, and is a meld of the cool and the engagingly fun. People love it, come back to it and it always seems fresh and filled with vigour. It’s also a lot more than its name might suggest. The words ‘Drink Gallery’ conjure up some sort of themed watering-hole. Perhaps a long bar where patrons enjoy shots of heady liquor. It’s not like that at all. It certainly does offer drinks (and we’ll come to them in a moment as they are quite amazing) but first and foremost it’s a great restaurant serving everything from snacks to full-scale meals and everything in between. Behind the casual name, there stands a solidly professional crew who are as creative as they’re culinary. Your first sight of Drink Gallery invites you to sum it up. A cube-like structure of steel and glass might sound cold and featureless, yet it seamlessly conveys just the opposite, and is vibrant, warm and arty. Inside, a vast red painting of a young woman with a pigtail adorns the wall over the bar; her expression, like that of the Mona Lisa, is dreamy and ambiguous. She looks out onto the dining room here, with its medley of comfy chairs, individual tables and one enormously long slab of wood ideal for friends and family to sit around. Everything is chic in an understated way, but never aloof, and you don’t have to summon your courage to walk in. Drink Gallery has a larger outside space, too, next to the dining cube, where the seating is even more laid-back. And there’s live music, too, every night – usually a DJ or a band – that provides background music. Foreground is the street itself, and this being Chaweng’s main road, it can range over the course of an evening from indolent to raucous. Ideal for people-watching and later on at night (Drink Gallery’s open every day from 4:00 pm till 1:00 am) may well provide you with sights to make your jaw drop. It’s halfway down the beach road, just past Central Festival, so is right in the heart of the action. Drink Gallery is always on the move; you can come back to it again and again, and there’s always something that’s changed or been upgraded, giving the place a fresh feel – it somehow always manages to look as if it’s only recently opened. The minds behind Drink Gallery have now converted some of their outside space into a tapas bar, which is simply called, yes, Tapas Bar. Tapas is an entire sub-branch of cuisine that now encompasses the cuisine of many countries, and no longer just Spain. Dishes count in the tens of thousands and then there are all the individual twists and re-takes that go into them. Here, the tapas are all Asian inspired. Though the rest of Drink Gallery features much in the way of international fare, Tapas Bar has definitely got its roots in Thailand. But there’s another difference, too. If you’re used to Spanish style tapas, you’ll be expecting bite-sized portions – an individual in Madrid or Seville can chomp their way through as many as a dozen plates in an evening. Here, as a couple, you might struggle to get through five. These are generous portions. And they’re matched by the astonishingly generous price of 99 baht per plate (no added taxes or even service charge). Take a seat, right on the street, and tuck into beautifully presented food. Try the skewers of chicken satay that come on their own Thai clay barbecue pot, or tangy pork or the ever-popular spicy Thai fishcakes. It’s all dependably good. The kitchen here is completely open and you’ll be able to watch the chef preparing your individual dishes.
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Tapas aside, the main menu was crafted by Chef Noi Ouypornchaisakul, a native of Bangkok who learned to cook in New York. She’s taken a mix of New American food and given it a Thai/Asian spin. It’s westmeets-east cuisine. She’s also taken a few Thai dishes and given them a makeover. You’ve probably tried Massaman curry, but here it’s made using lamb, in this case Australian lamb shoulder. It’s hard to resist tucking in at Drink Gallery especially as the vast majority of dishes are so affordable. You’ll find plenty of appetizers, soups, salads, pasta and burgers and then there are a few more expensive ones – the cost being due to having to import them – such as grass-fed Australian beef tenderloin. Don’t forget desserts. Alternatively, just come for these alone. They don’t really come much more decadent than the Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème. Frothy cream tops a chocoholic’s delight, hidden just under the innocuous-looking surface. Last but not least Drink Gallery also does drinks, and it’s time to mention these. Cocktails are spectacular. I ordered Jarhead and it duly arrived, in 126 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
a jar, of course. It was very green and tasted of mint and apples and the creativity that had gone into the mix. It was unique. There are plenty of more traditional cocktails, by the way, so you don’t have to get experimental. For many drinks you can also order ‘monsters’. These arrive in containers large enough to be flower vases. The size makes lingering at Drink Gallery mandatory. There are also plenty of beers, wines and every kind of drink you can imagine. You can also take advantage of the daily happy hours, from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm, which feature a buy-one-get-one-free deal on selected drinks. Drink Gallery is always affordable, and mixes creative flair with excellent food and drink. It’s one of those places that once you’ve been you’ll soon want to come back again.
Dimitri Waring
_______________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 2299. www.thelibrary.co.th
TEMPLES FUGIT Loosely translated; temple fairs move around. A visit to Samui is not complete unless you’ve been to one!
