Pictures from Koh Samui / Koh Phangan (Full Moon Party) / Koh Tao (12/29/06 -> 1/7/06)

Captured below are the pictures from my ~8-day trip to Koh Samui, and the surrounding islands. More detailed stories are captured in the post below.

The main street through Chaweng Beach, the main tourist location on Koh Samui, is captured below. The area reminds of a little Bangkok transplanted on a small island; there are plenty of tourists, but the physical scenery (beaches and mountains) is much approved over it's big city rival. This was my home for the entire trip.


This is probably the most politically incorrect picture you'll ever see posted on my blogs, but I figure -- hey, this was life in Koh Samui, so might as well share the real stuff! For most of my days on Koh Samui, I spent my time at Ark Bar, which is a beachside bar loaded with tourists (mainly Australian and British). The girls below were traveling Australians and were leading the party most everyday I was there. The topless theme was common throughout.... (hey, I can't blame them for not wanting a horrible tan line! :)


For one of my days in Koh Samui, I rented a scooter, and took a trip around the island -- this was something that came highly recommended by all, and it did not disappoint...
(mother, I made it through without issue, so you can restart the heartbeat :-)


My first stop was a famous waterfall on the southern end of the island. Some Australian I met on the hike up to the waterfall were kind enough to capture me in the classic mountain climbers pose.


...and anoter view downward from the same waterfall.

I then stopped at another waterfall that was recommended by the guide books; however, this one had a drastically different feel. There were few, if any, tourists in the area, which was a nice change from the other parts of Samui. Instead, this was a gathering point for local families / friends in the area. I decided to join for ~1 hour.

And finally, we are arrive at New Year's night. Among many festive options, I decided to stay on Samui near my hotel and the familiar surrounding area. The entire beach is littered with tents / BBQs, and the party does not disappoint. I slept from about 7 -> 11pm that evening, and then celebrated until 7 in the morning.

..and another view

This was the party at Ark Bar that lasted until about 5 in the morning, though we left at about 2 to head to a party near the lake farther inland.

Most of time in Samui was spent with the Canadian / Japanese crew, 3 of the 4 who are captured below. The two Canadians -- Scott and Sean -- live in Tokyo, and have traveled to Samui for the New Years celebration each of the last ~7 years. As I captured in the post below, I met Scott and Sean on the beach at 7am of the morning that I arrived. Their local knowledge proved incredibly helpful throughout. Scott's wife is captured on the left, and her friend, Akiko, is captured on the right. They truly appreciate the western humor!

As the night dragged on, I got on in on the action as well! :-)

(btw -- the bucket in my left hand is the infamous Sang Som w/ Cola; it is essentially Thai whiskey and Coke, and beloved my most foreigners. I had my share of it this evening)

On 1/3, the Canadian / Japanese crew and I decided to take a daylong snorkeling trip to Koh Tao, a smaller island ~1.5 hours from Samui by boat. This proved to be one of the better decisions we made all week.

We pass Koh Phangan (captured below) along the way.

Sean, the fourth part of the Candian / Tokyo crew, and I shared a moment along the way. Sean is an intriguing character. By vacation, he is an avid / entertaining partier; by real-life, he teaches english to kindergartners in Tokyo -- an inspiring dichotomy!

The prime location of the day long trip is Nuan Yang island, which is two small islands connected by a narrow beach (captured below) just off the coast of Koh Tao. This is the closest thing to paradise that I have seen.

Here is a site that captures the area in more detail -- http://www.kohtao.co.uk/kohnangyuan.html

..and sure enough, it has a bar! I could have spent hours here, but unfortunately, we only had time for ~ 2 drinks.

Here is a view as we left the small side island of Nuan Yang. The small beach captured above is directly between these two islands.

That night, I headed to the infamous full moon party on Koh Phangan. It was an experience of a lifetime, both good and bad. The party itself was fantastic. Thousands and thousands of foreigners tearing it up on the beach / dance floors set up along the wave. According to most, it is the biggest monthly rave in the world.

They have signs lit up along the way highlighting the host island.

Once again, I was in a rare from. The Sang Som buckets was omni-present addition to my left hand. The fluorescent glasses are an especially nice touch I think.

Unfortunately, this was probably the last picture my Sony camera will probably ever take. The details of the logistics disaster are captured in the post below, and my camera was one of the casualties. The camera had a good run however -- it had been all over the world, and served had served me very well -- it will rest in peace. I have upgraded to a Nikon version that will serve me moving forward, so never fear -- the pictures and stories will continue.