Sep / Oct 2017

More Than Just A Knead Just what is it that makes Samui an international spa destination?

Horns Of Plenty When horns lock, money moves in Samui’s buffalo fighting stadiums.

A Warm Welcome

Editor

Graeme Malley graeme@siammap.com

Graphic Designer Preeda Tuajob - Pui

Photographer

Akaphon Phongninlaarphon - Don

Feature Writer Rob De Wet

Feature Writer Dimitri Waring

Feature Writer Karan Ladd

Webmaster

Seksak Kerdkanno - Klauy

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

ning@siammap.com

Financial Director

Kasper Bjørk kasper@siammap.com

Managing Director Henrik Bjørk henrik@siammap.com

Siam Map Company Ltd. 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 or Fisherman’s Village a positive pleasure.

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.

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

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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 for everyone. Come, relax and enjoy!

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CONTENTS 58

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16 Run For It

58 Don’t Stop!

The annual Four Seasons Cancer Care Charity Fun Run.

24 More Than Just A Knead Just what is it that makes Samui an international spa destination?

38 Celestial Splendour

Newborn and utterly luxurious, we look at Celes Beachfront Resort in Bophut.

anywhere – at Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort!

64 Village Life We visit the little village of Thong Krut in the southwest of the island to find out what it’s all about.

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Crazy About Coconuts?

Let’s investigate the many uses of this most versatile tree.

Go In, Go Up! Samui isn’t just sun, sand and sea – there’s a whole other world if you just head inland.

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From The Subtle To The Sublime

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What It Takes

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Believe It! Buddhism is not the only religion in Thailand – there seems to be room for everyone.

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Rockpool Rocks!

One of the loveliest settings for any restaurant has to be at Kanda Residences and their RockPool restaurant.

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A Uniform For Relaxation Fishermen Pants Shop in Lamai is turning a tradition into a laid-back lifestyle.

Do you have what it takes to save the world – or even yourself? Discovering Escape Break at Lamai’s Beach Republic.

A Hole In More Than One It’s not just football golf, it’s fantastic football golf!

Heading to the secluded deep south of Samui to see what’s happening at Samahita Retreat.

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Smiling With Satisfaction When it comes to taking care of your teeth, most people hesitate. But this never happens at Bangkok Hospital Clinic!

next door and enjoy some of the finest cuisine

46 A Yearn To Learn As a fresh new academic year kicks off, students at SCL International School look forward to a fulfilling time ahead.

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When you’re in Fisherman’s Village, go right

32 Buri, Barge, Beach A trip to one of Samui’s landmarks, the 5-star Nora Buri – featuring fabulously fine-dining at The Barge!

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Horns Of Plenty When horns lock, money moves in Samui’s buffalo fighting stadiums.

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

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

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

Chaweng

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

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

Lamai

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

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

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Mae Nam

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

NathoN

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

Bo Phut

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

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

Big Buddha and Plai Laem

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

Choeng Mon

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

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Bang Rak

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

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

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

Taling Ngam and Lipa Noi

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

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Hua Thanon

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

Thong Krut

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

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

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

The Interior

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

RUN FOR IT The annual Four Seasons Cancer Care Charity Fun Run.

It all started in 1980, when a plucky young Canadian man named Terry Fox, who’d had a leg amputated in order to stop his cancer spreading, decided to run across Canada to raise money and awareness of this growing and often fatal disease. With his prosthetic leg, Terry ran and hopped in his own style, along highways and roads, through cities, towns, villages and countryside. Continuing even in the pouring rain, he just kept going with his aptly named ‘Marathon of Hope’.

Isadore Sharp, the founder of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, was among those inspired by Terry’s dedication and commitment that summer.

As he followed Terry’s progress, he became more and more convinced that this disease needed so much more research done in order to find a cure. Research is time-consuming and costly, so he personally pledged 18 l www.samuiholiday.com

$10,000 to support Terry’s cause, and wrote to another 999 Canadian corporations urging them to do the same. Before long, Terry’s route through Canada was lined with supporters, waving flags and cheering him on. Sadly, Terry succumbed to cancer before reaching his goal to run across the entire country.

After Terry’s death, Isadore Sharp committed himself to continue the work Terry had started. He began working closely with the Canadian Cancer Society and other sponsors to ensure Terry’s legacy lived on, and the Terry Fox Foundation was created. The first Terry Fox Run was organised and held the following year, and more than 300,000 people participated, raising $3.2 million. Today, the Terry Fox Run is held every September, in more than 50 countries, and is the world’s largest

one-day fundraiser for cancer research. To date, close to $500 million has been raised worldwide, and much developmental work has been able to proceed in the continuing fight to try and halt a disease that has devastated, and will continue to devastate, so many lives, unless we work together relentlessly to find a cure.

Since Terry’s run more than 30 years ago, Four Seasons has been deeply committed to the cause of advancing cancer research. A one-time event inspired by a local hero, all those years ago, has led to fundraising activities spreading throughout all the company’s hotels and resorts around the world, raising millions of dollars annually to benefit dozens of local research and care facilities. Supporting Terry’s dream is just one way Four Seasons employees strive to advance cancer research. Every

Four Seasons hotel and resort actively supports local and regional efforts to find a cure for cancer. Through annual runs, golf tournaments, food and beverage promotions and other activities, they spread awareness and raise money.

This year, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui are organising their 10th Cancer Care Charity Fun Run in association with The Thai Red Cross Society. All proceeds will go to the Cancer Research Centre at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. This year’s run will take place on Saturday, September 2nd, 2017, at Nathon Pier. You can choose to run or walk the two, five or 10 kilometre routes, and you don’t have to be an expert athlete to join the run – everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

Many families come, with all ages participating. Just join in and be part www.samuiholiday.com l 19

of this fantastic local event and help raise money and awareness for a cause that has touched so many families.

Registration starts at 6:00 am on the morning of the race, and a group warm-up activity gets the blood pumping and sets the atmosphere and excitement. The starter horn kicks off the race at 7:00 am. Tickets are 250 baht, including a race T-shirt, or 400 baht with a Polo shirt.

All tickets include a free breakfast box for after the race, and a lucky draw ticket for some great raffle prizes. You can pre-register for the race by phoning or emailing the contact details below. All revenues from this event are entirely dependent on sponsorship and donations, so Four Seasons would be extremely grateful for your support and any contributions to this very worthy cause. All support and donations, large or small, in the form of cash or goods, are welcome. Every contribution will help them to raise as much as possible for the continuing pledge to find a cure for cancer.

Almost a decade since Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui first staged its Run, the event has so far raised an amazing 7 million baht for cancer research projects in Thailand. Last year saw a record participation of over 900 people at the run – a landmark project of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

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In anticipation of the event, Jeff Rednour, General Manager Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui says, “It is our privilege to host this event for the past 10 years and raise funds for a worthy cause. We are grateful to all the families, individuals and companies who have generously set aside their time to participate at this charity run and we look forward making it a success.”

There are trophies and prizes for the first male and female runner over the finish line in each category, and for the company, hotel or school that has the most participants. So come on all you Samui visitors and locals, get training, set the alarm clock, lace up those running shoes and head over to Nathon on Saturday 2nd September to join in the fun and help the local community continue with Terry Fox’s last wish. Together, let’s help push the Four Seasons Samui Cancer Care pledge. See you there!

Karan Ladd

__________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7724 3000 or e-mail cancercare.kohsamui@fourseasons.com

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Reservations: 077 458 100

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MORE THAN

JUST A KNEAD

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

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

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

Spas can be, well, a bit daunting - but not on Samui. Firstly, thanks in large part to Thai culture, they’re very welcoming and friendly. You’ll

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

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

All the spas on Samui have one thing in common: no matter how much they may be slap bang in the centre of things, they’re always separated

from the world outside. Once you’re inside, you feel you’ve stepped away from all hustle and bustle and have entered a calmer place, like a sanctuary. This is one of the key steps in the spa process – to get you to relax, even before anything begins.

to bring you additional benefits such as detoxification and cleansing programs which promote wellbeing through not just eliminating poisons, but also by teaching you skills that you can take home with you, such as meditation and yoga.

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

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

So far so good. Whether you choose a simple massage or are on a ten-day retreat, you’ll find that spas offer you a chance to not just relax, but improve your health. Spas such as Kamalaya, Spa Samui Resorts, Natural Wing and Absolute Sanctuary expand on the normal menu

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

this magazine. It’s free of charge and it’s widely available across the island. The guide lists many island spas, what they do, and details the treatments that they offer. All offer a highly professional service and are recommended. But it’s certainly not a closed list. You’ll also find other spas on the island which may offer great services too – the number is always growing.

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

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

On Samui you’ll also find a special publication, the Samui Spa Guide, published by Siam Map, the same people who have brought you

Dimitri Waring

____________________________________________________________ www.siamspaguide.com

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The Cutting Edge Paul’s Fashion Paul’s Fashion is the longest-running bespoke

tailor on Samui, having been established since 2005. For men and women, from formal business suits to cocktail wear, in summer or winter fabrics, in quality cashmere or satin, silk, chiffon or pure cotton, we can custom-fit you with anything that you can think of.

You pay nothing if you are not fully satisfied.

But this has never happened!

Still not sure? Then spend time with us on TripAdvisor. There are no problems, no complaints – not even one negative comment – just praise and congratulations.

With 40 full-time pattern-cutters and machinists, we get things done fast if necessary! The first step is for you to choose the style and the fabric in our shop and for us to take your exact measurements. The next stage is the fitting.

Two or three fittings may be required to obtain the perfect fit, and this can be done wherever is most convenient for you, either at our shop or at your hotel.

We will only be happy when you are completely satisfied!

We keep your pattern, measurements, and details on computer for four years.

We’ve got an established mail-order system – if you want another suit, shirt or dress, then we’ll make it and mail it to you anywhere in the world, recorded delivery, at cost price.

95% of our first-time customers come back again on their next holiday here. And every one of our established customers orders at least one more item by email and mail-order – that’s how reliable we are.

Listen to what people say.

