Koh Samui's outlying islands

[PeteC]

Did you know there is a Thai island with resident friendly beach pigs, the four legged kind? Keep reading.....

Many photos at link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/1858 ... -koh-samui

Taking tentative steps onto a long-tail boat on a shallow beach requires a certain sense of balance. After taking our seats, we put on our life jackets. The engine started and we were off in the sunshine and sea breeze to Koh Taen and Koh Matsum, less than 20 minutes from Phang Ka Bay on Koh Samui. By the time we reached the islands, we were drenched from the seawater that splashed us all along the way.

Koh Samui is synonymous with a lot of things: beaches, parties, temples and natural attractions. The island can be reached directly by plane or via ferry from Surat Thani. Most travellers will also be familiar with neighbouring destinations like Koh Pha Ngan, which is equally well-explored by international tourists, and is especially famous for its Full Moon parties. But not everyone is aware of Samui's less-travelled gems like Koh Taen and Koh Matsum to the south of the island.

Our first destination, Koh Taen, is a great snorkelling spot. We put on our masks and lowered ourselves into the water, regretting the fact that we didn't have a waterproof camera to snap some of the amazing sights we saw down there. This was my second time snorkelling at Koh Taen. My first experience had been rather disappointing because of low visibility, but the weather and the conditions were just right this time around. The water was clear and there was lots of seaweed and fish. I even spotted a sea cucumber.

There were other boats nearby. One was throwing fish food into the water to lure the little swimmers in. Is that appropriate? I remember hearing that it's bad for the ecosystem and environment. Sadly, not many people seemed to mind.

We didn't spend too long at Koh Taen. And due to time limitations, we didn't go ashore either, but instead headed to Koh Matsum right after snorkelling. This took about another 15 minutes. Then our feet touched the sand once again. We found a table under the shade near a local beach bar and began to wonder where everybody else had gone. That was until we spotted a group of people clustering on one area of the sandy beach with cameras in hand.

The answer? Pigs. Like, literally. They're the stars of the island.

Koh Matsum may not be the Bahamas but it also has pigs chilling on a beautiful beach. These hogs sure know how to draw crowds, just by walking around and rolling in the sand. They were friendly too, and seemed to enjoy having children rubbing sand on their backs. They also loved nibbling on the prawn crackers that tourists gave them and almost stole a beer from one guy.

It was Saturday when I went there. There were some tourists, but it wasn't crowded -- except around the pigs. The beach was relatively peaceful and it was easy to find a quiet spot to swim and go kayaking in the crystal clear water.

We took out the sticky rice, fried chicken, fruit and cold drinks from our cooler for a pleasant lunch with a great view. There was an eatery on the beach but we only bought coconuts from them for 100 baht each. A little pricey, of course, but that's pretty normal for a tourist spot.

In the afternoon, we headed back to Samui. It took less than 20 minutes for the long-tail boat to reach the beach outside our hotel. With the rest of the day free, it was only right that we continued our weekend exploration of the best that the island has to offer.

Samui, like many beach destinations, never seems to run out of activities to satisfy even hard-to-please tourists. It caters to a variety of interests and needs, with countless tattoo parlours, massage shops, markets, restaurants, snake and crocodile farms, boxing rings and more. There are clubs and pubs everywhere for those wanting to party night and day.................... (Commercial portion continues at link)