| Things
to see :
Samui,
Thailand
|
| |
| » Wat
Pradoem |
| |
| BULIT 250 years ago, Wat Pradoem is believed
to be the first temple on Samui. It has an
ancient wooden hall for keeping Buddhist
scriptures. |
| |
| |
| » The
Big Buddha |
| |
| LOCATED on the northern coast of the island,
this 17 meter tall statue is a popular shrine
and meditation center. The gaudy bazaar within
the temple grounds offers souvenirs – everything
from T-shirts and hats to protective amulets. |
| |
| |
| » Buddha
Footprints |
| |
|
ANOTHER reserved sight on the island, the Buddha
Footprints is a bit tough to reach. There are no
big signs posted and so finding this attraction
will be part of the adventure. Take Route 4170
and turn to the road leading to the Butterfly
Garden. Go up the concrete slope on the left.
The Buddha Footprints are on a hilltop shrine
which you can reach after negotiating a total of
163 steps. You should find four footprints
engraved one on top of the other. The view up
there is breathtaking.
|
| |
| |
| » Naga
Pearl Farm |
| |
|
SEE how pearls are cultured and polished. |
| |
| |
| » Samui
Aquarium and Tiger Zoo |
| |
|
A showcase for local fish species, including
grouper and sharks. Also featured are tigers,
leopards, hornbills, sea hawks, parrots and
offers. |
| |
| |
| » Na
Muang Falls |
| |
|
A short drive from Nathon Town will bring you to
the first of a pair of waterfalls. The first
cascade, almost 20 meters high, can be reached
by car up an unpaved road. The second, the
tallest at 80 meters, can be reached through a
half-hour uphill trek. |
| |
| |
| » Secret
Buddha Garden |
| |
|
HIGH on the hills of the island is a garden of
Buddha statues and temples. Accessible only by a
four-wheel drive. The trip takes about two
hours. |
| |
| |
|
» Picturesque Koh Pha-ngan |
| |
JUST 20 km. north of Koh Samui and a short boat
trip away. Koh Pha-ngan is amountainous island
ringed by 18 secluded bays that offer ideal
getaways.
Many of its beautiful beaches are accessible
only by boat, though pick-up trucks and
motorbikes also ply the island’s rough roads.
Its most famous beach is Hat Rin, in the
southeast of corner of the island, which is the
location for the world-famous full moon parties.
|
| |
| |
| » Ang
Thong Islands National Marine Park |
| |
LOCATED 20 km. northwest of Koh Samui, it is
full of fascinating beaches, caves and coral
formations. This about-40-island group is
abundant with marine resources. It contains many
oddly shaped islands, sheer limestone cliffs and
hidden lagoons.
Ang Thong Islands National Marine Park, the
largest island of the group is Wua Ta Lap, which
is the site of the park office and a beautiful
cave, Tham Bua Bok, with spectacular stalactites
and stalagmites. The top of a 400-metre mountain
on the island overlooks all the picturesque Ang
Thong islands. Another main island, Mae Ko, has
a beautiful beach and an emerald saltwater lake.
The national park does not allow a night stay.
It is also out of reach of individual tourists
who will have to join a group organized by a
tourist agency to visit the place. |
| |
| |
| » Laem
Sor Pagoda |
| |
AROUND the southern-most point of the island is
Laem Sor Pagoda, a rarely visited sight that
could be the most beautiful spot on Samui.
The chedi is actually rather old, but restored
just a few years ago with glazed tiles that have
a mustard color probably meant to be look like
gold. Next to the chedi is a small ‘meditation
forest’ of trees with places to sit and even a
few tables. Surrounding the forest on two sides
is a man-made lagoon with some mangrove trees
planted along the ocean side. On Buddhist holy
days, monks and lay people will come fill the
forest and grounds in a festival atmosphere. The
rest of the time, it’s a quiet and beautiful
spot for a picnic.
The chedi sits right on the beach, which in
front of the chedi is quite rocky and wild, with
great chunks of driftwood thrown about. To the
east of the chedi, the beach is a bit more
sandy, and often almost deserted. There used to
be some bungalows here, with the unlikely name
of ‘Waikiki’, but they went out of business and
the stretch has just a few private homes on it. |
| |
| |
| » Hin
Lat |
| |
|
IT takes a three-kilometer jungle trek to reach
this waterfall, which has a series of cascades
that form a large pool that’s cold and
refreshing. |
|
|
| |
| » Snake
Farm |
| |
|
LOCATED at Taling Ngam, it has two daily shows –
at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – featuring reptiles
native to Samui and neighboring countries. |
| |
| |
|
» Ancient House |
| |
|
BUILT from teakwood about 150 years ago without
using any nails, this is oldest house on the
island. |
|
|
| |