Be safe. Be smart.

With Paul’s Fashion!

2016 & 2017

CERTIFICATE of

EXCELLENCE

Free Pick-up Service, Please Call Mr.Paul : +66 (0) 84 627 3812 E-mail: info@ks.paulsfashion-samui.com I www.ks.paulsfashion-samui.com Main Store: Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Mc Donald’s next to Baan Samui Resort Branch Store: Chaweng Beach Road, between Chaweng Regent and Ark Bar

BURI, BARGE, BEACH A trip to one of Samui’s landmarks, the 5-star Nora Buri – featuring fabulously fine-dining at The Barge!

Nora is not a name you’ll be familiar with. But they’re a local group and have been on the island for quite a while. They began life in Chaweng, with the original and excellent Nora Beach Resort & Spa, but have since added three other resorts in the same area. Their flagship, the sumptuous Nora Buri Resort & Spa, is located just a few minutes’ drive north of the main body of Chaweng, towards neighbouring Choeng Mon. This is a very successful group – and the point is they’re local. They’re not part of a multi-national chain. But they are big and experienced enough to provide excellent service.

The facilities here are just what you’d expect of a 5-star resort. There are several swimming pools, the fitness centre is excellent and the spa is first class. There’s a huge banqueting hall, and the dining experience is outstanding, ranging from beach buffets to air-conditioned Royal Thai dining, with several variations in between. And so it’s not surprising that Nora Buri specialises in weddings – if you’re thinking of tying the knot

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then this is one place that’s a must to consider; they even have their own dedicated website just for this!

But when it comes to dining, Nora Buri excels. Not only have they established one of the best Thai restaurants on the island, but they’ve also won awards for it – and not simply the restaurant, but the entire building!

You can’t miss it. It’s named ‘The Barge’, and it’s right across the road from the main resort, which stretches away up the hillside. From the street you can only see the upper roof-line, as the main body of the restaurant, futuristically shaped to symbolise a huge wooden sailing barge, is tiered on three levels down the hillside.

Actually, The Barge isn’t just one restaurant – there are two of them here. The top floor contains the resort’s signature and superlative Thai

restaurant, ‘Rice Barge’. This is where you’ll find yourself as you enter the building. It’s undoubtedly the most dramatic of the floors, as it’s the place where you’ll be most fully-able to appreciate the impressive architecture, with the hand-sculpted dark woods and the spiralling roof-space.

The restaurant is in two sections, with this inner area being pleasantly air-conditioned and lined with floor-to-ceiling walls of glass. The space here has been cleverly broken-up into different levels, with the triangular cushion-rests (known as ‘mon Thai’) around the edges, and with a unique walk-in wine cellar at the far end. The colour scheme matches the woodtones perfectly: earth-hues abound but with subtle splashes of primaries to offset these. The enclosed walkway alongside leads into the adjoining open dining terrace, which is equally marvellous, with its panoramic view over the whole of Chaweng Bay.

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There’s a broad stairway which runs alongside Rice Barge, descending down to the level below which is a wide and open area used for parties and functions. Continuing down to the ground floor you’ll then end up in the pleasant lower restaurant, at the edge of the sea The executive chef here is the well-known Tonny Lawrence, and more than a few of his à la carte specialities, in one form or another, find their way through into the evening beach buffet. One of the most-popular dining choices is the ‘Barge Platter’. And the salmon with prawns combined with Parma ham can all be enjoyed, together or separately, at the beach BBQ buffet, held every Wednesday evening. And if you’ve never had the chance to enjoy a 5-star buffet, then you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise – and the Nora Group is renowned for them!

This ‘Hawaiian Seafood Beach BBQ’ night is simply superb. On the decking alongside the pool there are tables with snowy cloths, all laden

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down with cold cuts, plates of all the different seafood, and gleaming stainless-steel servers for the hot dishes, plus a big salad bar. The layout here is ideal for this, with several areas raised and linked together, and tables directly on the sand. There’s a live band, plus also an exciting Polynesian Dance Show, featuring some spectacular fire dancing and juggling. And, unlike many other places, the price is just 1,299 baht – and this is a 5-star beach buffet!

And if you’ve got kids, or one of your group has a smaller appetite, you can always opt to combine either the Kiddies Menu, or something from the à la carte menu, in with your buffet.

One of the finest Thai restaurants at the Rice Barge? A sumptuous Hawaiian Beach Buffet? Take your pick at Nora Buri, The Barge and the beach!

Rob De Wet

_______________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 3555. www.noraburiresort.com

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CELESTIAL SPLENDOUR Newborn and utterly luxurious, we look at Celes Beachfront Resort in Bophut.

Celes is so new, bright and squeaky-clean that it won’t even have had its official opening until later this month (September). But here’s a resort where money has been no object. Where everything from the 5-star cuisine, to the amazing eight-foot-wide beds, to the sumptuous treatment rooms of the spa, to the fitness centre and even the library has had only one criterion – the most up-to-date and the highest quality.

But, after all said and done, expense doesn’t necessarily equal style.

However when you get to Celes, and walk around and soak it all in, you’ll realise that this resort has real individuality. It does have its own unique style.

And everything here has been put together with both consistency and flair.

Possibly one of the most pleasing aspects – on first acquaintance – is the fact that the layout is embryonic. There’s a distinct lack of straight lines or any feeling of ‘blocks and grids’. The paths are pale and glowing, and wind their way between a variety of different villa styles; some on two floors, others on one but going further back, and yet others right on the edge of the sand. The buildings themselves are a clean bright white with black iron railings on the balconies, swathes of warm timber cladding and a range of roof styles that are cool and geometric. This is all very ‘un-Thai’! In fact it’s exactly like being in a high-end resort on the shore of the Mediterranean somewhere.

And talking about being on ‘the shore’, the eight exclusive Beachfront Pool Villas (each running to 160 square metres!) have come up with a design feature that’s unique. They really are on the edge of the sand, with their generous plunge pools having an infinity-edge effect that seems to run right into the sea. But the way that their privacy has been achieved has been the result of some massive terra-forming: the entire seafront edge of the resort has been raised up above head height. That way you can lounge around by your private pool just a few feet from the beach, but high up above anyone walking below. And the final touch is that each beachfront pool villa has its own step-down gate directly onto the sand. It’s magnificent.

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As, indeed, is the luxurious range of options included as standard when you book a villa here. There’s a pillow menu that includes thin or thick, a choice of fillings, and even a rubber-foam posture pillow. The ‘amenities’ menu gives you a choice of top brands of shampoo, shower gels and foams, and/or soap. There’s even an ‘aroma option’ which governs what fragrance-tint will be in the background for your stay. And that’s before you even get to the choice of the bed. The ultimate has to be the eight-foot-wide selection with custom-made bedding – you could cuddle your partner, fall asleep with the kids, and even still have half of the contents of your suitcase out on the bed without ever noticing!

And, of course, the restaurant, unpretentiously named ‘Seagrille’, matches all the high standards outlined so far. Firstly its breakfast menu has been regarded in the same way as its evening dinner menu – top ingredients (‘Victoria’ fresh-ground coffee all day) and quality service.

The ingredients are, naturally, both prime and fresh-off-the-boat – the Thai and international offerings are equally as gastronomically-sumptuous as the architectural fittings and fixtures of the villas. When you order a ‘gang som pla’ (curry soup with fish) it’ll come with chunks of succulent sea bass. And the ubiquitous ‘pad Thai’ is built around king prawns, not bought-in-a-bag peeled and frozen ones.

One other thing - none of this is expensive. Drop in one afternoon and check it all out – it’s right next to Fisherman’s Village. (Seagrille is open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm). You’ll be in for a surprise!

And I’ll let you into a secret - Celes is twinned with (next to but separate from) the long-established Samui Palm Beach Resort. And so it also has one of the largest banqueting and conference halls on the island, plus a huge lawn – they’re experienced at accommodating and catering for large groups. This is one place you’ll need to think seriously about if you’re planning on tying the knot here on Samui!

Every now and then a new jewel appears in Samui’s crown. And this time around there’s no doubt . . . it’s the splendour that is Celes!

Rob De Wet

____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7790 0999. www.celesresorts.com

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A YEARN

TO LEARN As a fresh new academic year kicks off, students at SCL International School look forward to a fulfilling time ahead.

With Samui evolving from being a simple holiday destination to a community that offers a spectrum of services, schooling has been high on the agenda for some time. Only a few years ago, international education had just started out on the island. Now there’s a range of choices for parents. SCL International School offers a broad curriculum, and caters for children right up until they’re ready to go to university. Based in Lamai, over the years it’s been in operation, SCL has gained a cachet for excellence, offering students a learning experience that is both practical and enjoyable. The school’s philosophy is to treat children as individuals rather than as a group. It’s a holistic process, and pays off with children scoring above average on the range of exams that they take. They enjoy going to school, inter-react with creative and brilliant teachers and enjoy a venue that boasts some amazing facilities.

With the new academic year starting at the beginning of September, everything is ready for a fresh intake of students, while those who are returning are doing so with eagerness to enjoy their next level of study.

SCL is naturally a registered centre for exams. It offers a very wide array of subjects when it comes to both IGCSEs and ‘A’-levels. This is in keeping with international schools, and children have the chance to study the following IGSCEs: English Language, English Literature, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, ICT, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Graphic Design, Art, Business Studies, and Computer Science/ Programming. And for ‘A’-levels there’s English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Graphic Design, Art, Accounting and Economics. As you can see, the range incorporates arts and science, languages and business; children certainly don’t need to miss out on a subject that they love. Incidentally, the school can accommodate students who are on holiday or who are doing their gap year and who need to re-sit their exams. It’s incredibly convenient for such students – they no longer need to interrupt their time abroad in order to go back to the UK.

