Back in October at a cooking class in Hanoi we had the good fortune of meeting a young couple from Scotland. They suggested that a bookend to our five month holiday in SE Asia might be a stay at the Samui Reef View Resort in Koh Samui.Beginnings and endings are important and in view of the fact that we had not planned every minute of our trip. We were open to this idea from fellow travelers. We were not disappointed and we had a wonderful time. Our hosts, Angus and Hom, went out of their way to make sure we had a fabulous time. Their resort was the perfect venue perched on the hillside offering lovely vistas of landscape and sea. They even offered free drives to Lamai Beach as well as giving us insiders tips on how to enjoy the Island. Against our better judgement we rented a motorbike and toured the Island and thankfully avoided any accidents. Following our jaunt we were informed later that one person a day is killed on the Island. This is not in the newspapers.
Driving on the wrong side of the road and without caution are two reasons for this statistic. That said we had a successful trip and avoided the usual tourist traps. Our experience in Chiang Maiat the Elephant Nature Park taut us to be sensitive to how animals are being abused in the tourist industry. We did visit Phuket on the way to Koh Samui and we enjoyed it but would not recommend it for a long stay. The highlight of our Koh Samui was a tour ($120 for two)to the Anthong National Parkwhere we hiked, kayaked and swam. These kinds of offerings can round out your experience and take you to places you would not normally see. It has been true wherever we have gone and stayed the icing on the cake has always been the people you meet. Here we met folks from Ireland, Austria, New Bruswick and even one of Doug's running buddies from the Semiahmoo Sunrunners. The eleven days we spent in Koh Samui were memorable and should you come to this part of the world make sure you get in touch with Angus and Hom at Samui Reef View Resort.
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