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Everyone who comes here knows about Big Buddha. There’s a good chance you’ve heard of the Mummified Monk, too. These, together with Fisherman’s Village, the Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, the Muslim fishing village, elephant trekking and a couple of others, are the basics of the Samui tours and trips bible. Every resort has brochures on them. Every website about Samui features them. These are the earners. These places are where the tourists are expected to want to go. But Google-about for a bit and see what you get for ‘Samui temples’. Apart from the ones already mentioned, there’s also the Coral Buddha. You’ll additionally come across Buddha’s Footprint, the multi-armed Buddha at Wat Plai Laem and two or three more. And that’s about all. All these have one thing in common; they are all unusual in some way, and photogenic. They are of interest to tourists. And if you were a casual visitor to Samui, you’d be forgiven for thinking that was it. That these six or seven ‘wats’ (temples) were the total of the temples on the island. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is that most temples are small, mostly run-down and shabby, tucked away here and there out of the way, and have very little to 130 l www.samuiholiday.com
interest a seven-day visitor with a camera. It’s impossible to find reliable statistics, but one source has stated that there are 32 temples on Samui, and that’s not counting Chinese or Muslim temples, or shrines and monuments like pagodas. These are nearly all day-to-day working temples that are at the heart of each Thai community – that provide shelter, charity and refuge for the people they serve, and the monks from which go out into the community each morning to receive alms in exchange. To begin to understand how everything ties together, you need to step back a bit. Up until somewhere around the 1940s, Samui was an island that depended upon fishing and the export of coconuts and fruit to the mainland. All round the coast, small villages had sprouted up in little safe-water bays where boats could gain access and shelter. There were no roads, only muddy tracks through the jungle. Thus, people travelled from one isolated village to another by boat. Dozens and dozens of these small communities arose, nearly all being made up of one big extended family, and each with its own headman or village elder. And at the heart of each of them was a temple, which was tied inseparably to the community around it.
In the 1950s, work began to make one long, wide, road that circled the island. And so, 20 years later, people were able to move around with ease, communities began to merge, and the dependence upon safe harbours and water transport began to fade away. But the temples remained, a great many of them, all around the island. It’s a two-way thing. The temples provided spiritual and physical support, and the locals reciprocated financially, and with other donations. Traditionally, on festive occasions or in observance of religious traditions, each temple held a fair in which the local community all became involved. They paid rent for stalls and pitches where goods and food were sold for a week, and where competitions and entertainment took place – musical groups, beauty pageants, and school dancing displays. But today things are different. It takes minutes, not hours, to get from one place to another. And the result of this is that now there’s a huge contingent of mobile shops, stalls, vendors and food sellers that continually cycle around the island, moving from one temple fair to the next.
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The only problem is that this is a very ‘Thai’ sort of thing, and it’s just about impossible to predict where one of these fairs might be at any time, never mind where it’s going to appear next! One way to find out is to ask; there’s an active Samui expat community Facebook page where this very question is often posed and usually answered. But the give-away on the road are the multi-coloured strip lights outside, together with a long line of cars and motorbikes clogging the streets on either side. If it’s your first visit to a temple fair like this, then you’ll need to know a few things before you go. Understand that it’s broadly divided into three categories. There are the eats, there are the shops selling goods of different sorts, and there’s the entertainment. The latter is the most evident as you approach from wherever you’ve managed to park. At first, you’ll think there’s just a drummer or a bass guitarist. But as you get closer, the rest of the voices and instruments emerge from the background – these occasions demand maximum bass past the point of the pain threshold! The second thing is that you’ll probably wobble and stagger a bit at first. I’ve seen temples in Bangkok with concreted paths and courtyards, but never on Samui. Ruts and potholes are the order of the day – ladies, please don’t wear heels. And if it’s been raining, take an old towel. You’ll need it later to wipe the mud off your legs.
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The food is varied, ranges from unbearably sweet to horribly sour, but happily with the majority of it in the middle somewhere. There are places you can sit down to eat. But the fun comes with the hundred-and-one snacks and nibbles. Now’s the time to try all those things you’ve wondered about. The chunks of bamboo with stuff inside. Those mysterious little tubes of banana leaves. In both cases, it’s like opening presents on Christmas Day – some you’ll just adore but others will be rapidly put to one side. Buy you just have to try the fried insects and grubs. They are delicious, once you can get past the initial mouthful! It’s all part of the experience and, anyway, everything’s really cheap. And then there are all the sounds and sights of a culture that we are all just sitting on the surface of. It’s unique. It’s exciting. It’s enigmatic. And you’ll love it. But a final word of advice: leave before the karaoke begins – that’s one experience that really does stretch the cultural divide!