SCL never seems to rest on its laurels, but is a forward-looking entity, and there are always plans being realized. Currently, Emma Dyas, the school’s director, is bringing to fruition a project that is already a favourite amongst the children: a smallholding that is both farm and orchard. Half-a-dozen fruit trees have been planted and provide shade for students while they care for the animals that live on the farm – chickens, miniature goats, hedgehogs and a rabbit. The children themselves designed the layout of the smallholding, and each class also has its own allotment. All this might seem like a pleasant yet unnecessary addition to the school’s assets, yet it plays a vital role that mirrors global concerns. It’s part of the school’s philosophy to be as ecological as possible, and for students to realize that all of us need to help preserve and nurture the world’s resources. Rainwater collection tanks provide the water for the soil, while a waterwheel connected to a generator provides electricity for the entire irrigation system. Students, while having fun,

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see how their own actions deliberately contribute to the well-being of all and give a helping hand to nature itself. This idea of being responsible is something that very much underpins everything that the school does.

Responsibility isn’t seen as an earnest and heavy task, but something that can be made fun, and still bear an enormous yield.

One of Emma’s goals is for the school to be self-reliant, and even to have its own self-generated electricity. It’s a dream she knows will take many years to realize, and may never reach 100%. But the effort and motivation are there. Emma wants her students to be conscious of just how much they can partake in contributing to the life of the earth, rather than simply taking from it. It’s a long-term vision that is being steadily worked on. Other on-going plans consist of building a skate park and developing more play areas for students. The main building work – a new block of classrooms – is now complete.

One less visible yet absolutely crucial area of concern is the security of the children themselves. In times past, this simply meant safe play areas, safe classrooms and a secure perimeter. All of this has been dealt with by the school, and the children’s physical safety is assured. However, this being the modern age, new dangers threaten children, and many schools are still glaringly wide-open to these new menaces. We’re talking about on-line crime of various kinds and cyber-bullying. This is something that yesterday’s teachers didn’t need to worry about – it didn’t exist. SCL is very concerned to safeguard all students from this kind of harassment and danger. The school has met with CEOP, a UK police force initiative that sent officers to Thailand to help schools deal with the problem, and has implemented CEOP ideas.

SCL goes still further, and in case parents are worried, the school can also arrange for its IT expert to check children’s phones, computers and

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so on in order to provide protection. Emma also has connections with international police, and can seek assistance at any time. It goes without saying that when it comes to the teachers themselves, that they have all been thoroughly vetted (sadly not always the case with international schools in South-East Asia).

The school prides itself on keeping in close contact with the parents.

Help is never far away, and if parents need advice, then all they have to do is avail themselves of the school’s open-door policy. Says Emma, “Parents can come at any time to talk to us. It’s important that they can speak to teachers and get feedback on how their child is progressing.

On our side, we also like to keep in touch with all parents; we regularly send feedback.” She stresses it’s not just a case of letting parents know if there’s a particular problem. “We like to give positive feedback and praise for the child wherever it’s due, and just generally let parents know what’s happening.” In addition, Emma sends out a newsletter to all parents every two weeks, which contains general information and any important updates. There are also one or two events every term that parents are encouraged to take part in. For example, the school held

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an interactive science day, where parents came to participate in classroom activities. It was great fun, with parents every bit as enthusiastic as their children, with hands-on projects and a palpable feeling of excitement.

As parents all know, there are usually no chances during a child’s education where they can actually see what’s going on in the classroom itself, let alone be part of it – but here, at SCL, things are different and parents love being able to join in. The school’s refreshingly modern in its approach, and thanks to its philosophy of putting children first, it moves from strength to strength. It definitely doesn’t have an institutional vibe about it but is instead a lively, ‘happening’ place to be.

Dimitri Waring

_______________________________________________________ For further information, telephone Emma Dyas on 0 810 910 714. www.sclinternationalschool.com

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CRAZY ABOUT COCONUTS? Let’s investigate the many uses of this most versatile tree.

Not so many years ago, before Koh Samui was really ‘discovered’ and the island began its rapid development, the main source of income on this idyllic paradise island, was from the humble coconut tree. Both the tree and its fruit have many practical uses, ranging from health and nutrition to fuel and shelter. The cultivation of coconut trees also happens to be one of the most sustainable practices on earth.

If you look closely at a cross section of the coconut fruit you can see that it has five layers. The outside skin of a young fruit is green, moist and easy to cut open. When the coconut has matured, the skin turns brown and becomes hard and dry. Between the outer skin and the internal shell is the husk. In its natural form, the husk makes a great pot for growing plants in, but it can also be dried and chopped into coco husk chips or peat. The chips are a great alternative to soil for the potting and growing of greenhouse-produced plants and flowers such as orchids.

Coconut husk decomposes very quickly and enriches the soil. It also dries quickly, helping to avoid any waterlogging of plants, it balances mineral requirements, maintains good plant temperatures and pH value, helps to reduce fungal growth and is a 100% natural, low cost, ecofriendly material.

Coir, or coconut fibre, is a natural elastic fibre that can be extracted from the husk. It is used in products such as floor mats, brushes and mattresses. Brown coir, made from mature coconuts, is also used for upholstery padding, sacking and horticultural purposes. White coir, harvested from unripe coconuts, is used for making finer brushes, string, rope and fishing nets as it has more elasticity. The coir fibre is relatively waterproof, and is one of the few natural fibres resistant to damage by salt water, making it highly desirable on an island location such as Samui.

The husk and shell combined have even more uses. You can buff your floor with it, burn it to deter mosquitos and make it into charcoal which can be used as fuel or to make activated charcoal, a very clever and natural medicine that can absorb toxins in the body.

The internal shell is very hard and can be made into bowls, utensils and even musical instruments or handicraft products such as the lampshades you might find in abundance at Samui’s walking street markets. When finely ground, the shell can be used in beauty products as an exfoliant for promoting super smooth and healthy skin.

Immediately inside the shell, you will find the coconut meat, which as most of us know is used in sweets, cakes, cookies, pies and desserts.

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In the fresh young green coconuts, the meat is soft or even jelly-like and is easy to extract from the shell. In more mature coconuts, the meat is much harder and quite difficult to remove. The meat is used to produce desiccated coconut, or coconut flour (a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour) for cooking purposes. Coconut milk can be extracted from the meat and is used in many Thai dishes. Think of Thai curries and many desserts.

When dried the coconut meat is called copra, and this is where coconut oil is drawn from. This is a superb oil for cooking as it doesn’t break down easily at high temperatures like some other oils, and it has amazing nutritional properties. It is great for frying, baking and practically any other cooking use including making chocolate. Good quality coconut oil has many health and beauty uses. It is commonly used as a massage oil, and is said to aid weight loss, digestion and hormone irregularities, insomnia, acne, allergies, psoriasis and eczema and much more. You can use it to make toothpaste, soap, cosmetics, skin and hair moisturiser, it even works as a low-level factor four suntan lotion. Polish your wooden furniture with it or lubricate hinges, pulleys and sliding mechanisms. Always check the grade and quality of coconut oil before buying. The best for ingesting is organic and cold pressed, keeping it in its natural state. Remember that it is a liquid at temperatures above

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24 degrees Celsius, but solidifies below that. If you are taking it to a cooler climate, try and buy it in a wide opening container! After all this extraction, anything left over from the copra can be used for animal feed, as it is still high in protein, sugar, and vitamins.

At the very centre of a coconut is the much-prized coconut water. Sought after for its electrolyte properties, it’s a refreshing drink and especially good in hot climates such as Samui, or as an after sports drink to naturally replace all the minerals lost in your sweat. The coconut is truly a miracle fruit, but it isn’t the only part of the coconut tree that is of use.

A highly nutrient-rich and inherently sweet tasting sap can be tapped from the coconut tree blossoms. Freshly gathered tree sap contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals and amino acids and is used to produce a multitude of delicious products including coconut wine, vinegar, syrup and sugar. The most remarkable thing about tapping a coconut tree is that once tapped, the sap flows continuously for the next 20 years.

The leaves or fronds can be made into brooms, baskets, mats, roofing thatch, kindling for fires or barbeques and even cooking skewers. The trunk is used as building timber and for making furniture or even canoes

(in Hawaii). And going below ground, you find the roots of the mighty coconut tree. They are used to make dye, mouthwash and medicine for diarrhoea and dysentery. A frayed piece of root can even be used as a toothbrush!

And lastly, just when you think there cannot be any more of the tree, consider the heart of palm. This is a vegetable harvested from the inner core, where the green leaves start to bud from the trunk. Under the woody palm leaf stem, is a soft white centre known as the heart. They are considered a rare delicacy, as harvesting the buds of wild palm trees will kill them. Hearts of palm are normally eaten in salads, sometimes called ‘millionaire’s salad’ for obvious reasons!

BEACHFRONT DINING & COCKTAILS RockPool at Kanda Residences is a spectacular beachfront restaurant and bar situated just five minutes from Chaweng

Still crazy or even crazier about coconuts now? You certainly should be. They are truly one of nature’s finest accomplishments.

Karan Ladd

For reservations or more information call +66 77 234 500 www.rockpoolsamui.com Facebook: rockpool.kohsamui Daily high tea from 12pm and happy hour with buy one get one free on selected drinks from 5pm until 7pm.

DON’T STOP!

When you’re in Fisherman’s Village, go right next door and enjoy some of the finest cuisine anywhere – at Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort!

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If you’re reading this, then you’re most-likely in a hotel somewhere.

You’ll settle by the pool for a day or so until the jet lag goes. Then start exploring. You’ll go out to eat, most probably at a different place each night. You’ll head off up the mountain, and see the mummified monk and the waterfalls. A boat trip maybe. Or a jungle safari. And then, mostlikely when it’s Walking Street, you’ll head off to Fisherman’s Village.

There’s no need at all for me to go on about how much fun this is, or about how many things there are to look at; the shops, the pubs, the eateries, the street stalls, the mementoes, the crafts. But what I do want to do is to point something out to you. – if you walk along the beach road heading north until you run out of ‘village’, you’ll come up against the long, high wall that borders the village at the end. And this is the boundary wall of Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, to give the resort its full title.

