Ko Samui … I don't know how to describe this island -- tropical paradise, beach lovers' utopia, or scuba divers' heaven? I guess it's all that and more! Chewang (beach) was a bit too crowded for me, so after staying for a night I shifted to Lamai (beach), which is less crowded, more serene and placid for the senses. I managed to find a cottage as close as possible to the beach for less than $20 and I guess that is cheap considering the fact that I visited in February, the peak tourist season for all of Thailand. A word of caution though -- the locals tend to rip you off. I hopped in on a tuk-tuk for less than a kilometer and when I got off the driver demanded an exorbitant sum and forced me into paying up. On another occasion while visiting this waterfall I fell off my bicycle and bruised myself. The locals, realising that I couldn't ride, offered to drop me back to my cottage in their pick-up for a price! There's always a devil or two in paradise, isn't there? And yes, there…
Surat Thani … Beware of your rucksacks on the journey over to Koh Samui. They climb into the luggage compartment on the bus and steal everything whilst the bus is moving then jump out the other end.
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