Rob De Wet
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ZOOM
AND SMILE If your idea of Samui is lazing on the beach, you need to give Dental Solutions some serious thought! It’s hard to put the two together somehow. One the one side of things there’s Samui. It’s a tropical paradise where, to continue the cliché, palm-fringed beaches lazily shimmer under a deep-blue sky full of little fluffy clouds. It’s a slow, healing getaway; a place where you can switch off completely, recharge your batteries, and share some quality, even romantic, time with your partner. And then there’s the idea of . . . going to the dentist! It’s an emotional subject. And that’s the problem. It’s hard to think about it with any kind of cool logic. Such as, for instance – if you were offered the chance, wouldn’t you want to do some of the basic stuff, the cleaning or maintenance, for one third of the cost? (If your own dentist offered this, you’d do it without a second thought!) In fact, using that same logic, if you think about it calmly, how many painful experiences have you actually ever had? Very few most likely. It’s the thought of it all that’s the problem, not the actual experience itself. Medical and dental costs around the world have been rising steadily. And, as you get older, more and more needs to be done. Crowns, bridges or partial dentures. Even if you still have a sound set of teeth, they need to be maintained and kept that way. So why not get some of the work done here, while you’re staying on Samui? Which brings us to Bangkok Hospital Samui. The integrity and expertise of the staff here is as fine as you’ll find anywhere. That’s beyond question. Every year, hundreds of people come here (and to the sister hospital in Phuket, too) simply to have a ‘medical vacation’. The reality? It costs less to come here and have medical treatment, or an operation, than it does to have to pay for it back home. At worst, it costs the same, but then that includes the flights plus several weeks in a sunny and friendly place. And not only is the hospital renowned for its surgical procedures, it has a first-class reputation for its dental services, too. These services divide themselves into broadly three areas. The first is basic cleaning. (You’ll hear people say that they’ve never had it done so effectively back home, it’s taken an hour instead of the expected 20 minutes, and it has cost half the price.) Then there’s remedial work; the fixing of damage or decay. But this might be the exception: anything that needs ongoing work or repeat visits of a long period of time (a full set of dentures for instance) is best done at home. Third, and probably the most popular; cosmetic processes and procedures. And this is where the hospital’s dentistry arm, formally known as ‘Dental Solutions Bangkok Hospital Samui’ comes into its element.
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There are several approaches to tooth whitening. All of them involve some kind of bleaching process. Some of them also involve the use of high-intensity lights. Some get this done with one big blast, others by doing things a little bit every day over a longer period of time. Some brands are intensively marketed by corporations with big budgets – in America you’ll even see ‘instant’ tooth-whitening kiosks at train stations and in mini-malls. Brand names like ‘Britesmile’, ‘Zoom!’ and ‘Rockstar’ are well-known. But taken seriously and done properly it needs the skill and experience of a qualified practitioner. And that’s where Dental Solutions and Dr Supaporn Metheethakerng come into the story. There are only a handful of experienced career orthodontists qualified to carry out the ‘Zoom!’ process in Thailand, and Dr Supaporn, the overseeing doctor in charge at Dental Solutions is one of them. She’s been on Samui for a while now, having had several clinics of her own before taking up her current position here. “We’ll first give you a general check to ensure there’s no damage or decay,” she explained, “and if everything is in order then we’ll go on to a complete clean and polish. This is really to prepare the surface enamel, but it also reveals the true colour of your teeth. This is important as they need to be set on a whiteness scale so that the end result of the treatment doesn’t look unnatural.” “Your gums and soft tissue are then screened off by coating them with paste,” she continued, “leaving only the teeth exposed. The whitening gel is then applied, a quarter of your mouth at a time, and activated by a special laser light. The process goes in steps of three or four 15-minute sessions, as necessary, while I’m checking and monitoring the process and the resulting degree of bleaching and the colour. Finally, when I’m happy, we’ll wash and clean your teeth and you’ll then go home with
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.
a brighter, whiter smile. The whole thing takes just one visit, and everything is finished in about one hour.” This is a considerable improvement, as it achieves the same results but it’s complete in just an hour compared to up to three hours with some of the other systems. It’s not in any way painful of stressful; in fact patients have frequently been known to fall asleep while it’s happening! The only thing is that you’ll have to take care with what you eat and drink for the next 24 hours; the dental enamel has been de-hydrated and will take a while to get back to normal, and is sensitive to chemical stains during this time. As with anything that’s been cleaned and had stains removed, it won’t last for ever; a year or so is average. But with the newlywhitened teeth being completely revitalised, it’s an easy matter to get into regular flossing and cleaning habits, and there’s even an exclusive Zoom! night gel you can use at home for the occasional top-up if needed.
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!
It makes sense, doesn’t it? You could quite easily get the same thing done back home. Or, seeing that you’re here anyway, have it done one afternoon, and at a lower price. Zoom over to Dental Solutions at Bangkok Hospital Samui, check it all out – and smile!