‘Anantara Bophut’ is really something special. There are only a handful of resorts on the island which have been able to stake a claim on such

a huge plot of land. The entrance on the main road is across a long wooden bridge over a lily-filled pond overshadowed by giant trees festooned with hanging creepers and with lush greenery everywhere. But coming in from Fisherman’s Village, along the beach, is a delight! Here there is tranquillity and peace – the hustle and neon of the busy village simply evaporates as you come onto the beach. And the serenity of the discreet and warm lighting leading to the restaurant is more than inviting.

For a long time now those in the know have extolled the virtues of this wonderful little hideaway. It goes without saying that the food here is fabulous – and more about this in just a moment. But, in the same way as the resort itself tenders and extends an ongoing consideration of care to its guests in general, so does its ‘Full Moon’ restaurant, and there are a dozen little touches which constantly remind you that eating here is also something special.

For instance, you’d expect to have an experienced wine guru on hand to advise you. But here there’s also a ‘salt guru’ to recommend which of the various sorts of ground-at-the-table rock salt best complements your

meal. Or the choice offered of four different sorts of knives, displayed in a rosewood box for you to select. Then there’s the tableside preparation of dishes such as the ‘Salmon Inferno’; a sashimi dish covered in a Japanese spice-blend and fired at the table – or the carved 500 gram Ku Beef T-Bone steak. And that’s not even touching upon the uniquelycolourful concoctions of an award-winning cocktail mixologist.

But the staff here has taken things a step further. They are aware that quality dining can take different forms, from the warmly-romantic nooks that newly-weds might seek, to perhaps a birthday celebration or even a group of friends getting together to enjoy their last night on the island.

And that’s where the lushly-spreading grounds come in so useful, from the seclusion of a private sala in the lovely walled spa garden, to the garden-setting with views over the long lily pond, or even dining directly on the sand, with the sea whispering just a few metres away. All these options can be discussed when you book . . . as can those thoughtful little extras, such as the style of decoration, flowers, fabrics and so on, should you want them.

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The menu here has been created by the Executive Chef, Martin Kindleysides, who describes his chargrill approach as “. . . modern Australian cuisine with Asian elements”. And Martin is seriously dedicated in more ways than one. “Over time I’ve been sourcing ingredients which are thoroughly sustainable,” he explained. “Naturally this includes local organically-produced vegetables, herbs and spices.

The same with fish; I’ll buy-in two different kinds every day so guests have an ongoing choice.”

“But possibly the most exciting aspect are the recent developments in the north of Thailand,” Martin continued. “‘Ku Beef’ is an experiment developed by Kasetsart University for organic farming and the raising of cows. The stock is grain-fed and it’s a cross-breed between a French Charolais and a local Brahman. Along with this we are also serving a locally sourced 50-day dry-aged sirloin – the dry-aging process results in cuts of exceptional moisture, flavour and texture. Of course there’s still imported Australian grain-fed beef on the menu, but it is very hard to tell the difference!”

And I have to say right away that what must surely be the star of the show is their signature ‘Roast Spatchcock’. That’s what it’s demurely titled on the menu. But in reality this is a wondrous dish: it’s a rare gamebird with a delicate yet unique flavour, and it’s not simply ‘cooked’; rather it’s crafted into a sublime dish that takes all of 24 hours to prepare.

Firstly it’s butterflied and marinated for 24 hours in yoghurt, turmeric and spices. Then it’s fired in a tandoor oven, after which it’s removed and smoked with applewood. It comes served with cumin potatoes and asparagus, together with a Himalayan star anise sauce, mint and coriander raitha, and is individually carved for you tableside – totally 62 l www.samuiholiday.com

exquisite, both in its flavour and texture, and also in the delicatelycombined interplay of the complimentary ingredients.

The actual menu itself is thoughtfully designed, with each item coded with a symbol to designate whether it’s gluten-free, contains nuts, is vegetarian, or its degree of spiciness. The appetisers come as Hot or Cold ‘Elements’, and items such as the tantalizing ‘Compressed Watermelon Salad’ – watermelon that has been put under pressure for 24 hours and served with locally made feta cheese, walnuts, jalapeño and pomegranate molasses – right away set the gastronomic tone.

It’s usually a good measure of the culinary integrity of a restaurant if you check the quality of the ‘starters n sweets’, and Full Moon exceeds expectations with some super sweets, too: just try their ‘Belgium Chocolate Naked Crème Brûlée’ – meringue, chocolate crumbs, ganache, berry gel and chocolate ice-cream.

So, cruise through Fisherman’s Village and enjoy yourself; it’s all good fun. But as you’re munching on something, keep this story in your mind.

Because perhaps next time, instead of stopping, you’ll head next door to Anantara and the fabulous Full Moon instead!

Rob De Wet

_____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 8300. www.anantara.com

VILLAGE LIFE We visit the little village of Thong Krut in the southwest of the island to find out what it’s all about.

There’s not a lot in Thong Krut. But that’s not a bad thing. Anyone who complains that Samui has become too developed and commercialised need only head there for a day to appreciate the quieter side of island life.

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. From this peaceful shallow bay, boats make the journey to these two small islands, and although prices are usually fixed, it doesn’t hurt to try to negotiate a better rate with a smile.

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One well-known operator is T.K Tour, which started taking tourists to Koh Tan for snorkelling back in 1986. They offer long-tail boat charter trips and joining trips for snorkelling, fishing and diving to not only Koh Tan and Koh Matsum, but also to other nearby islands such as Koh Rarb, Koh See and Koh Haa, all off the south coast of Samui. And while you’re waiting to embark on your island expedition, enjoy a bite or drink at T.K. Restaurant (owned by T.K. Tour), situated near the private pier right in the middle of Thong Krut Bay. Rather than using speedboats, T.K. Tour prefers using long-tail boats, not only to offer an authentic Thai experience, but also to generate revenue for the local community.

Koh Tan, a few hundred metres off the coast from Thong Krut fishing village, is a small, mostly unspoilt island, known for its good snorkelling. Here you’ll see giant clams, coral and various tropical fish living in and around the

protected reefs. Koh Matsum is just south of Koh Tan, and its long white beach makes it a popular spot for day trips and picnics. Trips with T.K. Tour leave at 9:30 and return at 15:00, and include snorkelling around Koh Tan – equipment included – and lunch on the beach at Koh Matsum, where you’ll have time for a bit of relaxing too.

Koh Tan is known as ‘the island without dogs’. According to local legend, any dog that has been taken to live there has quickly lost its mind, but oddly the local dog population seems unaffected by this fate. But truth be told, it’s the high-pitched calls of the bats on the island, not audible to the human ear, that cause the dogs to behave oddly. There’s just one small village on Koh Tan, with a population of about 30 people who earn their main living from fishing. You’ll find very limited tourist facilities, such as five simple bungalows and an authentic Thai restaurant. The island is roughly triangular in shape,

having three distinct hills, with Khao Kiam at the south of the island being the highest at 218m above sea level, and covered with lush, evergreen forest.

Unofficially named ‘Coral Island’, Koh Tan offers the best snorkelling you’ll find in such close proximity to Samui.

If you feel like facing your phobias, the Samui Snake Farm is just on the border of Thong Krut on route 4170, and shows are held twice daily at 11:00 and 14:00. Here you can get up close and personal with some of Thailand’s slithering snakes and other scaly reptiles. And if you’d prefer to satisfy your need for retail therapy rather than face your fears, then don’t miss the Naga Pearl Shop, where a variety of pearls, jewellery and pearl products are on sale.

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If you’re after a wholesome meal in a retro setting, try the Sweet Sisters Café on the corner of the Route 4173 and Route 4170. The menu has a strong vegetarian and vegan influence, but there are plenty of seafood, chicken and meat options too. Khun Noiy, who owns and cooks at Sweet Sisters Café, believes in using fresh, local produce, she doesn’t use farmed fish and shellfish, there’s no MSG in her food, and she grows a lot of her own produce too.

Thong Krut is historically a village of coconut farmers and fishermen whose livelihoods have become more of a challenge over the last decade. While traditionally village children would have continued with either fishing or coconut farming, as their parents have done for decades, now the tourism industry dominates Samui’s economy. This means that a proficiency in English is vital to providing local children a chance at a better future. These students will ultimately be competing for positions with those privileged enough to attend international schools, or learn from a native speaker.

The local community school, Watsantiwatraram, has 60 primary students who are eager and enthusiastic to learn, but tremendously lacking in the resources they need to prosper in this rapidly changing community. Until recently, the students had never studied English with a native speaking

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

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

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.

teacher, or even a fluent Thai English teacher. The school simply lacks the funds necessary to pay the higher salaries Western teachers require. But recently, Starfish Volunteers have been bringing volunteer teachers to provide basic but essential English lessons to the students.

If you’d like to give back to the local community in some way, a donation of materials, resources, or your time to Watsantiwatraram School is a rewarding way to do so, and you’ll know that you are directly helping local children on the island.

Accommodation in Thong Krut is extremely limited, so chances are you’re staying in one of the neighbouring bays, or even on the other side of the island, making a day trip to this little village of fishing boats and coconuts. Arrive early or stay late, as here you’ll see great sunrises and sunsets with views of the islands. The beach is about one kilometre long with very few beach vendors. Don’t expect endless sun-loungers with martinis on call – but if you’re after a little tranquillity and an insight into village life, it’s worth spending an afternoon in a beachside café with either a good book or good company.

Rosanne Turner

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!

GO IN, GO UP! Samui isn’t just sun, sand and sea – there’s a whole other world if you just head inland.

Traditionally Samui’s thrust towards tourism has placed a lot of value on the fact that we’re an island. There are palm-fringed beaches and white sand. The sunset cocktail on the beach has become an institution in its own right. There are a hundred scuba outfits offering their services.

There are boat trips of every description, from sunset cruises to luxury yacht charter. But there’s one genre that’s yet to emerge. And that’s the organised tour that takes you inland. Certainly, there are organised temple excursions or trips to the aquarium or tiger zoo. But, these aside and bowing to our geography, on Samui, ‘in’ also means up.

