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 ...