BEST TRAVEL AGENT-

Phil Burdekin at The FLIGHT CENTRE

We travelled with British Airways World Traveller Plus to Bangkok and then Bangkok Airways to Koh Samui. Phillip helped us choose the best seats for each flight and was excellent on advising on hotels as well.
0208 439 5737.

BEST HOTEL-

ANANTARA BOPHUT

Fantastic choice of hotel situated at end of the beach right next to The Fisherman’s Village so great for evening strolls to browse in the local shops and eat in the local restaurants.

The Hotel has been designed by the same designer for the Four Seasons Hotel and is one of the most beautifully landscaped Hotels I have ever seen, set in lush tropical gardens and romantically floodlit water features.

Wonderful suites with four poster beds, huge baths for two scattered with rose petals overlooking the infinity pool/sea.

The Hotel offers classes for everything from Thai Boxing, yoga and wine tasting to creating animal sculptures from towels.

It also has a stunningly beautiful and relaxing award-winning Spa which we unfortunately didn’t get time to try out and an air conditioned gym- so necessary as it was a very humid 38 degrees whilst we were there.

Huge breakfasts with all sorts of exotic fruits, and everything else you could possible imagine to start off your day off with from full English, American with waffles and pancakes, Thai noodles and even fresh honey on a honeycomb.

BEST RESTAURANT

FULL MOON in the Anantara
Australian Executive chef Donald Lawson cooked us a special tasting menu and it was delicious!

Seared US jumbo scallop with shredded fennel confit, Avruga caviar and remoulard
Mediterranean inspired poached prawns with roasted three peepers, eggplant, Kalamatta olives and basil pesto, micro purple basil leaves……….Pepper seared Ahi tuna with mango salsa, miso mayonnaise………..
Wild organic rocket with shaved parmesan……"Capreses" of buffalo mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, aged balsamic d?cor………Grilled snow fish with edamame, tomato pearls and delicate saffron consume, champagne foam………Chocolate in variations-Hot-Cold-Frozen-Dried- Hot chocolate fondant, Swiss chocolate fudge with heavenly mousse, decadent white chocolate ice-cream, chocolate soil.

www.anantara.com

Yum yum yum!

Other restaurant we loved was:

THE SHACK BAR AND GRILL, Fishermans Village

The best proper US style steaks and hamburgers in a great atmosphere

www.theshackgrillsamui.com

and also
an amazing Thai local restaurant, KRUA CHAO BAAN on the roadside at Hua Thanon. It overlooked a wonderful bay
This was the best Thai meal we had in Koh Samui.

www.kruachaobaansamui.com

BEST EXPERIENCE

A Thai cooking class with an accompanied visit beforehand by the Hotel’s Thai chef to the local market to learn all about herbs and spices.

We learnt to cook….
Tom Yum Goong- hot and sour spicy prawn soup with lemongrass and limePad Thai Goong, (stir fried noodle with prawns and tamarind sauce) -Thai Green Curry

and then we ate everything we cooked for lunch

other BEST EXPERIENCE

NAMUANG SAFARI PARK AT WATERFALL 2 FOR RIDING ON ELEPHANTS

Such fun but not so great for anyone who doesn’t have a head for heights…. The seat on the elephants is very high up and feels very unstable, especially when the elephant walks downhill to the waterfall.

BEST SHOPPING
SAMUI LEATHER on the Chaweng Road for the best handbags
tel 088-1679349
bought some great handbags

and

JANTHIP HOUSE
in Suratthani
for teak wood carvings, and decorative arts.
bought Balinese batik fabric and Thai art

photos to follow

you will also be able to see Rory Campbell’s photo blog soon at
www.rorycampbellphotography.com