Yes, you will find several trips that take you away from the seaside. But mostly these fall into the ‘adventure’ category, heading off-road on a jungle safari or a rented quad bike, or abseiling on zip lines from tree to tree. There’s nothing of a calm and placid nature. True, you can wobble about on the back of a jumbo for half an hour, and take in a local waterfall, but that’s not really what I’m getting at. If you want a leisurely look at what’s really inland – and there are a great many attractions, not least the amazing views – then you have to do it yourself.

I have to stress a point here: the weather in many places outside Thailand means that few people are used to riding on a motorbike.

Okay, so the ones here are scooters with auto gear-changes, but that’s not the issue. The local people ride instinctively – in more senses than just one. Even the 10 year-olds, who’ve never even heard of the Highway Code or seen a licence, can do wheelies and go home from school with four on one bike. There are fifty thousand of them, all around in every direction, and just one of you. So rent a four-wheel-drive Suzuki jeep instead.

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And then take a few gentle afternoon trips to get the feel of it. On the flat somewhere, learn how to engage the 4WD; there might be the odd steep bit where it’ll come in handy, so learn how it works before you need it. The only thing missing now is the excellent Samui Guide Map or Samui Island Map. Take a close look in conjunction with this article, as there are really only three main access areas to the interior and you’ll need to know where they are and how they all link together.

Something to bear in mind: once you get off the ring-road and into the uphill side-roads, a great many of these little streets join up sideways.

Thus, it’s possible to head up the mountain somewhere in the region of Maenam’s Santiburi Resort and, keeping in a southerly direction, eventually end up in Lamai. Similarly, if going inland and uphill from the Lamai region, there are several leisurely day-trips of waterfalls and viewpoints that’ll put you back on the ring-road anywhere from Nathon to Maenam.

Probably one little area that has the greatest variety of things to see is uphill of that part of the ring-road near the ‘mummified monk’ at Wat Khunaram. Almost directly opposite this temple, there’s a road running up into the mountains. Passing Ban Chang elephant trekking, which is worth a stop, this is quite a new road, wide and level. And you can now follow it all the way up to one of the island’s most beautiful spots, the Secret Buddha Garden. This is quite astonishing: an entire landscape of large sculptures, beautifully set over quite a wide, shady area, all made by a local fruit farmer, Khun Nim Thongsuk, who began building the garden back in 1976m when he was a mere 77 years old. And you can take refreshment at the nearby Mountain Grand View Restaurant that’s almost right next door. At which point you have a choice.

If you keep heading north, you’ll eventually end up in Maenam, having hit some of the highest parts of Samui, and taken in some of the most spectacular views in all of Thailand. Or you can cruise around the general area, where there are lots of interlinked side roads. This is the part of the island where there are most waterfalls and, although none of them are particularly big, they’re all delightfully shady and cool.

Namuang 2 Waterfall is just downhill from the Mountain Grand View Restaurant, and following the road further will bring you to Namuang Safari Park with its elephant trekking and crocodile farm, leading down a little more to the bigger spectacle of Namuang 1 Waterfall.

Another pleasant alternative is to head inland on the crossroads marked road 4172, that’s just south of Nathon. This has another little elephant trekking station and will lead up to Hin Lad Waterfall, after which you can hook to the right and wend your way southwards towards the Secret Buddha Garden in the area that’s already been mentioned. Or, indeed, you could continue on up and over, bearing down to your left, past Canopy Adventures and stop for a break at the View Top Restaurant before drifting down towards Soi 5 in Maenam.

This is one of the nice things about heading for the interior; there are so many alternative little routes to take. There are lots of different permutations. And the best thing of all? You won’t get lost. You can’t.

There’s no way you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere. You might not know quite where you are, but that’s not the same thing. Just keep heading downwards, and you’ll end up back on the ring-road. Once you’ve plucked up the courage to ‘go in and go up’, it’s the only place left to go!

Rob De Wet

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FROM THE SUBTLE TO THE SUBLIME Heading to the secluded deep south of Samui to see what’s happening at Samahita Retreat.

Most spas seem to offer yoga as some kind of add-on. But Samahita Retreat, way down in the deep and unspoiled south of the island, comes at things from entirely the opposite direction. This is first and foremost a yoga centre, and it’s one of the best-known yoga teaching facilities in the world. Yes, this is integrated with core fitness and diet. Certainly there’s a related detox program. And there’s a wellness program with massages and facial treatments, among others. But at the heart of all these aspects and activities lies the essential study, practice and teaching of yoga: this is the approach and philosophy that everything else is knitted into.

The location of Samahita is just perfect. Samui’s ring-road has, quite obviously, attracted varying degrees of ribbon development over the years. Some parts of the island, such as Chaweng, Bangrak and Nathon, have even filled up along the entire coastline and spawned small towns. But the ring-road actually cuts off the lower quarter of Samui completely, leaving it accessed by one minor road and a hundred smaller side spurs. This is where you’ll still find the secluded, pristine

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beaches and the tiny villages that have been untouched by time and progress. And it’s also where you’ll discover Samahita.

It’s tucked away, right on the beach, and with an unassuming entrance that offers no of the distinct change of atmosphere that lies just a few steps within. As soon as you move inside, it’s even quieter – if that’s possible! It’s soaked in a sense of harmony and tranquillity, with the physical spaces between the walls and trees seeming to subtly change their density in some way. It’s a little haven. It’s utterly peaceful and serene.

Virtually all the activities here mean that you need to be resident. And to go with this there is a truly wonderful little ‘almost-village’ close-by.

There’s a wide range of rooms and groupings, but the thinking behind it all has led to eco-friendly buildings which make use of cross ventilation, natural lighting, rainwater harvesting and solar power. Each of the rooms has air-conditioning, queen-size bed, fridge, kettle and Wi-Fi access. The

Retreat with its beachside yoga shala, restaurant, lounge and swimming pool are only a minute away: you can even see the sea from some of the top level rooms.

There are essentially five ‘retreats’ (read ‘courses’), the main one being the YogaCoreCycle. This is Samahita’s all-inclusive yoga and fitness holiday option, which covers accommodation, food, yoga, fitness-core and cardio, meditation and breath work. YogaCoreCycle divides the sessions into focused areas for body, breath and mind. There is quite a comprehensive program here, with a number of options, and to describe all of them is beyond the scope of this article; full details are on their website listed at the end.

The three, five, seven and 10-day detox programs are all individually tailored and personalised to suit individual needs and goals, and have been created from a blend of science and ancient wisdom, inspired

by Ayurveda and shaped by modern physiology and nutrition, and

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incorporate anything from a mono-diet to a complete fasting option, as well as specialized parasite cleansing programs.

Then the Weight Loss Program will help you transform your habits and lifestyle to achieve your body’s ideal weight. This program will educate you to choose and prepare food that is both nutritious and delicious, teach you a manageable exercise routine and assist in targeting the root causes of weight gain.

And there’s a ‘de-stress’ element which allows you to refocus and recharge with healing therapies, nourishing foods and rejuvenating supplements. The yoga and breath-work classes will help re-establish balance and calm, and through this re-education you’ll learn to make healthier choices and more-effectively manage your stress.

But a mention, too, of the world-renowned Yoga Teachers’ Training – one of Asia’s longest running instructor certification courses. This is a one-month, 200-hour intensive training course which can optionally be

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



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

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

expanded to a full 500 hours by the additions of various modules.

Full details on their website!

All of which makes it sound very soul searching and intense! But the truth is that their ‘Sattva’ restaurant offers some of the tastiest (and healthiest!) food on the island, and alone is well-worth a visit. The already-mentioned Wellness Center has everything from an Ayurvedic Treatment to a Herbal Steam, and their Beachside Lounge and Kids Club add a wider dimension that’s just perfect if you simply fancy a change of scene – in fact they’ve got everything here from the subtle to the sublime!

Rob De Wet

______________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7792 0090. www.samahitaretreat.com

SCL International School 127/40-50 Moo 3 Maret, Lamai, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84310 Phone: 0 7741 8789 Mobile: 0 810 910 714 Email: emma@sclinternationalschool.com www.sclinternationalschool.com

WHAT IT TAKES

Do you have what it takes to save the world – or even yourself? Discovering Escape Break at Lamai’s Beach Republic.

Remember the board game Cluedo? Miss Scarlett and Colonel Mustard?

In its time, it was the classic detective mystery game. You investigated rooms, discovered evidence and solved clues. It first came out in 1949, and is still going strong, being updated every year. It is so popular that, with the development of video gaming, it spawned any number of copycat video games.

But, one way or another, this wasn’t enough. Even with multi-player online video games there was something missing. They were cold and unemotional. They didn’t have the excitement, frustration or spontaneous interaction of real people in a real room, all of them working together to solve a common problem. And so, somewhere around 10 years ago, the ‘escape room’ environment was born.

This first appeared in Japan, where it immediately became a hit and a way of letting off steam with highly-stressed students and young professionals. And from there it’s spread, really taking off back in the early ’90s, at a one-week symposium held in Silicon Valley, which was not only based on Cluedo, but also added-in Agatha Christy’s crime novels and their characters. And today it’s estimated that there are now 84 l www.samuiholiday.com

over 3,000 escape room venues worldwide. And one of these is on Samui, down in Lamai, hosted by the very popular Beach Republic.

For those of you of the Cluedo generation who might not be fully acquainted with the escape room idea, you’ll find it involves a bunch of people (you!) actually being inside a series of locked rooms, and having to use your wits, powers of analysis and deduction to unlock each door and progress to the next room in order to achieve your set objective.

You have a time limit of one hour per room to unlock the door and proceed onwards, with a total of three rooms in all. Clues are found in all sorts of places and come in all kinds of ways – sometimes from info on a map, or connecting dots and dashes found in a journal with a chart found elsewhere. And it’s non-linear – meaning that maybe you have to open other rooms first to be able to find clues still locked back where you started!

There are locks on chests, cupboards and drawers, plus of course on the ultimate objective, the door to the next room. Some of these locks need a key to open them. Others need a combination of numbers – one or two

even have letter-combination locks. And at least one of the clues is quite abstract in nature, meaning that if you have the kind of mind which can solve the Sunday Times crossword then you’ll be an invaluable asset to the team.

