There’s always plenty of things happening on this idyllic tropical island, but during January and February 2012 there’s the additional celebrations of Chinese New Year – the ‘Year of The Dragon’ – on the 23^rd January (see article on page 14) and Valentine’s Day on the 14^th February. Both very good reasons to get out and about on Samui and join in the fun.

Legend has it that in ancient times Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on the first day of the Chinese New Year. Twelve came and Buddha named a different year after each one. He went on to decree that the people born in each animal’s year would be endowed with some of that animal’s personality. And this year, once again, it’s the Year of The Dragon.

Whereas last year’s Year of the Rabbit was characterised by calm and tranquillity, this year’s personalities will be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity. Hardly surprisingly, Bruce Lee was born in the Year of the Dragon! As was Joan of Arc, Salvador Dali, Mae West, John Lennon, Florence Nightingale and Gregory Peck, amongst many others.

Competition breeds innovation and creativity. And a fiercely competitive market place often results in improved products and services for consumers. Plus the global financial crisis of the last few years has made value-for-money a top priority for holidaymakers. And that puts the pressure firmly on the resorts and restaurants on Samui to exceed expectations.

One of the island’s most popular hotels is the Impiana Resort & Spa, in Chaweng Noi. It celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2011 and each year welcomes back returning guests from all over the world. Like its sister resorts in Malaysia and other parts of Thailand, the strategy over the years has been one of continuous improvement. Before the Impiana Group took over, the land was occupied by a small resort with basic rooms and bungalows. A romantic notion but, in reality, latter-day travellers often want their accommodation to not only reflect Thai architecture and style but also have all the mod-cons they would expect to find at home.

Sun, sand and surf. And a good book to complete the escapism fantasy. That’s what most days on Samui entail for the majority of visitors. And that works very well for a while. But once your mind and body have adjusted to the fact that you don’t have to go to work the following day, thoughts do turn to other ways to have fun.

You’ll probably spend a day touring the island or taking a boat trip around the Angthong National Marine Park. And then what? It’s a question that the magician and illusionist, Khun Nris (pronounced Nerris), asked himself on one of his visits here. And his solution was to bring his Samui Magic Fantasea Show to the island.

Think about a car. Or a washing machine. Or any other piece of modern machinery. On the outside it’s sleek and polished, attractive and easy on the eye. But under the surface, it’s complex and convoluted, with dozens of parts all interlinked and dependant on each other. If one part isn’t working efficiently then everything suffers. And it’s exactly the same with a successful resort. And what’s under the bonnet doesn’t usually concern us. We don’t even think about it. We just get in and enjoy the drive. Or, in this case, enjoy our stay, our vacation, our meal.

Every resort has a ‘concept’, either as a theme or as an underlying policy which runs throughout. And then onto this framework are hung all the departments: guest management, housekeeping, maintenance, and so on, with the food and beverage department being at the heart of everything. It’s the life-blood of any good resort. And how it’s all approached and managed should be a serious business. Which is exactly how the management feel at ‘The Tongsai Bay’, an outstanding resort which is tucked away on the island’s secluded and unspoiled north-eastern tip, just along from Choeng Mon.

Samui has many natural and historical places of interest. And the tourist information literature highlights dozens of recommended sites to visit. Amongst them is the mummified monk, who died in 1973, at Wat Khunaram which has been featured in a National Geographic television show. It’s on the ring-road in the south of the island near to the Nam Muang waterfalls. But what many visitors, and people who live here, don’t know is that there’s another mummified monk. And this one is even older.

It’s in one of the island’s lesser known temples but Wat Kiri Wongkaram houses another revered monk – and also a clue to perhaps some of the first, unintentional, visitors to the island in the last months of the Second World War.

Thais are fanatical about football. And that’s both playing and watching it, although many spectators tune in to live English Premier League games rather than watch their home-grown teams. Average attendances at Thai Premier League games are around 5,000 with the big local derbies attracting 25,000 a couple of times a season. Nevertheless, Thai passion for the game is not only evident in the supporters at the matches but also on the field.

