An out-of-season monsoon in Koh Samui.. Story of my trip to Thailand
I want to tell you about my trip, like many others, but this year a little 'more troubled, I would also like to do an analysis, useful for those who choose the first time in Thailand, the tourist destination of Samui. For four years I spend the winter in Thailand, at least two months running away from the cold I can not stand. Why Thailand? From my analysis is still the hot country, including those of low-cost, more peaceful and secure world.
This year I was only 6 weeks, I started late, and so I decided to see Samui and its surroundings, because, as all the guides say, March is the month indicated meteorologically ... .... Well, I incocciata in the one monsoon season in living memory. But of this I will say later, for those interested.
In Thailand you can do various types of tourism, precisely because it is a hospitable country with cultural and social events of all kinds ... ..., with very little crime and a good level of health status.
After 15 days I was in Samui could not frame the situation, to justify his reputation.
Large luxury hotels by the sea possibly privatize the island's most beautiful beaches, but are like holiday resorts in themselves. Almost all bathing beaches are covered with a few hotels or resorts, with their equipments. In most of the beaches you can not swim because the water for hundreds of meters is 10 cm high, and only when the tide ... .. Everything focuses around Chaweng and Lamai, but the tourist facilities are poor and provincial, both day and night. The nightlife is limited to 2 small soi, 2 nightclubs around the streets always run inside and rarely offers views of the sea, the vegetation is lush, but not different from all of Thailand. Why Samui? Finally, I think I understand ... the tourists ...
In Patong Pataya and almost all tourists are men and the tourism organization is aimed at them. Not here, here there are many many girls and boys, young couples, engaged couples, especially in northern Europe, Australia, Canada, found each other, organize their holidays, their raves, why men do not involved with the tourism and sex bars that remains ... Here's how folk event in Romagna, where the 'escort' remain on the road for the losers, but the party is among tourists. Here we find the happy hour, night parties on the beach, where they find themselves in the local live music (twenty, more than in Patong), where they give football matches, and where to start ... romance and adventure.
I do not know, maybe there are other similar situations who do not know (Karon? Kata? Krabi?), But I did have this idea. It seems like a nice idea, I like this classic stereotypes different from Thailand, many people think that Thailand is just sex tourism.
The monsoon. For 8 days, a tropical rain seamlessly has devastated the area. Half the country flooded and half collapsed, houses (euphemism) or under water and mud collapsed, land and water covered roads, destroyed bridges, rivers flood, storm at sea, isolated island ... right ... .. Between Lamai and Chaweng road was blocked by a boulder for 3 days (fell from the mountain) of more than 4 meters in diameter and about 100 tonnes of weight. Airport closed for 5 days, more than 3000 people waiting to leave, to Phangan and Tao 1200 tourists stranded a thousand more were evacuated from the Navy. On the mainland the situation was even more dramatic, with dozens of deaths. For 2 days is not the power (of course you have seen how the power lines throughout Thailand), so no light, no internet, no TV, no water (autoclave). When the rain stopped, the situation has remained critical for another week on the streets and flooded neighborhoods, whole areas without electricity, beaches full of debris. The sea after 15 days was still murky and full of rubbish.
Though I have done well, because I was in a great resort, even with a generator that provided electricity and services. I want to say a few words, even for Thanksgiving, on this hotel, the 'Marco Polo', run by Richard and Lydia, two Italians who love their work and this country where they moved a few years ago.
If you do not have more than 20 years, and not travel more basic, having some extra cash in your pocket and maybe a friend / a, I highly recommend this resort to Chaweng us.
Why? Because, in my opinion, the media all the needs of a comfortable holiday with the best quality / price ratio. Let me explain.
Want to go to the beach? 1 minutes walk and you're on the best beach of Koh Samui, Chaweng us. High water, white sand.
You do not want? You relax in the sun on a cheselong close to the resort pool, the center of a beautiful garden of flowers and trees.
The resort is right in the middle between Chaweng and Lamai, you can reach in 5 minutes by taxi or motobike,
or stay in the tranquility of the resort, where you can find excellent espresso coffee, fully stocked bar and a restaurant serving high-level (but not in price) run by Sasa, Neapolitan cuisine and chef speaks Italian and thaj.
The environment is studied in detail both in the garden in the rooms and the restaurant, with detailed and refined furnishings. Creators of this ensemble are indeed Richard and Lydia, who are a manic fastidiousness aesthetic and practical in every detail, even in maintenance. Find this resort in all the trip advisor online, where you can see photos and prices for season. If you need to book but do not rely on tripadvisor, but calls to Richard, you will pay a good 20% less.
Unless you want to go as everyone in August and at Christmas !!!!!!