Although a quick word of comfort – you’re not alone. There are two ‘game masters’ who are there to keep an eye on you. You’re continually covered by CCTV, and the game masters monitor your progress from outside. If they can see that you’re going round in circles, then they’ll step in and offer you a clue. Or should that be ‘a clue to a clue’?

Because they’ll start you off with a hint to set you in the right direction, and usually that’s enough. But if not, then they’ll give you more direct help.

There are four theme-rooms here at Escape Break, each on a different theme, and each with differing degrees of difficulty. Some of the rooms are easier than the others; Ghost Ship, for example. And I’d say to you right away – have a go at the easier ones first! The parallel with solving crossword clues is a good one; once you begin to understand the way things work, then the quicker your mind gets into the groove. www.samuiholiday.com l 85

I’m not going into a detailed description of each of the rooms, their themes and the challenges – you can get all of that on their excellent website. But let me put it like this: today’s generation of video games are super-realistic. And being inside one of these locked rooms is identical to the colours and realism of these video games; take a look at the website photos and see what I mean. It’s exactly like finding yourself inside a video game – but it’s real!

rivalry. (She discreetly declined to disclose which gender usually came out on top - obviously a very wise lady!)

You’ll all jump into action, searching for clues, fathoming out puzzles, figuring out the combinations to locks and scribbling down notes, shouting out discoveries - and getting in each other’s way! And time will fly by. You’ll spend the first 20 minutes getting frustrated, then you’ll begin to think outside the box and realise that even seemingly meaningless items can hold the key to your freedom. And then, suddenly there’s only 10 minutes to go and you still haven’t opened the door – you’re on the last clue!

Rob De Wet

Khun Tat, the long-time manager of Escape Break, explained to me that out of the hundreds of teams that have enjoyed themselves here, nobody has ever ‘died’ in place! In fact, the adrenaline rush has proved so addictive that 80% of first-timers just can’t wait to have a go at one of the other escape rooms. And you don’t need to wait for a rainy day either. Everything is air-conditioned, making it perfect for a complete change of activity once you’ve been out on all the day trips and fancy something different.

She went on to add that there’s a big demand from companies engaged in team-building activities. And then, with a grin, mentioned that the most fun happens with wedding parties, here on Samui to tie the knot.

It seems that after the hen night and the boy’s night out, there’s a fierce completion between the sexes to show who has the upper hand, with lots of colourful sexist comments and more than a little inter-gender 86 l www.samuiholiday.com

Making a booking is a must, because you really do need to start on the easier rooms to begin with. You can do this online at the website below. And then the proof of the pudding is in the eating – as you put everything on the line to show that you have what it takes!

____________________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7745 8100. www.escapebreak.com

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SMILING WITH SATISFACTION When it comes to taking care of your teeth, most people hesitate. But this never happens at Bangkok Hospital Clinic!

It’s quite possible for you to take a new lawyer – it happens all the time.

When you re-locate to another house, you’ll cheerfully sign-up with the nearby doctors at the local clinic. Even changing your local trusted mechanic won’t cause sleepless nights if you have to move. And for sure a good hairdresser is hard to come by, but it’s no big problem is you need to make a change! But a dentist? I know people who have continued to stay registered even when they have moved somewhere new, and have travelled 200 miles and back again to get treatment, simply to keep a dentist they know and trust - myself included.

When it comes to teeth then people are split into two totally different camps.

Maybe 10% don’t really care, because they have never had a bad dental experience. But for the rest of us we would rather be thrown into a pit of rabid alligators than have to check-in with an alien dentist. In fact an alien dentist might be preferable, because they’ve probably got brain-numbing technology, and might even do a facelift while they’re at it!

Joking aside, you only have to look on the local Facebook groups to understand everyone’s concerns and worries. Every month there’s another new posting about dentists. Which one do people recommend? What are they like? Who’s best for crowns or implants? Can they speak English? Will they understand what I want? Is there a dentist who is slow and gentle?

The questions go on and on and keep happening. And it proves my point that doctors and lawyers are all much the same, but a really good dentist is worth their weight in gold.

This is a subject very close to my heart. Because 15 years ago, I probably had the worst teeth on Samui! This was because to go back and get more treatment from my usual dentist would have sent me all the way back to England. I’d had six years of no dental treatment. Six years of sticking broken crowns back in with superglue. Six years of people looking the other way when I smiled. And then I discovered ‘The Singing Dentist’.

Back at that time, she ran a small dental clinic in the north of Chaweng.

Today she has an active partnership in one of the most prestigious healthcare centres on the island – Bangkok International Hospital on the main ring-road in Chaweng; Dental Solutions by Bangkok Hospital Clinic. She speaks perfect English. She is bright, cheery and highly experienced.

She will check you out and give an honest opinion without any of the money-making extras that some dentists try to get you hooked on. And, best of all, she will put you totally at ease.

In fact, while she is up to her elbows in your mouth grinding away at that stubborn back molar, she’ll be singing away to herself like she’s on Thailand’s Got Talent. Not belting out some kind of karaoke, you understand. But more of a gentle hum with a few phrases thrown in now and again. It’s like a lullaby. It relaxes you right away. It’s almost hypnotic. It puts you at ease, even if you are like 90% of the population – dentist-phobic. And her name is Doctor Supaporn.

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But one day I needed urgent treatment. And alas, she was on holiday!

Trembling with anxiety, I nervously gave myself into the hands of another of the clinic’s practitioner, Doctor Valailuck - and it was painless! It all went as smooth and as soft as silk, leaving me feeling maybe just a little foolish, but definitely very relieved. In fact I’ve since learned that there are now no fewer than six practitioners and specialists at the clinic.

And, between them, the team here are equipped, both in terms of skill and experience and also with up-to-date technology, to expertly and very professionally handle everything from a full de-scale and clean to comprehensive remedial or reconstructive surgery.

Most people coming to Samui simply don’t realise how well-qualified the top dental teams are over here, and how much less it costs than the same treatment back home. A few years back, my daughter and her husband came here for a holiday. Eventually the conversation veered towards dental treatment, and husband Mark came out with, “I wouldn’t mind getting my teeth cleaned. Can you check to see how expensive it is?” The result was that Mark spent two hours at the Bangkok Hospital Clinic having the most thorough cleaning he had ever had. And he was delighted at having saved a substantial chunk of money while getting it all out of the way at his leisure, without having to schedule time off from work.

The highly experienced career orthodontists here are qualified to practice the ‘ZOOM’ treatment. This is essentially a completely safe bleaching

B a r g e & Te r r a c e

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process, beginning with a full clean and polish to reveal the natural enamel colour. Then your gums and soft tissue are screened by coating them with paste, and your teeth are covered with a bleaching gel. This is activated by directing short bursts of intense ‘Zoom WhiteSpeed Whitening LED Light’ at small areas at a time. Each quarter of your mouth is covered in 15-minute phases, making it overall a 2-hour treatment. This might sound a lot, but bear in mind that there’s no stress involved and it’s all actually quite soothing.

Of course all of this might not be news to some of you reading this. You’ve already done the groundwork on previous holidays and have come to realise that intensive dental treatment is far cheaper here. And you’ve become a part of the growing numbers who come to Thailand every year specifically for a dental (or medical) holiday. If that’s the case and you’ve spent your time at the Dental Solutions by Bangkok Hospital Clinic, then everyone will be able to tell – because you’ll be smiling, brightly, with satisfaction!

Rob De Wet

_______________________________________________________ For more information, email bshdental@bgh.co.th www.samuidentalsolution.com Nora Buri's Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: ricebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com

A HOLE IN MORE THAN ONE

It’s not just football golf, it’s fantastic football golf!

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Every single person has come here for a reason, and all the reasons are different. So, just for a moment discount the visitors, those here on holiday, as their reasons for being here are obvious. Instead, look more closely at the people working or living here. Because in each case, there’s a very good chance that there’s an interesting story involved. And just such a tale can be told by Tom Roberts.

Tom’s English; he was born in Liverpool, in fact. And today, he owns and manages Samui Football Golf, that’s to be found on the Chaweng side of neighbouring Choeng Mon. How he ended up on Samui is legendary – although few know the full story.

Tom is an avid football fan. And, back in 2002, his dream was to see England play in the World Cup, being held that year in Japan. At that time there was a big blow-up in the media: one of the world’s most famous footballers, Dennis Bergkamp, had to bow out of his World Cup appearance because of his fear of flying. So Tom, together with three of his friends, hit on an idea. They would all set off on ‘The Bergkamp Trail’ (as they named it), planning a route overland to Japan, as a homage to the great Dutch footballer. This they did – but there’s much more to the tale!

“When we started planning The Bergkamp Trail,” Tom explained to me, “We had no idea what was would happen. First of all the local paper got hold of it and made a big thing about their lads heading off on the road to Japan. Then the national press got wind of the story, plus TV crews from BBC and Channel 4. We thought that was pretty good, but much later, when we eventually arrived in Japan, there was a Japanese Sky TV crew waiting to meet us! They wanted to make a documentary about the crazy Englanders that they reckoned had ‘walked’ all the way to the World Cup.” That sounds like quite a tale, all by itself. But it also turned out that the trip had been harder than expected, and had cost more, too. So the four fans were broke, with barely enough money to pay for tickets for England’s first game, never mind follow their team’s progress. But not only did the Japanese TV station pay their expenses, meals and accommodation, but the news had spread, and the international football body, FIFA, picked up the story and gave them free VIP seats to watch each game. And in the end, the lads stayed in Japan, all expenses paid, for over three weeks.

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So what’s Samui got to do with it all? “Well,” Tom continued, “we stopped off here for a while on the way. Right away, I knew that I was coming back. It wasn’t just one of the loveliest places I’d ever seen, but it had a feeling like nowhere else. I eventually came back two years later, teaching English at a local resort. But that was hardly a secure position, so I thought long and hard about what kind of a business I could set up – I wanted to do something that was unique; where I had no competition.”

cunning screens of bushes and trees, so players were shielded from not only other groups, but also the surprise of what was coming up next.

