The Big Buddha is the most famous landmark in Koh-Samui, mostly because of the size of the statue which can be seen from many miles away and especially from the air when planes land and take off. The big Buddha is twelve metres high and its bright, shiny gold glints in the sun above shops and restaurants that lie at its base. The Buddha is sitting at the top of a row of wide steps that are decorated with dragons. Constructed in 1972, the Buddha resides in the PhraYai Temple on the island’s northern shore and is popular with visitors and locals alike. When the sun goes down the Buddha is bathed in floodlights and appears to be the island’s great guardian. Thai citizens always visit the Big Buddha first, when visiting the island, and to ensure that their prayers are answered will offer gifts of food or burn sticks of incense. There is a centre for meditation near the Buddha’s base and a market within the temple grounds where Buddhist and Brahmin souvenirs can be bought together with many other items including hats and T-shirts. In the air, is the sweet aroma of cooking from the Thai restaurants that cater ...

The island of Ko-Samui is a perfect blend of Thai hospitality, beautiful Koh Samui holiday villas, ideal climate, fine white sandy beaches and a turquoise sea. If you want to get around on the island there are plenty of ways you can do it. Hiring a taxi is simple though not inexpensive but there are plenty available. The taxis are usually metered which solves the negotiating problem but it is always wise to get a price in advance. Cheaper than taxis and a lot less comfortable but immensely popular are the pickup trucks that are called songthaews. They simply pick up passengers and pile then in the back. It’s a lovely way to travel for relatively short journeys. If possible, it is advisable to avoid motorbike taxis but if you have to take one, make sure that you agree a price before climbing aboard. It is also advisable to always wear shoes and wearing a helmet is compulsory. A safer option and one that is much more fun, is to hire a motorbike yourself. The secret is to hire one with a very low cc as the slower you go the safer you will be. Motorcycle accidents are frequent so taking care and ...

The weather in Ko-Samui is slightly different to the weather in Phuket as Phuket is situated in the Andaman Sea and Koh-Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand. The three months of British winter are the best three months to spend a holiday in Ko-Samui. THE DRY SEASON: December to March The Koh-Samui dry season is from December through to early March and during December, an average of 98mm of rain falls. In January the average rainfall is only a maximum of 38mm and in February, the average rainfall in Ko-Samui is 8mm. There is often a cooling breeze although the maximum average temperature is only about 31 Celsius. At night, the average minimum temperature is a balmy 23 Celsius. The amount of sunlight during December, January and February is the maximum for Ko-Samui, and the temperature of the sea is a fantastic 27 Celsius. THE HOT SEASON: April to August The hot season for Ko-Samui is not very much hotter than the dry season. The hot season starts in mid March and continues on until August. The maximum average temperature during the hot season is 33 Celsius and the average minimum temperature is 25 Celsius. In April the average rainfall is ...