Ko Samui is the largest, most developed, and also the busiest of the three islands and owing to its proximity to the coast it's normally the first stop. Despite the resorts of Maenam and Bophut on the north coast which are well worth a visit the vast majority of visitors head straight for Chaweng on the east side. Large multinational hotels reside here along the two mile strip of golden sandy beach, with cheap traveller accommodation nestled in between. In some ways Chaweng is similar to Bangkok on a smaller scale - the same stalls selling cheap designer clothing, watches, sunglasses etc, even the unwelcome return of Thai prostitutes, but in others it's completely different. The scenery outside the towns is beautifully green and lush, the accommodation was about half the price of Bangkok and there was a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Seafood is readily available and includes fish such as shark, white and red snapper, and barracuda. Just fifteen minutes drive from Chaweng gets you to the two waterfalls at Na Muang which are eighteen and eighty metres high. Elephant trekking is available at the waterfalls but can't be recommended as the duration is short and doesn't compare to the elephant trekking available in northern Thailand. There is also Hat Tae and Hat Yai, the grandfather and grandmother rocks. These rock formations are said to resemble the male and female genitalia, but I personally think it took someone pretty obsessed to spot them in the first place! Despite spending more than two weeks on Ko Samui we didn't see half the island because we spent too much time drinking and dancing at the Reggae Pub!