And, quite apart from anything else, in the process of doing this he also created one of the loveliest little ‘parks’ on the island, needing six full time staff just to maintain the grounds.

Tom remembered his childhood games, kicking a football into a seaside hole in the sand or under a chair moved round the garden. And so, in 2005, he opened his first football golf course. But it quickly proved to be too small; people’s games were getting all tangled up, and there just wasn’t the scope for what he had in mind. So he looked for a bigger and better plot, and in 2011, began again with the new and vastly superior layout that he has today.

The course is a constant series of surprises, too. As you finish a hole and turn a bend, the screen of hedging opens out into another new challenge. And each hole is unique, with its own footballing challenge.

Samui Football Golf is teeming with legends: David Beckham’s amazing ability to bend a ball in the air; Johan Cruyff’s hallmark ‘turn’, Roberto Baggio’s potentially World Cup-losing penalty miss for Italy. These, with another 15 of international football’s highpoints, are all a part of the theme of the course, with the manner of progress towards the ‘hole’ being tied-into this.

Now he has more than 16,000 square metres. But that just doesn’t convey what the grounds are really like. Firstly, Tom spent a long time carefully terraforming the plot so that it had uphill and downhill sections, and was peppered with little terraces, dips and mounds. Then he planted

And no, it isn’t all highly specialised and needing super soccer skills: just listen to the squeals of the family groups as they move around. “It’s really good fun,” Tom smiled. “People approach it at their own level. Mums, kids and grandpas enjoy it just as much as groups of young football fans.

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You can be competitive and keep score, or just enjoy yourself.

And there are refreshments available – free when you get to the 11th hole! Plus you can hire trainers and socks if you need them.

And everyone who plays gets a free souvenir key ring with their score on!”

You’ll find Samui Football Golf right on the edge of Cheong Mon. Coming from Chaweng, it’s on the right, immediately before the sharp turn by the Imperial Boathouse resort – just look for the frontage with the coconut sculptures outside. It’s open from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. Discounts are now available for resident member card holders. And don’t forget your camera – it’s not only fun but it’s one of the most beautiful spots on the island, too!

Rob De Wet

_______________________________________________________ For further information, telephone 0 7742 6600. www.samuifootballgolf.com

BELIEVE IT! Buddhism is not the only religion in Thailand – there seems to be room for everyone.

It’s Buddhism, isn’t it? That’s the instinctive reaction. Ask anyone between the ages of 20 and 120 – they’ll reply that Buddhism is the religion in Thailand. And so it is. But that’s like saying that New York is full of Christians, or Muslims never touch alcohol. Nothing’s ever quite so clear-cut. When it comes to religion over here, there’s a lot more than Buddhism. And even this won’t be quite what you’re expecting!

Although Buddhism is both the primary and the state religion, the Thais have always subscribed to the ideal of religious freedom. Thai constitutions have stipulated that Thai kings must be Buddhists, but monarchs are invariably also titled the “Upholder of All Religions”. Overall, Thailand is a very open and receptive nation, although in practice now and then you’ll notice a bit of a tremble.

Take the State religion of Buddhism, for instance. Those of you reading this, that are (ahem) of a certain age will immediately nod to yourself and relate this to a

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timeslot in your past. The word ‘Theravada’ springs to mind immediately – and it just so happens that this is the form of Buddhism prevalent in Thailand today.

It’s not easy to come up with a slick outline of Theravada beliefs, but back in the days when pop idols had personal gurus, it was all pleasantly simple. We’re heading towards spiritual perfection in order to attain Nirvana. This can only happen in stages of gradual improvement and enlightenment via birth and rebirth. Merit is earned, and advancement brings us closer to Buddha. There are lists of things to do and things not to do, and it’s all very spiritual.

In Thailand you’ll find this sort of laudable mission statement going on inside the temples (except for maybe one or two exceptions such as the renegade jet-setting monk, Luang Pu Nenkham Chattigo, whose assets – including his private jet – were frozen due to an official investigation into charges of financial irregularity and money-laundering!). Where was I? Oh yes. Human weakness aside (or even maybe in quite a central position after all), Thai Buddhism in the temples is an admirable business, forsaking all personal possessions and worldly trappings,

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and seeking to attain spiritual enlightenment. Got it? Good. Hold on to this thought.

In the not too distant past, a young woman whom I came to know quite well had the usual little spirit shrine on the wall inside her house. Well, actually, she had three. Twice each day she would go through a short ritual in turn with each of them, involving placing incense sticks and shot-glasses of water or alcohol, sweets and snacks on their tables and praying to each. I finally asked her what it was all about. “This one is for my Buddha,” she explained, “to keep away the ghosts and help me be a better person.” (Note that the ghosts were the main thing here.) “This one is for my mama and papa: I pray they have good luck and that my family has good luck and can send them money. And this one is for me.

I ask Buddha for money with my business and good luck for the lottery every week and that I not get sick and that I am lucky with love and find a good man with money who take care of me.”

And that’s the way it seems to be at a grass-roots level. Spirits and ghosts are very real, even to the point that a Thai person dreads the idea of staying in a house alone. There is a strong element of animism, too, where trees and rocks and ancient, lonely places have their own spirit which needs to be kept happy – or else! And lots of good luck and gimme gimme money is top of the list every time. But in many ways this is not so different from Christianity – or at least people’s approach to it. There are those who pay lip service to it all and go to church religiously every Sunday, because they reckon that’s all it takes for their place in heaven to be guaranteed. And there are others who work non-stop to be less selfish, put the rest of the world before their own interests and do to others as they would be done by. I guess it’s the same all over the world.

There’s actually a very strong Muslim contingent in Thailand: less so, but evident, in the northern and central regions but becoming more concentrated the closer

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you get to Malaysia. All of the big cities have several mosques and with this number rising sharply in southern cities like Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Had Yai. Samui has traditionally had its own Muslim community down in the southeastern area of Hua Thanon, where the hand-decorated fishing boats have long-since become a tourist attraction. In the earlier days, Muslims gravitated naturally together. But you’ll find that this is now becoming decentralised, with new mosques appearing all over the place, the most recent of these being in Maenam. Hindus are less well represented, and are certainly more of a minority, although there is now a Sikh temple in Bophut.

Traditionally Westerners are inclined towards the many facets of the Christian faith. But there’s a cultural difference here. Whereas all the other religions require daily devotions of a private or collective nature, and their followers are actively engaged in their religious beliefs, in the West this has faded. There are certainly

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far more Westerners on the island than there are Muslims. Thus by rights there ought to be more churches than mosques. But there are few. There are Catholic ones in Chaweng and Nathon and a Baptist church in Plai Laem. Then there’s a Chabad (Jewish temple). And that’s about it. There was a Russian Orthodox church in the planning back in 2008, although that doesn’t seem to have happened yet. But, given the recent explosion of Russian residents, Russian churches all over the island is one idea that’s definitely not hard to believe!

Rob De Wet

ROCKPOOL ROCKS!

One of the loveliest settings for any restaurant has to be at Kanda Residences and their RockPool restaurant.

Kanda Residences and Pool Villas has been a Samui favourite for quite a while. Essentially, it’s a cliffside holiday resort just outside Chaweng on the road towards Choeng Mon, with 36 self-contained pool villas laid-out on a sloping hillside down towards the sea and the beach below. What’s interesting about this place is that it’s essentially a co-operatively owned, managed and leased assortment of extremely luxurious small villas. But in the early part of its life it was an up-market resort – hence the attention that was paid to creating and maintaining one of the best restaurants in the area.

Today it’s still terrific although, apart from savvy residents, not many travellers know that it’s there.

As you come into reception, mention RockPool restaurant, a buggy will appear, and you’ll be swished down through twisting narrow lanes and between the gleaming white walls, all of them bright with vines and climbing flowers, that form the boundaries of the secluded villas within.

You might think there’s not much to see as you pull up outside the restaurant - just a sun-baked walled terrace that evokes a Mediterranean hillside. But walking through the adjacent brick arch reveals a breath-taking view – across the open space of a smoothly tiled floor is the wide blue sea beyond. There’s some comfy sofa-seating near the entrance, a long bar over to the left, and the very modern-looking open kitchen, all gleaming with brushed stainless steel, to the right. And alongside this are the steps leading down onto the three open decks that form RockPool.

Down below is an infinity pool with a terrace around it, and then you’ll step down again onto the wooden-decked terraces below, dramatically perched on and over the rocky cliffside. It’s delightful! The top deck forms the main dining terrace – which features an enormous tree growing up through the lower bar and shading most of the first deck. There’s a raised shelf for sea gazing running around the edge of this, and to the left and down two steps are the other decks, together with another small bar. Unlike most elevated seaside locations, here the vista is an enigmatic little bay, framed on either side by small headlands.

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Right from the start, RockPool has been able to boast celebrity chefs and a menu to match. And currently running the kitchen here is the well-known executive chef, Lisa Lang, who was once described as ‘very much a chef’s chef’. She sums up the approach towards her menu and cuisine as “. . . a need to move ordinary food more and more towards modern cuisine and fine dining. Everything I make has to taste even better than it looks – there’s far too many chefs content to make their food look good but the taste just doesn’t matter!”

Worthy of super-special mention are the two seafood sets, each for two people. The first is a gigantic platter of assorted sea bass, tiger prawns, blue crab and squid, together with two glasses of wine. But the other set hits the jackpot, as it adds two Canadian lobsters plus an entire bottle of wine – and for just 4,700++ baht, that’s exceptional value.

Although the à la carte menu is first class, the appeal of RockPool is that it runs all sorts of regular special events. It’s well-known for its excellent Sunday Brunch which happens every week from 12:00 am until 4:00 pm, with the acoustic duo band. And it’s certainly the least-expensive on the island without sacrificing any of the quality. Then there’s Pizza and Beers (wood-fired pizza and iced cold beers) each Wednesday. Then Friday sees Oysters ‘n’ Bubbles – Fine de Claire oysters with special prices on sparkling wine and champagne. And if you add to all of this the 2-for-1 on all drinks Happy Hour between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm, then that rounds-off some very tempting dining indeed.

