There are some pretty amazing beaches in Thailand, it's half the reason (if not all) that people have made it such as huge travel destination in the past couple of years. On each island there tends to be a most popular beach- Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, Haad Rin in Koh Phangan (home to the famous full moon party), Sairee Beach in Koh Tao and Long Beach in Koh Phi Phi. However, i found that the best beach label attracts so many people that the beach loses its sparkle. The sand gets littered, the water gets cluttered with boats and boards and the stretch becomes too full of outlets. Chaweng Beach is a perfect example: the water is shallow, rocky and full of speedboats and the sand is covered in loungers and sellers. All up for the hustle and bustle for the most part i eventually went searching for a bit of idyllic peace...
Maenam Beach in Koh Samui doesn't get a massive write up, it's close to the pier which never sounds idyllic and just off from the airport that hardly promises peace. But this beach is magnificent- just look at the picture below.
There are a few restaurants and some family targeted bungalows, a couple of sellers who wander up and down the beach with the usual corn and mango, and a solo boat floating on the waves. The sea is a gorgeous blue, deep enough to swim (amazing after shallow Chaweng) and there's no litter in sight! The sand has those small grains that you find in your bikini when you shower and let you know that you're truly on holiday and not just in rocky Brighton! Best of all is the peace. I went on holiday looking to relax in the day and go out at night but that becomes difficult in the hotstops of Thailand. Finding a sweet spot like Maenam was a dream and i wish we had time to go there more than once.
Maenam beach is a half an hour scooter ride from the hustle and bustle on the other side of the island, it reminds me of the places my parents used to take me from 'Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay' when i was a kid. Good company, a page turner and some cash to grab a Thai curry at one of the bungalows is all you need. Hopefully it will stay somewhat untouched and remain blissfully unaware of the party scene next door.
No comments:
Post a Comment