| Picture an island nestling in the calm,
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| | astride the landmass and takes in the
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| azure blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand
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| | main resorts of Lamai and Chaweng. Lamai
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| fringed by coral reefs with beaches of
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| | is the smaller of the two and offers a
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| powder soft white sand framed by a
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| | quieter and perhaps cleaner beach. The
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| backdrop of coconut trees, their fronds
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| | latter caters for, perhaps, a younger and
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| dancing in the gentle breeze. The palms
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| | more energetic visitor. Further on lies
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| stretch upward to the central uplands,
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| | Bangrak is better known as "Big Buddha
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| thick with lush tropical vegetation. The
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| | Beach" as it takes its name from the huge
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| coast and lower slopes are awash with
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| | Buddha statue at the eastern end of the
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| coconut palms making Koh Samui the
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| | bay. Borphut boasts a trendy fisherman's
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| 'Coconut Capital of Thailand'. It is said
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| | village, much favoured by French tourists
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| the island sends 2,000.000 coconuts per
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| | and Maenam to the north offers
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| month to Bangkok. This green vista is
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| | spectacular views across to Koh Phangan
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| interspersed occasionally by black
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| | and the Ang Thong Natural Marine Park.
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| granite boulders. Some of these rock
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| | This area is much less crowded than the
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| formations appear to defy gravity by
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| | bustling Chaweng and the marginally
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| hanging dramatically against the
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| | quieter Lamai. It still retains its
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| hillside. This tropical paradise is
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| | original Thai flavour. However, to get to
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| called Koh Samui. A 250 square kilometre
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| | grips with authentic 'Samui' you need to
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| rounded island which is about the same
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| | rent a car or motorbike and take one of
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| size as Penang.
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| | the many roads that lead up away from the
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| Koh Samui translates from Koh, the Thai
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| | coast and into the mountain. As you climb
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| word for island, and Samui, which is
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| | higher you come to rubber plantations and
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| probably derived from the Chinese
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| | hidden away villages clustering around
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| "saboey" meaning safe harbour. The magic
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| | paddy fields, still hanging onto a
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| island first came to the attention of
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| | traditional way of life that is far
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| world travellers when it started to crop
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| | removed from the tourist dominated
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| up in conversation in many of the cheap
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| | hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars
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| hotels that then clustered around
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| | that cluster around the coast.
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| Bangkok's Hualamphong Railway station
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| | Samui has over the years developed a
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| some 45 years ago. It was difficult to
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| | reputation as centre of complementary
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| get to, requiring special negotiation
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| | medicine offering spas designed to detox
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| with fishermen in Suratthani lying 80
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| | inhabitants of an overstressed globe.
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| kilometres across the sea on the
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| | The Health Oasis Resort located adjacent
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| mainland. When you reached the island,
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| | to the unspoiled Bang Po Beach to the
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| there was no road and so those intrepid
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| | west of Maenam offers stunning views
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| voyagers hopped from beach to beach by
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| | across to Koh Phangan. Sit in the
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| boat. In the past forty plus years things
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| | authentic vegetarian restaurant after six
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| have changed hugely.
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| | p.m. and turn your head to the west you
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| The island is now served by an
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| | will witness spectacular sunsets over the
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| international airport that looks more
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| | islands that comprise the Ang Thong
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| like a botanical garden than the accepted
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| | National Park. Health Oasis is unique in
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| tradition of functional 'air station'.
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| | that the Thai Department of Health lists
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| Flights leave hourly for the new
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| | it as a traditional medicine hospital. It
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| Suvarnbhumi Airport in Bangkok and link
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| | specialises in supervised detox and
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| the island to additional destinations
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| | fasting treatments.
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| such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong
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| | Be sure of this, whatever your tastes Koh
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| Kong, Pattaya and Phuket. A 52-kilometre
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| | Samui will be able to provide a venue for
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| road rings Samui and links all the major
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| | a holiday that will linger long in your
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| towns. Nathon the capital plays host to
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| | memory. So if you are planning a trip of
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| government buildings and banks and serves
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| | a lifetime whether it be for tourism or
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| as one of the ferry ports serving the
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| | health this magical island is a venue
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| Thai mainland. The road skirts the
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| | well worth considering.
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| 635-metre mountain that sits centrally
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