Our time in Koh Samui went by fairly quickly considering we didn't do very much. We was booked into a really nice hotel with a lovely large swimming pool that was just on the outskirts of Chaweng town. Chaweng is meant to have one of the nicest beaches in the whole of Koh Samui and it was very beautiful. The sand was more powdery and the sea was alot calmer than Phuket, making it more ideal for paddling in. The town of Chaweng was also really nice and all the shops, bars and restaurants was stationed on one very long road which ran in parallel to the beach. Due to us stopping near the end of this road, we had a better choice of local restaurants so we could avoid the tourist traps if we wanted too. There was also a huge Tesco supermarket about a 40 minute stroll away which was ideal as we was finally able to stock up our mini-fridge with food for lunches in order to save some money. Unfortunately even though the Tesco had quite a good imported food section we was still unable to find any Branston Pickle and Corned Beef! In this Tesco there was also a variety of shops, fastfood restaurants and a cinema and bowling alley so we was quite pleased that we was within walking distance to some fairly good amenities for a change and it meant I could avoid getting on the moped for a while!
The first week was booming sunshine so the majority of the time was spent by the pool. Finding a fishing shop, Jonathan spotted a new fishing reel to replace his stolen one. Buying some fish for bait from the Tescos he decided to try his luck at fishing off the beach. After two hours there wasn't even a bite, so packing up our things we retired for a cheap Thai massage. We finished the first week with a trip to Lamai beach just south of Chaweng. Lamai is a very similar resort although probably where you would choose to go if you had abit more money. The beaches however were pretty much identical so there was no need to explore any further.
As the clouds started to settle we decided to book a fishing trip as the cooler temperatures meant we wouldn't cook to death in the sunshine on the boat. Knowing that we was in a tourist hotspot we knew that the chances where high that we would probably end up catching coral fish rather than the big game which we always aim for, however at least it was a day out. We was correct... The leaflet describing the fishing itinerary turned out to be a complete lie and we ended up fishing just off the shore as the captain didn't want to take the boat out into deeper water in case we all got sea sick! Anyway within the first half of the day a variety of coral fish was caught including a couple of White Snappers. This was lucky as at least we got them cooked for our lunch and it was a very tasty White fish. Unfortunately Jonathan and I didn't catch the snappers however out of the 15 people fishing on the boat we did catch the most coral fish. As always we held the competition for the first fish, most fish and biggest fish, and as always... I won! 9 fishes to 6, my fishing skills where even complimented by the captain, and due to our little personal bet I had won myself a lemon and sugar pancake and any item off the Market. Due to my MAC eyeshadow being robbed and then discovering that there was a rip-off MAC makeup stall on the Market, I was in my element at winning and was excited over the prospect of shopping!
The Market was excellent for both Shopping, eating and drinking, and as it was fairly cheap it instantly became a hotspot for us both. You could get any street food here and it was all very tasty. Chicken/beef/pork kebabs for 50p, prawn skewers for £1, and other Thai favourites such as Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai noodles. Beer was also half the price and you could get some lovely iced fresh fruit smoothies which was made even tastier with a shot of vodka! Yes we was definitely happy to sit here a few nights a week and watch the Market life. I also managed to find an eye shadow for a bargain £2! We continued our time in Koh Samui with a few walks, a few games of bowling, and Jonathan once again tried a couple of lessons at the local Muay Thai gym. The second week finally came to an end and we began to prepare ourselves for our trip to the next island along Ko Phangan, where we plan to take part in the very famous full moon party. Neon Paint and vodka fishbowls ahoy! Hayls and Jonathan x