The tropical island of Koh Samui is located 560 kms south of Bangkok and 80 kms off the coast of Surat Thani. Koh Samui is 280 km2 and measures 21 kilometers at its widest point and 25 kilometers at its longest.
The local population is only 34,000 is mainly Buddhist and very friendly. Until the recent increase of tourism，coconut farming and fishing were the main sources of income. The island still exports around 2 million coconuts per month, most of which are picked by trained monkeys.
The island is quite mountainous with a ridge running east to west. Pristine tropical rain-forest still covers the most of the interior of the island. The coastline comprises numerous palm fringed powdery wide sand beaches with crystal clear sapphire waters. Access to the beaches is very easy as a 50 km ring road skirts the coast line. Samui offers a wealth diversity of landscape, vistas, flora and fauna for such a small island.
Koh Samui was discovered by backpackers in the 70’s and until this time had remained relatively untouched. Since then it has developed into up-market holiday destination renowned throughout the world as a lush tropical paradise offering just about everything.
It is hard to imagine a more perfect tropical island than Koh Samui, where the lush mountainous interior leads down to endless swathes of coconut groves, and a shore fringed with white sandy beaches and ancient granite boulders. Calm, clear waters are always warm and inviting, and numerous surrounding islands offer their mysteries to explore. Apart from offering everything one could wish for on a tropical island, what makes Koh Samui most special is her people. Thailand is the only country in the world to be predominantly Buddhist, and the religion is strongly reflected in the culture. Not only are the locals immensely tolerant and welcoming, but genuinely happy with their lives. Warm smiles and laughter are a part of every day life here, and immediately contagious. Little wonder that so many visitors fall in love with the island, return yearly, build their fantasy homes here, or in many cases settle on Koh Samui.
