Adventures in a Thai paradise

If it's a thriving nightlife you're looking for, you don't have to wait for the full moon. Chaweng and Lamai can supply it with everything from candlelit restaurants on the beach to enough bars and discos to satisfy even the most fervent clubber. Koh Samui also has rather more traditional parties in August - the Rambutan Fair which celebrates the rambutan fruit harvest - and Chak Phra in October to celebrate the Buddha's ascension to heaven, complete with Buddha processions and boat races.

TIPS

• There are around a dozen scuba-diving companies on Koh Samui, with both courses for beginners and trips to the Ang Thong National Marine Park for qualified divers. The best time for seeing the coral is between October and April.
• You can charter a local motor boat from the fishermen in the park to visit the most remote islands.
• Bophut is a quiet village with a good beach and ideal for families with lots of water sports (jet-skis, sailboards, water-skiing) and a go-karting track. It also has some good, French-influenced restaurants.
• If you're still not feeling relaxed enough, try a Thai massage. They are available in many places on Koh Samui, with the Spa Resort and Tamarind Springs (both in Lamai) to be recommended. A Thai massage is not like any western massage. You have it with your clothes on (or baggy pyjamas are provided) and it is a cross between a deep muscular massage and osteopathy with the masseur using not just his hands but his feet, elbows, knees and body weight as well.

FACTFILE
Thai Airways operates daily flights between Bangkok and Surat Thani on the mainland coast (flying time 50 minutes) and you can then take a ferry, speedboat or car ferry over to Koh Samui. There are also direct flights from Bangkok and connections on to Phuket.

Accommodation is mostly in bungalow resorts with a wide price range, from the reasonable to the luxury end of the market.