Koh Samui Activities and Recreation

Whether you're here for a week, a month or the long term, there's much more than beaches to keep you busy and interested on Koh Samui.

An assortment of water and other sports are on offer around the island, as well as animal shows, boat trips and jungle tours. So grab your sense of adventure and chose something a little more active and challenging to fill your leisure time.

There's a growing sport culture on Samui thanks ta a number of ever improving facilities and services. Most af the larger hotels provide tennis courts, which can usually be hired by visitors, and there is alsa a driving range next to the Bandon International hospital and a small golf course in the grounds of the Fairhouse resort. As from June 2003 there will also be an impressive international standard eighteen-hole golf course in the foothills behind the Santiburi Dusit Resort on Mae Nam Beach, which is sure to attract plenty of enthusiasts from all over the world. Football is also a national passion, and local teams love to have foreigners join in their friendly games, which often take place on public pitches in the cooler early evening hours.

For those who prefer to stoy indoors there's living Bowl, the multi lone bowling alley in Chaweng as well as countless pool and snooker tables in bars and billiard halls all over the island.

Apart from Diving and snorkelling in the waters around Samui, there are also several other water sports available to those who like to get wet. Swimming is an obvious choice, whether it be in the warm island waters or up and down one of the many hotel pools. Jet skis can be rented on Chaweng and lamai beach, there are speed boats available for charter near the Big Buddha temple, kayaking and snorkelling trips can be arranged to offshore islands in the marine park, and you can also try windsurfing, sailing, waterskiing and fishing with various companies based on the island. Ask at your hotel or pop into any of the many local travel agents who will soon book you the sport of your choice.

Most of the top hotels have gyms with the latest training equipment and regular aerobics and other classes. Many of these are also open to outside customers for a fee. There are also several public gyms with circuits and weights such as the World Gym on the main island road in Chaweng and a similar set up at the lamai Gym, where you also can get trained in Thaiboxing. There is also a fully equipped fitness centre and Gym right in the centre of Chaweng over looking the main shopping strip above the aquarium and Sea Quest restaurant. This offers running and step machines, weights and all the usual accessories.

So named due to populations of Reef and Leopard Sharks that frequent the deeper waters around a small island. This is another very popular site situated very close to Koh Too with a gentle slope down to twenty-eight metres making it excellent for novice divers and divers in training. The colourful coral gardens and large numbers of reef fish such as Angel and Banner fish make this an enjoyable multi-level dive. Keep an eye out for resident Hawksbill Turtles

Situated to the north of Koh Nangyuan, near Koh Too the large boulder formations at Green Rock have created a series of spectacular swim-throughs that provide a haven for a range of fabulous creatures. like the white-eyed Moray eel, the blue spotted ray and some lively but aggressive Pink Triggerfish that hide in the sand. Closer to the surface brightly coloured Parrot fish feed from the rock and you may also spot a Hawksbill turtle as it glides gracefully by.

The popular day trip and snorkelling island of Koh Nangyuan also offers good diving opportunities with three dive sites located in its immediate vicinity. Nangyuan pinnacle is a short swim from the main island and starts a metre below the surface, and the Twins are just off the west coast of Koh Nangyuan and consist of two rock formations from six metres down to eighteen metres. Both sites are frequented by large numbers of tropical reef fish. You can see Clown fish, Pink Anemone fish and black and white Sergeant Major fish at these sites, and also look out for some large Grouper and colourful Wrasse at the Twins site.

This is another popular dive site from Koh Too as it is only twenty two metres deep and therefore good both for beginners and night dives. There are some beautiful Angel, Parrot and Butterfly fish at this site, but watch out for some angry Titan Trigger fish that will dart out to defend their nest if you get too close. At night you can see colourful shellfish including lobster, as well some sleeping Parrotfish and less docile Barracuda that follow the divers lights to feed.