Unhurried Samui Is Thailand’s Island of Escape

Thailand’s recent surge in tourism is only beginning on beautiful Samui Island in the South China Sea.

Formerly a haven for hippies, the penniless or the immunized, the upscale traveler is finding this small island’s underdeveloped state a pleasant alternative to busy Phuket and Pattaya.

Ferries that connect at Na Thon, the island’s major seafront settlement, are the only means of reaching the island, but construction began recently on a long-delayed airport.

Although Samui lacks the luxuries considered staples on other resort islands, it does offer beaches and bungalows. Few visitors ask for more.

At the core of any visit are the bungalows. Until recently, small clusters of bamboo huts, tucked away among endless groves of coconut trees, dominated the island.

With no electricity and rents of $1 a day, they are the budget traveler’s dream.

But the long stretches of beach and acres of coconut groves that once separated the small, isolated bungalow villages have given way to a wave of new bungalow resorts.

Stocked with amenities formerly unheard of on the island, the new bungalows resemble small guest cottages rather than romantic, drafty, bamboo huts on stilts.

At the undeveloped northern end of the island is the luxurious Coral Bay Resort. Large, air-conditioned bungalows with roomy balconies sit on immaculately groomed grounds that overlook a white-sand beach and a shimmering horizon. The service is friendly and efficient.

The Pakarand, Coral Bay Resort’s cliff-top restaurant, offers a variety of seafood in American and continental styles. It’s also one of the few places outside of Bangkok that serves filet mignon and imported wine.

Reservations for Coral Bay Resort must be made months in advance. At $40 a night (peak season rates), guests will be treated to the best Samui has to offer.

Travelers less interested in posh surroundings and steak can choose from dozens of bungalows. Some of the nicest, newest and cleanest are on the northern stretches of Chaweng Beach.

Development there, particularly at the northern end, came later than on the relatively congested Lamai Beach to the south.

Matlang Resort and the Poppy Inn are two of the newest resorts on Chaweng Beach and are worth the jostling taxi ride over an unimproved road.

Typical of other new resorts on the island, the Matlang and Poppy Inn have 15 to 20 bungalows in the midst of coconut trees. They are small, private and comfortable for $6 to $8 a night.

A clubhouse, with kitchen, bar and spacious patio built to within a few feet of the shoreline is a gathering place for guests to eat, drink, trade stories and watch American video movies that are featured as nightly entertainment.

Occasional dances also lure enthusiastic foreigners as well as locals, who kick up their heels to Western pop songs.

One drawback (if one sees underdevelopment as something negative) is electricity rationing in the bungalows. Samui’s generators have only enough power to run the many bungalows during the evening and night hours, when lights and fans are needed most. But few visitors stay inside during the day, and the power rationing often goes unnoticed.

While daytime activities on Samui hardly rival those of fancier resort islands, many surprises await those who venture off the beaches. Motorbike and motorcycle rentals allow easy island exploration. The port town of Na Thon is a smattering of shops, bookstores, a post office, travel bureaus, bungalows and restaurants.

Familiar faces pass on the short main street or meet in the shade of a waterside bar and grill. Incoming fishing boats and the ferry from Ban Don send merchants and taxi operators scurrying to the docks. Soon, all is peaceful again.

For the explorer, two waterfalls grace the island’s interior. A trail leads to peaceful and scenic Hinlard and Namjang falls. Shoes, water, camera and a guide are recommended.

Offshore from the Matlang and its neighboring bungalows is Mudling Island. At low tide one can easily walk the half mile to the uninhabited and unspoiled island.

For a few laughs and some priceless photographs, don’t miss the Thai “bullfights.” Unlike the passionate and bloody duels in Spain’s arenas, they are easygoing and harmless.

Within makeshift boundaries two water buffalo push, grunt and lean clumsily against each other until one surrenders or lumbers out of the ring. The owners quibble over the outcome while the animals are returned to pasture.

The Big Buddha is Samui’s best-known landmark. The massive Buddha, sitting atop a knoll at the end of a small peninsula, looks spectacular as you wind around a coastal road along Big Buddha Beach.

The best time to visit Samui is from February to late June. Thai Air serves Surat Thani daily from Bangkok beginning in April. The one-hour flight on a 737 costs about $55 U.S., one way. From Phuket, daily flights in a prop plane take about 30 minutes and cost less than $20.

Local transportation will take you into Surat Thani or the adjoining port town of Ban Don.

Daily buses from Bangkok leave in the mornings and evenings and take about 11 hours. It’s well worth the extra few dollars to take an air-conditioned express bus. Train service also is available from Bangkok, but is slower and less comfortable than buses.

Ferries leave Ban Don at various times in the morning for the three-hour crossing to Na Thon.

For more information, write to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1101, Los Angeles 90010, or call (213) 382-2353.