Rob De Wet
_______________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7742 9-500 (ext. dental department). www.samuidentalsolution.com
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INDIAN INSPIRATION When it comes to lavish food, Noori India provides quality dishes at affordable prices. 138 l www.samuiholiday.com
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Amongst all the shops and restaurants on Chaweng beach Road, it’s easy to overlook Noori India, as it doesn’t stake out its territory with big neon signs or any other fanfare. And partly, this is what it’s about: a down-to-earth restaurant that’s completely without pretension of any kind. You’ll find it about half way down the street, just before you come to McDonald’s as you go down the road in the direction of Lamai. If you’re driving, however, parking’s very easy – just park for free at Central Festival then leave via the beach road exit and continue on down the street. You’ll soon come to Noori India, which you’ll see on your right. Once you step inside, you might first have to adjust to a sense of déjàvu; it may recall your local Indian restaurant from back home, or even strike you as having stepped straight out of India itself. Oddly however, there aren’t that many restaurants on Samui that haven’t fused in some 140 l www.samuiholiday.com
way or other with local Thai culture, and Noori is definitely one of them. No disrespect to the host country intended, but it looks humbly and faithfully Indian. Seating is comfy and simple. There are tables for four unless you’re coming in a bigger group, in which case the staff will ensure you’re all placed together. The atmosphere is laid-back and friendly, and you’ll often find the restaurant very full when others are verging on empty. It’s definitely popular. Noori plays a very straight hand: excellent food and drink. And people come back again and again. Noori is run by the irrepressible Desh Deepak Panday (everyone calls simply calls him D.D.), a hotelier turned chef, and his brother. D.D. worked for seven years for the royal family in India, as General Manager
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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.
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of the luxurious Desert Resort near Jaipur. He’s from the northern province of Rajasthan, and focuses on dishes of this region and the provinces around it. What he makes is always very traditional, and if you go to Rajasthan today, you’ll find these dishes in the restaurants there. D.D. faithfully recreates the tastes from back home. He hasn’t plundered the kitchens of the world to bring fusion food to the table at Noori, but keeps to the heartfelt recipes that provide a rich texture of flavours. The dishes use freshly-ground spices and the ingredients are authentic rather than being substitutes. Some of the ingredients come from Thailand, but in cases where they’re only to be found in India, then D.D. makes sure that they come from his homeland.
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When you eat at Noori, you’ll see that all your favourite Indian dishes are here; the menu is an extensive one, featuring the full range of treats. And they’re all just as you’d expect them to be, perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked.
Liquid nourishment comes in the form of beers, wines and all manner of soft drinks, including of course, typical Indian drinks like mango lassi. But there’s a surprise too for Indiaphiles; D.D. also has Kingfisher beer, which is more or less the national beer of India.
Some of Noori’s all-time favourites are baked in a special tandoor oven made of clay, exactly the same as the ones you’d find in India. The food’s first marinated in various herbs and spices before being placed inside. Try the Goan seafood curry or a ‘tawa’, which is a sturdy Indian griddle that’s brought to your table and consists of lamb, chicken or fish which has been cooked with Indian spices – absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of tandoor ovens and the fine flavours they’re capable of producing, then opt for the Noori special mixed grill, a combination of all the tandoor specialities that the restaurant offers.
D.D. also runs a cooking class, incidentally, which focuses on the bestloved dishes from the restaurant; he’s a natural teacher and the classes are great fun. D.D. is also well-known for large-scale catering, and since the island hosts quite a few Indian parties and weddings, he’s often approached to prepare the food for big events such as these.
As you’d expect, the ever-popular chicken tikka masala figures on the menu, and is particularly recommended at Noori. You can also have it as part of the restaurant’s popular set meal, which also comes with samosa, a mixed vegetable curry, pilaf rice and naan bread. 142 l www.samuiholiday.com
He also has a second Noori restaurant down the road, close to Poppies, and then there’s a smaller outlet in the Food Court at Central Festival. If you’re there check out the excellent Thali he offers: a set meal comprising dahl, paneer, aloo gobi and naan bread, served with rice, pickles and chutney. But wherever you decide to eat, the quality is same throughout the restaurants, and lovers of Indian cuisine are spoiled for choice. Noori India may not persuade the staunchest lovers of Thai food to
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switch to Indian, but it certainly is home-from-home for those who love nothing more than a masala or a kebab for lunch or dinner. With its three outlets on Samui (and there’s also one in Krabi, by the way) D.D. and his team are bringing some of India’s favourite dishes to a delighted audience of holidaymakers as well as locals. True Indian flavours shine through in Noori India, making this a hugely popular choice amongst diners. The food has a depth and a complexity that will always keep diners coming back for more.
Dimitri Waring
______________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7730 0757 or 0 867 407 873. www.nooriindiasamui.com
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