Feature Thailand rising above the tsunami Fiona Ross discovers a wonderful blend of |
||||
|
Please visit Thailand again — that is the best way to help and restore it from this crisis.” These words conclude a recent statement from Mrs Juthamas
Siriwan, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, as she highlighted the rapid progress in returning holiday destinations affected by the Asian tsunami to some form of normality. With international scientists agreeing that such a large scale tsunami is extremely unlikely to recur, there really is no better time to accept Mrs Siriwan’s invitation and, in doing so, turn your Thai holiday currency (Baht) into direct aid for a country fighting to get back on its feet. Worst affected by the Boxing Day tragedy were the provinces of Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi. The rest of Thailand escaped, in the most part, unscathed. Perhaps the most popular of Thailand’s tropical destinations not to be hit by the tidal wave was Koh Samui, an idyllic yet vibrant island currently flourishing as a tourist hotspot while bravely maintaining its proud Thai character. Just 50 years ago there were no cars — or even roads — on the tropical paradise which was Koh Samui. From one coconut laden expanse of white sand to another, the few inhabitants would trek through thick jungle bearing their catch or harvesting the plentiful fruits of Thailand’s second largest island. Tucked into the western edge of the Gulf of Siam, Koh Samui is a very different animal in the 21st Century. Arriving on one of 17 daily flights from Bangkok the island looks relatively unchanged from the air. Planning guidelines dictate that no development can rise above the height of its surrounding coconut trees and, unlike almost every other regulation, this appears to have been adhered to. A mere 20 hours after boarding Emirates’ Glasgow-Dubai service I stepped off Bangkok Air’s shuttle service, a child in either hand and their wayward little sister strapped to my back. Wide-eyed and exhausted, their spirits were immediately buoyed by a quick ride in the type of ‘train’ normally associated with seaside promenades. Here it served as our transport across the shimmering tarmac to one of the world’s prettiest airports. Orchids, lily ponds and thatched pagodas make up Koh Samui’s terminal building, but the most remarkable thing of all was the reverent hush surrounding our arrival. Not noted for their subdued behaviour, my 18-month, five and six-year-old children were overawed by the beauty of their surroundings to the same extent that their father and I were thrilled by it. We cleared customs with ease and were stupidly astonished to see our luggage parked neatly on the marble floor and behind it a smiling driver with a card bearing our names. It really was that simple. “It’s not a very safe island, is it, Mummy?” piped up one of the kids as the smart people carrier transporting us to Coconut Village had barely got into second gear. As our well-travelled car seat lurched about empty on the car floor (no seat belts), the kids leapt to the windows shrieking, “There’s a baby driving that motorbike!”, “There’s a dog on that one!”, “There’s four people on that one and they’re going the wrong way!” And indeed, anything seems to go on these roads — single carriageway but six cars abreast, trucks with passengers on the roof, Mum, Dad and the kids on one scooter, old car with scabby dog atop, an entire scout troop in the back of a pick-up truck. Koh Samui may be one of South-East Asia’s most laid back destinations but don’t expect any chilled-out cruising on the island’s frenetic road system. Keep your wits about you or expect to end up as one of the statistics which make Koh Samui Thailand’s worst region for road traffic accidents. Just 20 minutes north-east of the airport, however, our own little patch of paradise awaited us. Coconut Village is everything its name suggests, comprising nine ornate Thai-style villas blending beautifully with the dense coconut forest in which they stand — four, including ours, looking straight out to the olive green waters of the Gulf of Siam. It would be nigh on impossible not to be immediately de-stressed in such surroundings. Take a wild, flame-haired toddler with you, however, and you might just manage. Life for her is one inexhaustible adventure playground so while she thought the warm, sometimes hot, shallows at the foot of our new garden were a private pool for her, her parents’ frantic attempts to pull her to safety didn’t make for the most relaxing start to our holiday! Our own little mermaid knows no fear and her mum and dad knew no rest for a fortnight. After four days fruitlessly attempting to experience a little peace and quiet, we gave up, climbed into our air-conditioned pick-up and fled for the hills. There in ‘real proper jungle’ our elder two were in their element. They swam with the local kids under the torrents of Namuang waterfall, waded across rivers, ‘Tarzan-ed’ from vine to vine and, undeniably their jungle highlight, trekked through the forest on elephants. Having introduced themselves the previous day to a family of elephants high in the hills courtesy of innumerable baskets of small green bananas, the kids were raring to go. Mum, however, despite being an old hand at the elephant trekking and backpacking in Northern Thailand eons ago, was less sure. Again, no car seats, no airbag, just a tiny bit of rope and a 10-foot drop. The wee one and I climbed aboard regardless and, although it was hairy at certain points, it was an unforgettable experience. As far as food and drink were concerned, Koh Samui rose above and beyond our expectations, from the buzzing little night market serving hot satay, duck and barbecued bananas, to elegant French and Italian restaurants among the eclectic mix of bars and restaurants that comprise Bophut Fishermen’s Village. In all, the food was good and seemed quite clean. As far as hygiene went we were meticulous. We avoided ice, ate no salads and scrubbed our hands before eating. And then on our second night as we ate at the beach restaurant along from our villa we glimpsed our little madam standing by a filthy flower pot filled with stagnant water as she copied the scabby dog alongside her and lapped the potentially disease ridden water! She was of course fine and continued to appal us by eating all sorts of unrecognisable items from the beach, streets and jungle throughout the entire holiday. Although we ate extremely well and accompanied our meal with exotic fruit juices, good cold beers, cocktails and average wines, our family bill never exceeded £15 and was usually well below. In fact, good value, accompanied by the most genuine hospitality, combine with its idyllic environment to make Koh Samui a near perfect holiday destination. It has changed to the point of being unrecognisable to the few islanders who lived off the land and sea before the much more lucrative crop of tourism took over. Worryingly, this is set to continue apace, with ever-larger hotel and villa complexes currently under construction. Although nobody would deny the local population the right to profit from their island’s popularity, so far the infrastructure appears not to be keeping up with development. However, with a little help and sensible regulation, Koh Samui should cope with the impending influx of tourists. They may be shocked to discover, though, that thanks to Emirates’ Glasgow flights, which we found stunningly easy, their idyllic island may soon be ringing to the incoherent shrieks of a few more red-headed toddlers!  For more info, log on to
www.thailand-hotels.co.uk
and www.ethailand.com
|
|
|||
|
||||
