Travel Photos Home Page
Travel Photos...Koh Samui, Thailand, 2019
To return to the Paintings section of this website, please CLICK HERE
Koh Samui is a very popular island with tourists visiting it from all over the globe. There is also a substantial ex-pat population living on the island.

It is on the Gulf of Thailand.

Koh Samui has a small airport which can handle twin-engined jets, as well as prop-driven planes like the one above.

There are also regular ferries from Surat Thani on the Thai mainland.
There is one major road which circles the entire island, and there are smaller roads cutting through the centre, and going up into the hills which form the spine of Koh Samui. There is a considerable cooling effect as you climb up into the hills.

This is a shot of a restaurant and resort called the "Jungle Bar", which has great views over the island.
The bar of the "Jungle Bar".
This is the view from the "Jungle Bar" looking towards Chaweng Beach, which is in the middle of the photo.
The swiiming pool of the resort.
This is one of the many waterfalls in Koh Samui.
This waterfall offers a chance for a cool dip during the hot midday.
Anyone for an elephant ride?
This is the upper lobby of an upmarket resort called the "Four Seasons". It is situated on the North Western tip of the island.

I just love the ropes holding the roof structure in place!
I am told that rich people can buy bits of this resort for their own personal use.
On the Northern shore of Koh Samui we find the "Fisherman's Village" in Bophut. This was once a fishing village but has now become a popular precinct for all kinds of shops and restaurants.

On some weekends, the narrow streets are filled with hawkers of all kinds.
This assortment of Thai silks was on display at the Fisherman's Village Market.
Apart from delicious Thai food, Samui boasts a range of restaurants offering a world cuisine. This is a bit of Italy at the Fisherman's Village.
A side street at the Fisherman's Village.
The beach at Bophut, on the Northern shores of Samui.
We leave the Fisherman's Village with this photo of the Wild Life to be seen there.

How many chicks can you spot?
Here is the notorious Durian fruit, still hanging from its branch. I quote from Wikipedia:

"Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

Its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."

Other, kinder writers stress that durian is a highly nutritious fruit.
These two young men are collecting durian from trees high up in the hills of Samui.
Papaya. Also to be found growing in the cooler hills of Samui.
This is Chaweng Beach. Next to it is one of the main shopping hubs on the island.
This is a new shopping complex on the main road in Chaweng. It has a pleasant tropical feel to it.
Chaweng can be a very busy spot full of tourists doing their shopping, but in the side streets, heading toward the beach, we come across some gorgeous little gardens, full of flowers.
Again on the Northern shore of Samui, we can catch a glimpse of the Big Buddha in the distance, between the two small boats in the centre of the photo. We will spend more time with the Big Buddha later on this page.
Evening is a lovely time to appreciate the suble colours of the landscape.
This is the entrance towards the temple complex which houses the Big Buddha of Samui. The temple was originally built on a island, but this has now been joined to the main island by a long causeway.

You can see a motor scooter heading towards the temple.
The Big Buddha.
You must leave your shoes behind if you wish to climb the stairs to visit the upper terrace of the Temple.
The upper terrace of the Temple, upon which sits the statue of the Buddha.
From the Upper Terrace, you can see the fishing boats along the shore, as we face South.
A collection of Demons and Spirits at the lower level of the Temple complex.
A rider and his mystical steed, within the Temple complex.
Walking back along the causeway from the Big Buddha Temple, we can enjoy glimpses of the shoreline.
As night approaches, the lights of the bars and restaurants come alive.
To return to the Paintings section of this website, please CLICK HERE