However, one of the most inviting aspects of Kanda Residences is the special attraction it holds for wedding groups. It’s tempting simply to throw your needs at one of the many wedding planners. But not only is the accommodation here top-class, but the layout of the decks at RockPool lend themselves perfectly to private groups of different sizes (up to a total of 100 people) and all the catering and events can be handled in-house. Not only that but, right next to the resort and down on the beach, there is a secluded private villa which can be used for smaller groups.

There’s so much more to be said about Kanda Residences and Pool Villas. And so the easiest way to soak in some of the info and sights is to follow their Facebook page. But, whatever way you do it, you’ll have to agree that Kanda – and RockPool – rocks!

Rob De Wet

____________________________________________________________ For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 4500. www.kandaresidences.com 108 l www.samuiholiday.com

A UNIFORM FOR RELAXATION Fishermen Pants Shop in Lamai is turning a tradition into a laid-back lifestyle.

Rivers, canals, ponds and lakes make Thailand one of the world’s most water-filled countries. And wherever you find water, you’ll find people fishing. And most of them are wearing unisex trousers, known as fisherman’s pants. Those simple trousers are everywhere, and so much so that they’ve transcended all Thai borders and have morphed into something more than the original. Pants for massage, yoga, sports and pregnancy - a whole raft of possibilities. On Samui there’s even a store dedicated primarily to them: Fishermen Pants Shop. Drop in and you’ll see how this store goes further still and recommends them if you’re seeking a laid-back vibe.

“Just put a pair on,” says owner-manager Erez Shmargad, “and you’ll feel different. You’ll feel in the mood for relaxation, no matter what you’re doing.” He should know as he’s one of Thailand’s keenest aficionados of fisherman’s pants. He goes in search of materials and designs, and then working with Thai tailors, he puts together remarkable collections that reflect great creativity, whilst all the time keeping with age-old traditions.

‘Artisanal’ is the word we’ve all been hearing on the street for a couple of years now, and these days it’s all the rage to suddenly start rolling out all manner of things from beer to sausages, soap to perfumes that normally only big manufacturers can hope to produce. Erez doesn’t refer to his products as artisanal – he started making fisherman’s pants well over 14 years ago. That was in Goa, but now he’s in the country where they originated, and he’s continued what he was doing in India.

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He’s definitely not bucking any sudden trend. He’s just doing what he’s done for many years. And doing it well. Meet him in person and you’ll find that he’s quite self-effacing. “I’ve worn fisherman’s pants all my life,” he says. “It’s really a way of living. Nobody believes that fisherman’s pants can be good quality. Even Thais doubt this. But they don’t have to be shoddy. If you start with decent materials then it’ll help you to end up with a good product. I’m not re-inventing the wheel, or anything like it.”

If you’ve ever bought a pair of fisherman’s pants before, you probably won’t expect much of them: flimsy materials and unsteady dyes which prompt a question at the back of your mind - how long are these going to last? Your purchases are probably a cheerful nod to your holiday and no more than that. What Erez makes is of a different order. Only if you’re short-sighted and have no tactile feel in your hands could you think that these are the standard, flimsy pants of a thousand dusty stalls in tourist spots.

Let’s start with the materials themselves. There’s cotton but there’s also hemp and linen; two unlikely candidates for most fisherman’s pants.

This makes them stand out and, of course, they’re also remarkably

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comfortable. There are also plenty of designs. You’ll find embroidered pants that feature animals or maybe swirling patterns, and sometimes a nod to artists – the almost fractal white cap of a Hokusai wave or a Matisse cut-out, bright with colour – along with different places of origin: prints/patterns from Rajasthan, hemp from Nepal and batik from Chiang Mai. Erez, along with his life-partner Belinda Basa, live in a traditional house in Lamai, close by the sea, and it’s here that they have their store. It’s easily recognizable from the street as the facade is decorated with Tibetan prayer flags. It’s definitely not like going into a usual shop, although all the products are nicely laid out or hanging in racks. It’s quite different. Erez and Belinda also like to cook, bake and offer coffee, and there’s always food and drink available for people dropping in.

There’s no charge for any of this, by the way – the couple simply share the dishes that they make for themselves. And the food’s definitely good, too. Erez appreciates people visiting, he says. “We’re not in the centre of Chaweng so people make an effort to come here, so we like to give something back.” To get to the store, turn off the ring-road and onto the

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beach road as you head into Lamai from Chaweng, then turn left at the first crossroads. The store is a hundred metres down towards the sea. Opening times are 10:00 am until 7:00 pm daily, except Sundays, when the store’s open from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm.

Outside those times, just give Erez a call.

Many customers also order via his website – he ships fisherman’s pants all round the world via registered post. You can even chat to him online via a special link here. Scroll through the site or browse through the store and you’ll find yourself falling in love with the simplest yet most engaging of clothing – fisherman’s pants.

Dimitri Waring

_______________________________________________________ For further information telephone 0 895 865 263 or 0 623 516 192. www.fishermenpants.com

Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort 99/9 Moo 1, Bophut Bay, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320 Thailand T +66 (0) 77 428 300-9 F +66 (0) 77 428 310 E bophutsamui@anantara.com

HORNS OF PLENTY When horns lock, money moves in Samui’s buffalo fighting stadiums.

A lot of mystery surrounds buffalo fighting, and here on Samui, it’s no different. It all starts with simply trying to find out when and where fights are going to take place. Many visitors to the island aren’t even sure how to get to see a fight. Seemingly desperate posts are left on travel websites, and garner a few equally desperate replies. “When you see a buffalo on the side of the road, see if you can find the owner,” reads one particularly inane bit of advice, as if to say all buffalo owners happen to know about fights!

It’s actually quite easy to get to a buffalo fighting stadium, but just don’t ask Google to sort it out for you: no handy map will pop up with road directions, nor will you be able to buy a ticket with a few taps of the keyboard. That’s because buffalo fighting is a traditional sport that’s still conducted in very traditional ways. Think rustic. It’s not online yet. So who to ask? If you’re staying at a hotel, try talking to the receptionist.

He or she probably won’t know any details but will know someone who does. Alternatively pop in to any of the island’s hundreds of travel agents, and they’ll find out where the next fight is slated to take place. If you drive along the ring-road you’ll see hand-written signs that announce fights. The stadiums where they take place are set well away from major roads, so it may require a bit of persistence to actually find. And locations can move, too, and new venues can open very quickly. There’s a fairly well-known stadium in Maenam. Turn inland at the town’s only traffic lights, head through the temple grounds, turn left, then after a hundred metres turn right and follow the road.

‘Stadium’ is an absurdly grand word for most venues. They’re basically cordoned-off areas with a rough stockade covered in curtaining. This is so that people can’t watch the show for free. There may or not be a ticket booth, but there’ll be someone there collecting money. Entrance fees vary and can be from 100 baht upwards. One couple I know paid a total of 1,000 baht to get in – definitely on the exorbitant side. You may be able to bargain.

Some people resort to cunning tactics to watch the show without paying.

On Samui, thanks to the island being one giant coconut plantation, there are always coconut trees to climb. And at any fight you’ll see nimble and vertigo-free youngsters getting a drone’s eye view of the action right beneath them. This is tolerated, but what goes up must come down, and the journey down may be excruciating thanks to the wood of the coconut palm tree being prone to splintering!

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Buffalo fighting is taken very seriously by some, more so because of all the betting on the animals. These can be very big bets – astounding ones. Cases are known where cash just wasn’t sufficient. Imagine going home to your partner and announcing that you’d just lost your entire house on a single bet. It’s happened. Who would think that a couple of animals between them can cause enough financial havoc to last for years to come? Winners can earn millions of baht during such fights. Needless to say, it pays quite literally to know the animals that are going to be in the fights. When you’re at a buffalo fight, you’ll probably see plenty of money changing hands, quite openly. The system of keeping tallies is a complex one that relies on trust on both sides with the bets always being honoured. To an outsider it’s all an enigma, even more so as the two buffalo will probably look identical.

Perhaps due to all these invested energies, the atmosphere at a buffalo fight can be amazingly charged, with the crowds cheering as the fight gets underway. You can see people’s eyes a-glow, their only thought the fight that’s before them. To a non-betting onlooker, this can at times seem

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bizarre – it’s just two animals facing off, after all. But say that to an avid spectator and it’s a bit like telling a wine connoisseur that wine is just simply, well, grape juice.

If you’re watching a fight, there’ll be a long wait beforehand, as more and more people pack into the stadium and mill around. There’s often food and drink on sale – it all depends how big the fight is. The arena is protected by fencing and beyond that you’ll see just the two buffalo.

They’re separated by a dingy curtain and cannot see each other at all, so they remain totally calm, even when the crowd starts baying with excitement. When the canvas is pulled aside, they instantaneously become very aware of each other. Usually they’ll charge at each other and you’ll hear a mighty thwack as their heads come together. Then begins a tussle that can continue on and off for up to a half an hour.

The fight is only won when one animal clearly dominates another, for example, chasing it around the stadium. The action can get violent with buffalo actually crashing through the perimeter fencing, scattering the crowds. But there are plenty of cases too where the animals just quietly

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look at each other and do absolutely nothing. Make no mistake though; buffalo fighting is a sport that can cause bloodshed and injury, even if the animal doesn’t fight to the death.

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Buffalo fighting shows are extremely popular on Samui. It’s part and parcel of a tradition that includes not just Thailand but also other South-East Asian countries. If you go, you’ll see relatively few non-Thais; it’s a sport for local people, though not everyone agrees with it or even wishes to go and witness a show. Most foreign residents have never seen a buffalo fight.

When it comes to experiencing the culture and traditions of Thailand, you will find plenty that’s going on. It can’t be said that buffalo fighting is a must-see activity, but it’s certainly one that will give you a glimpse of life in rural Thailand. And perhaps, too, the speediest to win or lose a fortune.

Dimitri Waring

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