Ko Samui

Since backpackers first ‘discovered' Ko Samui in the 1970s, the Thai island has not looked back. In the 1980s the first tourist hotels opened and today the island is a fully equipped resort destination complete with all the facilities and some excellent hotels. Its original charms (swaying palms, starched white beaches and balmy Gulf of Thailand waters) are still very much intact. Ko Samui offers everything from buzzing party beaches through to quiet sheltered coves, as well as myriad watersports, adventure tourism, family attractions and splashes of local colour, making it a justifiably popular Southeast Asian resort island.

In the 1970s it was backpackers and hippies, but in the 1980s Ko Samui started to develop more mainstream tourism and now everyone from West European students through to families descend on this island paradise, with everyone welcome.

The island of Ko Samui, the country's third largest, lies in the southeast of Thailand in Surat Thani Province to the south of the Thai capital, Bangkok. It has its own airport.

Ko Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand, which is a branch of the Indian Ocean. All of the resorts are coastal and are sprinkled around the island with an emphasis on the eastern beaches with resorts such as Chaweng and Lamai.

Ko Samui boasts myriad great beaches where you can unfurl your towel. The busiest is in the busy resort town of Chaweng. Hat Chaweng, also the island's largest beach, is fully equipped with sun loungers, sun umbrellas, watersports, beach bars and restaurants. Hat Lamai to the south is in a similar vein though a little quieter. There are many more relaxed stretches of sand dotted around the island with Ao Thong Sai popular with families.

Exploring the island's Buddhist temples is a rewarding break from the beach. One of the most dramatic is Wat Phra Yai, which is set on its own small island in the north. Wat Samret meanwhile boasts an impressive sitting Buddha and Wat Laem Saw is located in Ban Bang Kao on the southern coast of the island.

For younger visitors tired of the beaches Namuang Safari Park (Namuang 2) is southwest of Hat Chaweng. Families can enjoy a ride on an elephant or just catch an show with live crocodiles. In Maret, The Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo (33/2 Moo 2, Ban Harn Beach) (website: www.samuiorchid.com) boasts birds, an aquarium and the mighty tiger.

Na Thon is where most locals shop, while the shops in the resorts like Chaweng, Bo Phui and Lamai are very much geared towards tourists. The large luxury hotel resorts often have their own boutique shops. Many towns and villages also sport their own markets. Typical souvenirs include Buddhist imagery and wooden handicrafts.

Ko Samui's nightlife buzzes along in the main resorts. The hub of the action is in Chaweng. This lively resort offers everything from bustling pubs and nightclubs through to ‘girlie bars'. The other island resorts boast their own nightlife, with many families choosing just to relax at their hotel. Beach bars are very popular around the island.

Most of the better hotels boast their own restaurants where a range of international cuisines are available. Many holidaymakers also choose to sample the local cuisine with the most interesting place to try it at the street food stalls that are found all over the island. Here fresh seafood and various Thai treats such as huge prawns and various spicy curries are cooked in front of your eyes. There are more formal restaurants dotted around the island where first rate Thai cooking is available.

Although there are regular inter-regional services, the local bus service on the resort island is not extensive. The most popular ways of getting around are by using the atmospheric little tuk-tuks (the island motorbike taxis) or the rough and ready sawngthaew (the truck-like local minibuses they use on the island). It is also possible to hire motorbikes and cars; the island also has taxi services.

Ang Thong Marine National Park is a very popular day trip option and with good reason. This neighbouring archipelago of over 40 islands is a protected national park and much more pristine than Ko Samui. Most day trips include the chance to swim and snorkel as well as the opportunity to climb a hill and survey the archipelago as it unfurls across the Gulf of Thailand.

The Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (46/6 Moo 3, Chaweng) (website: http://www.sitca.net/) is perfect if you are looking to brush up on your cooking skills. Here expert Thai chefs help you conjure up local dishes, so you will be able to impress your friends and loved ones. To complete the experience you can get to savour your creations.

Ko Samui International Airport (USM)