Apart from the professional leagues, there’re countless amateur leagues throughout the country. And seven-a-side games are by far the most popular. Bangkok alone has hundreds of seven- and five-a-side pitches as do most of the major cities and larger towns in Thailand. Until very recently, though, the numerous amateur teams on Samui had to make do with dusty school yard pitches and bumpy patches of spare scrub land. Not quite ‘jumpers-for-goalposts’ but not far from it.

Rocky’s Boutique Resort boasts two very different, but hugely popular, restaurants.

For many years now, Rocky’s Boutique Resort near Lamai has been winning awards and receiving accolades right across the board. Its location on three secluded beaches enclosed by large outcrops of granite rocks is perfect. Their bungalows and pool-villas are modern with fabulous views across the Gulf of Thailand. The seawater is crystal clear for swimming and snorkeling. Guests rave about the high levels of personal service. It’s many couples first choice as a wedding venue. And their two restaurants are considered to be amongst the very best on the island.

And their continued culinary success is in no so part down to Executive Chef, Aziz Awang. He leads a brigade of 30 in the kitchens assisted by his Thai Executive Sous Chef, Khun Samrit Junput. And Aziz is the first to admit that it takes a great team to consistently produce innovative and outstanding cuisine day after day. “Of course it’s a team effort; no one person can do everything. And that applies to every department in the resort. We all have the same aim of exceeding our guests’ expectations, performing to the very best of our abilities and striving to delight each and every day.”

Some people just have the best jobs. Living on Samui and running your own original fashion boutique is enough of a dream come true for most. But add to that getting to travel all over Asia, picking out the best fashion items to bring home and include in your own unique shop style – and it’s fair to say that the owners of Chandra have it better than most.

Chandra is the name of two boutiques on the main Chaweng Beach Road, Chandra L beside the popular Irish pub, Tropical Murphy’s, and Chandra LL, a bit further up the road beside the entrance to the TOPS supermarket and opposite the Via Vai Italian restaurant. Both boutiques are run and owned by Israeli designers, Dana and Barak, who’ve been open on the island for almost nine years. And they sell items that you’re not going to be able to find anywhere else.

Samui is an island of extremes. Close to glitzy 5-star resorts you’ll see rustic villages. The bustle of Chaweng contrasts sharply with the miles of unspoiled beaches to be found nearby. There’re luxury yachts and old fishing boats moored together. All in all, it makes for a pleasant and harmonious whole. But there’s one aspect that people never feel easy about. When it comes to health and welfare, there are no two ways about it, everyone heads for familiar territory. We go for the modern and reassuring comfort of a high-tech hospital or a friendly and familiar pharmacy.

And that’s where the ‘Morya’ chain of pharmacies springs crisply into the picture. If you’re a visitor to Samui, then it won’t be a name you’re familiar with. But not so for the folks who live here. There are now 21 of the tried and trusted Morya branches scattered around the island; four of them in Chaweng alone. And Samui’s expat community has learned to look out for the familiar and reassuring green cross of the Morya logo.

Regular visitors to Samui have their favourite places. They tend to stay in the same resorts, eat out at restaurants they know are good and maximize their relaxation time. A two-week holiday can fly past if spent searching out the basics. Modern travellers are extremely knowledgeable and demanding. And hotels have to work very hard to ensure repeat business. New competitors appear on the scene every year and visitors to Samui have a wonderful range of choices in up-market resorts.

One of the first 5-star resorts on Samui was the Santiburi Beach Resort Golf & Spa in Mae Nam. And as it approaches its 20^th anniversary its reputation for excellence remains intact. With a name that translates as ‘peaceful town’, Santiburi’s 71 luxury suites and villas are set amidst 23 acres of meticulously nurtured tropical gardens. That’s a great deal more space than modern resorts allow and it has the feel of a quiet village with a river running through the gardens to the sea. Even the approach to the reception area is reminiscent of a grand English country house with a wide, tree-lined boulevard giving little clue to the grandeur that lies within.

If you’re a jewellery lover – and who isn’t? – you’ve come to one of the best places to get your perfect piece. And the best thing is, not only can you buy your ring or bracelet, anklet or necklace here on Samui, but you can also work with master craftsmen to learn how to make it yourself.

