Koh Samui may be famous for its luxury resorts but there’s also plenty of local atmosphere if you can tear yourself away from your swimming pool.
By Sarah Cuiksa
Towering palm trees and flamboyant orange blooms of the Poinciana tree line the road in the less popular, southeast portion of Koh Samui. No construction shrills are heard here, just cicadas and birds singing overhead. Unlike most of the island’s developed areas, this road has few tourists, fewer resorts, and signs giving directions only in Thai.
At a main intersection, my bike ride is interrupted by almost a dozen imposing piles of coconuts. In one mountain, fibrous coconut husks decompose. In another, fresh green ones are stacked. Locals are picking, splitting, peeling the fruit – they’re readying the crop for processing, maybe to be pressed into oil or sold in a market. Here, coconuts don’t just decorate the landscape, they’re a means of livelihood.
This is the real Samui – culture unaffected by all that surrounds it. It’s present again in Hua Thanon’s Muslim village, where a narrow road of wooden shophouses runs the length of a fishing community. Instead of a barrage of hoisted resort advertisements, bamboo cages hang, housing birds for birdsong competitions.
Instead of spas and first-class dining establishments, food carts are parked along the road and roosters peck at scraps left behind. When enjoying the beauty of Samui’s landscape through the luxury of a resort, it’s easy to forget people actually live here; that for some, this isn’t a vacation but a home.
Further along the road, long-tail boats dot the shore, amid crab pots and buoys. These boats aren’t for carting tourists around the island or providing photo-ops; it’s a fishing fleet integral to the island’s sustenance. And it’s another symbol of the way Koh Samui combines the local with the international – because there’s a likelihood the prawns, fish and squid these boats bring ashore will be served for my dinner later.
Tourism trumps fishing in this economy but when backpackers discovered the island in the 1970s, coconut and rubber production were the drivers. World-renowned resorts and restaurants have since dug their heels in. While visitors have the option of never leaving their indulgent, idyllic resorts, there are attractions unique to Samui that make doing so worthwhile.
Samui’s best-trained monkeys put a German Shepherd to shame but come with more attitude and less slobber. The main character of the island’s famed monkey show is perched on a tree stump, looking a bit disinterested, his trainer nearby. Neither speak English but both seem to be smiling. The trainer gives an instruction, and in an instant, the monkey is off, scrambling up a sturdy tree.
High above me, he examines a cluster of coconuts. Down drops one, then another. The monkey is taught to weed out the ripened coconuts, strip them from the tree and then throw them to the trainer. When he’s done, he settles back on the stump, perhaps expecting a raise.
A slash in the dislodged coconuts creates a lid, a straw goes in, and the freshest coconut water is served. Not without getting a photograph with the star of the show first: the monkey is allowed to sit on my shoulder and complete a quick inspection for bugs in my hair.
Travellers to Samui also flock for photographs with another subject – one less animated and considerably larger. The Big Buddha, seated and gleaming gold, is one of Samui’s biggest attractions, in both a literal and figurative sense. Standing 12 metres, he commands my attention immediately – as do the unrecognisable exclamations from the bevy of tourists surrounding the monument. Ornately decorated dragons serve as handrails, steadying the elderly locals who make the long ascent to Big Buddha’s platform.
At the top, a series of iron bells border the statue. The sun illuminates the Buddha’s golden exterior as he looks solemnly ahead. Burning incense at the base of the platform perfumes the air with sandalwood. It’s the top tourist attraction but there’s still an air of reverence.
On the drive back to the resort, we pass countless signs for beachside barbecues and skewered seafood. These ads blur together but my dinner that evening stands out.
At X2 Samui’s Asian fusion 4K Restaurant, the prawn carpaccio oozes a buttery citrus scent and a lightly seared scallop warms the bed of guacamole it sits atop. There’s also pad cha talay, a traditional Thai stir-fry of spicy seafood, served here in a Vietnamese spring roll. The salmon ceviche combines the expected citrus flavours with the sweetness of a passionfruit sauce.
A shot of milky coconut sorbet cleans my palate before the main course, prawn coconut risotto, is delivered. The grains of rice are light, almost reminiscent of sticky rice drenched in coconut milk.
In many ways, this fusion cuisine is symbolic of Koh Samui’s appeal. Locals and tourists alike pay homage to the Big Buddha; coconut plantations provide a livelihood for some and entertain others; and the seafood feeds us all. There is a connection between people, culture and industries – you just have to look for it.
Staying there:
With its ultra modern décor and minimalist style, X2 Samui’s (+66-7723-3033; x2resorts.com) vibe is unpretentious and the staff puts a priority on your privacy. Its open-air plan, constructed largely from polished concrete and natural materials, gives a unique sense of space. Yet the resort (below left) oozes luxury. Whether or not there’s a pool in your private escape, head to the one on the beachfront: it’s Koh Samui’s deepest.
If a home-away-from-home is more your thing, try The Sea Koh Samui (+66-7796-0567; TheSeaSamui.com). The resort (above right) was constructed to function as private residences, so each villa comes with a spacious living area with complete kitchen facilities – and a private jacuzzi with views of neighboring Koh Pha Ngan. The landscaping that blends with the tropical environment and make sure you try a coconut, honey and rice body scrub.