Koh Samui

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     The first inhabitants of Koh Samui settled about 1 500 years ago. They were first fishermen looking for shelter against the winds in the quiet and protected waters of Bophut bay, in the North of the island. They quickly realized that the waters around the island offered plenty of ink-fishes and all other kinds of sea-food. Also the ground was very fertile. Quickly small villages developed and that is how the population of Samui started to grow

     Koh Samui, 280 Km2, is the largest island of the Gulf of Siam. It is part of an archipelago of 80 smaller islands of which 6 only are inhabited. It is almost literally an island of coconuts and forested hills, on chalk mountains, culminating at 636 meters. Its beautiful beaches, its jungle, its hills and waterfall create a very changing landscape, rarely found in other islands.

     The economy of the island depended mainly, besides fishing, on the culture of coconuts, which are plucked by trained monkeys. Samui export more than 2 millions of coconuts per month. 
The story of Samui started to change in the beginning of the 80's, when it was discovered by backpacker-travelers. These brought the creation of small simple bungalow resorts with palm leaves roofs, but the secret could not be kept for long and now the island is fast becoming a resort of international stature. Yet, in spite of the development of tourism, its inhabitants are well determined to preserve its natural charm and exceptional attraction. Samui's best beaches line the northern and eastern coasts, the most popular being Chaweng and Lamai where, generally, the most attractive and expensive accommodation is found.

     Besides beaches, other island attractions include the Hin Lat and Na Muang waterfalls, the phallic rock formations "Hin Ta and Hin Yai" at the southern end of Lamai Bay, the massive seated "Big Buddha" image of Bophut.

     Samui has a tropical climate, with an average temperature between 25°C and 34°C. The most important raining period is in November.
Population: 40 000 inhabitants.

     Samui's development is now very quick. It has become, with Phuket, one of the main beach destination in Thailand. It's popularity has been increasing a lot in the recent years and such have accommodation rates. According to recent estimations, the number of tourists this last year has been around 325 000, but expectations for the coming years is over 900 000.

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