There’re several jewellery shops on the island, but the trick is to look for one where you can go to a jewellery-making workshop and craft your own piece, whether that’s bringing a stone from home to set into a ring, refashioning a precious family heirloom, or taking advantage of the vast experience of the staff to advise you on how to make your own piece from scratch.

Medical tourism isn’t something you readily associate with Samui. Certainly, over the last decade or so, the major international hospitals of Bangkok have distinguished themselves in this arena. In fact, Thailand is now a leader in the global medical tourism market, housing Asia’s largest private hospital and with many hospitals having gained international accreditation for precisely these procedures. But the majority of these are in the capital. And this seems to be where all eyes turn when considering an alternative to the expensive surgery of the Western world.

But Samui is a delightful island and a popular holiday destination. It’s the perfect place to relax for a few weeks, good weather is practically guaranteed, the island is simple to navigate and the cost of living here is a fraction of its Western counterparts. And, if you combine these attractions with the facilities of one of Thailand’s leading surgical hospitals, it gives pause for thought. What could be more appealing than enjoying a sunshine holiday alongside the surgery you’re considering? Recuperating on a tropical beach has its attractions . . .

In everyone’s holiday there’s a special day. It might be a birthday. Or an anniversary, perhaps. Then again, it could be the last night before going home. Or it might simply be the morning when your partner looks at you with a smile and says, “I’ve got a real treat lined up for us today.”

And it has to be said that Samui now has a lot of treats on offer. They come in all shapes and sizes, textures and tastes, but one of the most luxuriously lavish is undoubtedly a combined spa and dining package at the legendary Six Senses Samui.

Samui’s ‘Six Senses’ is part of the exclusive Six Senses Resorts & Spas group; these are select resorts situated in what’s considered to be some of the world’s most beautiful locations. You’ll find these secluded hideaways located in The Maldives, Oman, Jordan, Vietnam and Thailand. Including, of course, the one on Samui that’s tucked away in Samrong Bay at the most north-easterly tip of the island.

What do you do to relax? Well, if you’re on a tropical island like Samui, there’re plenty of options. You could take a book to the beach, browse around the roadside shops, have a beer whilst watching the world go by. But there’s another relaxing thing to do here that most people wouldn’t think of, especially when it involves water and swimwear. It’s not sitting on the beach then going for a dip – it’s getting into a tank and being nibbled by hundreds of tiny fish.

This is what you do at Dr Fish, a place in Chaweng that has one of the biggest fish therapy tanks in the world. You’ve probably seen something similar before, with people sitting outside shops with their feet submerged in water whilst fish nibble at their toes. But at Dr Fish it’s quite a bit different.

It was only a few years ago that Samui was a little bit like the island that time forgot. This was one of its big attractions. And those-in-the-know flocked here to enjoy the simple life on a tropical island. In those days, such adventurers stayed in wooden huts – they didn’t have a lot of choice! But that’s not the way it is today. Samui now has the perfect balance of modern amenities and unspoiled beaches. Life’s still simple but there are motor yachts in the bays. Now you’ll spot luxury villas basking amongst the greenery. There are a number of 5-star resorts in prime locations, mostly tucked away in secluded tranquillity. And one of these is the idyllic Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.

Samui’s ‘Four Seasons’ first opened its doors in February 2007. As one might expect from one of the world’s leading hospitality brand-names, the eventual site was the result of lengthy research. It took a while to find the perfect spot; secluded, yet not isolated, aesthetically-hilly but without being awkwardly-vertical. As you drive past its very discreet entrance at the top of the hill on the ring-road as you’re nearing Nathon coming from Chaweng, there’s no clue at all as to what lies at beyond this simple pathway. But Four Seasons Resort is filled with surprises, as is quickly revealed when you follow the path upwards towards the summit of the wooded hill above.

There’s something reassuring about the familiar. And in times when the money in your pocket has to go a lot further, most people are ‘risk averse’. It’s why new businesses like restaurants and hotels have to spend large amounts of their start-up capital on marketing. And why established businesses work hard on having repeat customers.

And there’re other elements that come into play when deciding where to stay or eat when you come to Samui on holiday. If you’ve already had a great experience somewhere before then you don’t want to waste time, money or energy trying out somewhere that only might be better. And those businesses that have made consistently positive impressions on their guests are the ones that benefit in an economic downturn. Or at least don’t suffer as much as others.

