Koh Samui beach paradise

The plan originally was to spend a few days in Bangkok at the end of the trip.  However, Thipp had come to the conclusion that it was too hot to shop.  So we decided to aim for a beach paradise instead and are currently in the middle of a 5-day stay on the Thailand island of Samui.  As it has turned-out Thipp has been able to have her beach (and pool) and shop as well.

I had previously visited Koh Samui in 1988, 25 years ago.  This was before the island had an airport, so it attracted mostly backpackers who would stay in huts on the beach.  The airport opened a few years after my visit and not surprisingly the tourist scene has expanded dramatically, with resort/hotels now dominating the coastline.  If you want a beachfront hit you'll have to go to a more remote destination.  The changes suit me just fine as I have zero desire to rough it. Certainly development has changed Koh Samui, but it's still a fantastic place.

Over our first two days we didn't venture more than a couple hundred metres from our hotel.  For this we have many excuses - Alex's nap schedule, it's too hot, the beach is so nice, everything we need is near-by, it's too hot, our hotel's three pools are so nice, Alex and Thipp are a bit under the weather...., etc.  We have still managed to do some shopping with Thipp once again saving me money with the dresses she buys and even me stepping-up to buy two tailored suits (I told the tailor that they had better last as I intended to be buried in one of them).

We did go a bit further afield today, but that was to the local hospital so that both Thipp and Alex could be examined for various hopefully minor ailments.  Even the hospital here was nice and the reception desk and the staff greeting us at the the taxi-drop left me wondering whether the hospital doubled as a resort.  In a country that loves children you could imagine the greeting that Alex received in the paediatric department.  Thipp was very pleased with the care that she and Alex received and hopefully they'll be in good form for our trip home.

Yes, our three-month visit to Southeast Asia is almost over.  It is currently Friday afternoon and I'm at a roadside restaurant with Wifi, enjoying a cold Heineken, having taken a pass on the afternoon nap session.  At noon on Sunday we will fly from Samui to Bangkok.  Monday morning we fly to Tokyo and the next day fly to Vancouver, landing sometime before noon.  I'm still a bit in denial so I'm not sure of the specifics.  All I'm thinking about right now is whether to order another Heineken.