1) Visit Hin Yai and Hin Ta
Translated to grandmother and grandfather rocks.The story was that grandfather was a fisherman and one day he went out to fish but never returned, so grandmother sat on the rocks and waited for him. With such a touching story behind, I thought the rocks were going to be shaped like an old couple or something. But... it was a lot more erm graphic.
I didn't take photos of the grandmother rock so I will leave that to
your imagination hahaha. Or you can see it for yourself when you're
there! The view on the other side was really nice though. The water was
really clear and I could even see fishes swimming in the water. It's a pity the sky was a bit overcast so the photos didn't turn out as pretty.
2) Visit Na Muang Waterfall
Or ‘Purple Waterfalls’ which are so named because of the striking purple shade of their rock faces. There are other waterfalls to visit on Koh Samui, but these are considered to be among the most scenic. You can swim in the pool underneath the waterfall and there's an elephant safari nearby where you can get a ride through the jungle.
3) Grab lunch at THINK retro cafe
THINK retro cafe is made up of metal containers, old tires and other recycled materials. I LOVE the concept and it just makes all the sense in the world to locate it next to the beach somehow. The food there is fantastic too! Everything was fresh and delectable. You can go for a swim while waiting for your food to arrive. If I ever opens a restaurant, I want to set up one like this!
4) Visit a coconut farm
Koh Samui is synonymous with coconut trees - there are literally plantations all over the island. Locals have trained monkeys to climb up coconut trees to pick the coconuts. These monkeys are like their pets so just like you train your dog to fetch the newspaper, they train monkeys to pick coconuts. This baby monkey in the picture below is super naughty! It leapt up and kicked my friend's butt! The owner demonstrated how they train the youngsters, they hold on to a coconut and the monkeys will climb up and twist and turn the coconut until it falls to the ground. I gave it a try holding the coconut! First time having a dangling monkey on my arm haha.
5) Go shopping at Fisherman's Village
The Fisherman’s Village is located near a tranquil beach with cosy restaurants and quaint little shops. It's like a beautiful little town in a Disney movie, very adorable. We enjoyed its quietness in the late afternoon and then settled for a drink at an Irish Pub while looking out into the sea.
6) Get a gorgeous tan or enjoy a massage or do both!
Since the sun was playing hide and seek behind the clouds, we treated ourselves to a massage at Renaissance Koh Samui which we desperately needed. It felt really good to feel the tension in your body leave you. I can do this everyday!
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The above itinerary was decided for us by the Renaissance Navigator which is a customizable service by Renaissance for its guests. They have itineraries for families, couples, you name it, they plan it! You get a private van (up to 5 people) and WiFi on the go. It's extremely convenient and flexible since you can stop anywhere you wish to and it's cheaper than if you book with outside tours.
And if you're all itching to go but want to monitor the prices first, the best way to do this is to sign up for the Price Alert on skyscanner. That's what I do for trips I plan a few months ahead. You'll get an email notification telling you if the price went up or down so you can decide when to purchase your ticket. Little tricks like this help you to save money for well, more trips! ;)
This trip was made possible by the lovely people of skyscanner, Koh Samui Renaissance and Bangkok Airways.