To see him now you’d never guess. Today there’s an intensity about him. He’s wound-tight, and almost shining with purpose. But there’s a humility, too. His eyes are steady and luminous but now and then fix themselves into the distance for a moment, as if he’s being swept along by currents beyond his control. His name is Ritchie Newton. He’s been a resident and well-known personality on Samui for a long time now. He was once a heavy rocker with a German band called Mass. He was also known throughout Thailand for his Elvis act and show. Then he became a filmmaker. But today he’s a different man. The once-brilliant tattoos on his arms seem to have faded into the past. He’s changed. Today Ritchie Newton has become a man with a mission.

Food ‘with a twist’. It’s one of those restaurant terms that can and does cover almost anything and it’s become a popular trend in recent years. It basically means taking a standard dish and putting an individual take or ‘twist’ to it. And that can be creating something completely new from scratch in a fine dining restaurant– or serving a classic pub grub dish in a slightly different style down the local. The twist, it seems, can be anything that’s even slightly different.

Some restaurants, of course, take the idea of twisting their menu almost as a challenge. And it’s a fairly safe bet that not many restaurants go as far with this concept as Twisted Thai does. It’s the signature restaurant at the Imperial Samui Beach Resort, in Chaweng Noi, and probably one of the most inventive restaurants on Samui. As the name suggests, it serves Thai food but with a twist. Sounds simple enough. But at Twisted Thai, this is at lot more than just adding a different ingredient to a curry or presenting a spicy seafood salad in a different layout. Here, the whole concept of the food has been redesigned and changed, in every way imaginable. It’s prepared differently, cooked differently and it’s definitely presented differently. The only constants are the ingredients.

Mala. It means a string of beads. Things that are connected. An unlimited number of individual elements, all united by some common theme. And it’s also the name of a group of people on Samui, all working towards one goal – to make the island a better place to be.

Samui Mala is a local group that organises events, raises money, brings people together and generally works to make the island cleaner, greener and healthier for everyone. And their mantra is ‘Living the Mala – starting at home to make the world a better place’. They don’t mindlessly complain about things, such as a road that needs fixing or a school which requires some patching up, they actually get up and do something about it.

Seclusion and tranquillity. It’s something that a great many resorts lay claim to. It’s a positive attraction, and all the more so if you’re not a whole hour away from the nearest shops! Nowadays, it’s simply not enough to be tucked away on a remote beach somewhere. There has to be a good atmosphere, too. And no matter how good the brochures sound or how many facilities there are, there’s no easy recipe for this. It either works or it doesn’t. And one place where it all comes together beautifully is Arayaburi Boutique Resort, up at the north-eastern tip of the island at Samrong Bay.

As soon as you walk into the resort you can sense it. There’s a sunny and open aspect with acres of space dotted with trees and thatched buildings and with a grand seascape that gradually reveals itself. A great deal of the ‘easy’ feeling here is to do with the landscape. The lay of the land is kindly; neither being as flat as a dull pancake or awkwardly hilly, either. In fact, it perfectly lends itself to a setting of wending pathways and unexpected terraces with linked layers – and this draws you into a series of descending panoramas, all of them with that enticing blue seascape as a backdrop.

Put your hand up if you’re a visitor to Samui. Keep it up if you’ve also got a cell phone. And let it remain there if you’ve turned it off because you don’t want to pay exorbitant roaming charges whilst you’re away. OK, hands down now, everybody. I think it’s true to say that just about everyone now has a phone, even (especially!) the children amongst us. But the approach to phones and payment in Thailand is very different to that in most Western countries. And, on the whole, this will go in your favour, as you’ll find out in just a moment.

There are just three service providers (SP’s) in Thailand, unlike the mass competition you’re undoubtedly used to. There’s DTAC, there’s True Move and then there’s AIS (Advanced Info Service). And out of the three, it’s AIS that’s the biggest and, debatably, the most popular. But the secondary and often the most vital aspect of SP’s is the extent and quality of the service that’s provided. And in this case few would disagree that it’s AIS which has it all sewn-up. Firstly, their online (phone-line) service is superb, with technically-expert operators who speak first-rate English.