Saturday 30 June 2018

Goodbye to June 2018

Goodbye to June 2018


The last day of the month has arrived and it's time to say 'Goodbye to June 2018'. 

The weather was rather typical for June. Some very 'sticky' hot days, with a high humidity but also plenty of days with showers. Mostly typical tropical showers, which can be fierce but in general are short.
There was a few days though where we had a real storm at our hands, with very strong winds and a fair bit of rain but not too much. It was nice with cool morning temperatures and when the sky was cloudy, the temperatures were also very agreeable.
Not always the best weather if you're visiting the island as a tourist but I enjoyed it and probably with me, a few more locals did as as well.
June is also a fairly quiet month, with rather fewer tourists than usual.

Goodbye to June 2018

Goodbye to June 2018; There are new statues placed in front of the massive sitting monk statue at Wat Bophdud or Bo Phuttharam, as the official name goes. The Temple has been doing well financially it seems, since after the construction of this statue had been completed, a couple of new structures have been build and are in the process of being build at the temple grounds.

There were two running events on the calendar last month, the 11th Cancer Care run and the Bangkok Air Boutique series half marathon. I participated in both events and managed to place second in my age category during the half marathon event and 14th all over out of around 300 participants.

July is coming up though and the sky is blue today! Let's hope we can carry that a long way in to July!

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

You may also opt for a very special dinner experience at The Thai Experience
Behind closed doors, reservation only and a very enjoyable and well worthwhile way of spending an evening on Samui. 
Authentic Thai food and a great atmosphere. Can highly recommend this experience. 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Sunday 24 June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018 


Another Sunday morning, this time in Surat Thani but it's time for the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018.

It's nice and sunny over Koh Samui this morning with just a few clouds and a 29C temperature at 9am.

As already mentioned, we are in Surat Thani town this morning, where I participated in a 'Run Against Drugs' super fun run over 6.9km. It's also 29C here in Surat Thani at 9am and we're about to move to Sichon where we will be visiting a temple. There may be a blog coming soon about this fairly dpecial temple.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018; The Seatran pier with one of the storms coming up last week,

Last week saw a mixed week, with some hefty storms and very strong wind, early in the week. There wasn't so much rain but some very hard wind was blowing over the island and the surrounding ocean.
As of Friday it was back to sunshine and hih humidity and it was 'sticky hot' weather again.
Maximum temperatures last week ranged from 29C to 34C.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 18th June – 24th June 2018; Today we will be visiting a temple in Sichon, near Nakhon Si Thammarat. It's famous for the chicken statues that are placed next to the roads, leading to the temple. The statues are about two and a half meters tall and can be found with increasing numbers the nearer you get to the temple. An amazing view and sight, with sometimes clusters of a dozen or two giant chicken statues.

The forecast is looking good for next week, with a nice and relaxed ending of June. Plenty of sunshine and partially clouded skies should be reigning over Koh Samui. Maybe there is an isolated shower during the week, but nothing too serious.
Enjoy your stay on Koh Samui and go out and about and discover the island! The weather will be absolutely right for it next week,

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two.

 You may also opt for a very special dinner experience at The Thai Experience.
Behind closed doors, reservation only and a very enjoyable and well worthwhile way of spending an evening on Samui. Authentic Thai food and a great atmosphere. Can highly recommend this experience.

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned.

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens.

Camille

Sunday 17 June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th June – 17th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th June – 17th June 2018 


Sunday afternoon, long slow distance run and afternoon nap done and now it's time for the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th June – 17th June 2018.

We find our selves in the middle of a storm that is raging over Koh Samui and the Southern part of Thailand. Very strong winds have been here since yesterday afternoon and will last all day. Not so much rain though, although a few drops and light showers may be yours during the day. Be aware of and prepared for power cuts. Electricity cables can easily be cut by falling trees or other debris. Last night we had a two hour power cut between midnight and 2pm-ish.
Current temperature is 26C under a cloudy sky.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th June – 17th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th June – 17th June 2018; Yesterday afternoon this tree was knocked over by the strong winds raging over Koh Samui. This is in Bang Rak side of the Ghost road. I expect more debris on the roads around the island over the next few days. Be careful out there.

Last week saw rainy afternoons or evenings on Monday and Tuesday but except for yesterday, it was dry and partially cloudy and very hot once the sun was out and about. A nice week, 
Maximum temperatures raged between 30C and 35C and it felt much warmer at times.

For the next week we still have very strong winds predicted until Tuesday. Expect some showers as well and especially Tuesday may be a very wet day with plenty of rain. 
The wind will slowly become less strong but there will still be a breeze, until next weekend.
Hope you can still enjoy your stay on Samui if you're on the island during next week.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

You may also opt for a very special dinner experience at 'The Thai experience'. Behind closed doors, reservation only and a very enjoyable and well worthwhile way of spending an evening on Samui. Authentic Thai food and a great atmosphere. Can highly recommend this experience.

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Friday 15 June 2018

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming


Here we are again, with a visit to The Thai Experience, the second coming in our agenda! Earlier this week I couldn't resist an invitation to visit again, after my first Thai Experience dating back to February 2015.

The concept is still the same, one dining room with a big table and everybody seats at the same table, behind closed doors, reservation only!
Over the next 3 to 4 hours, 15 dishes will come your way to be enjoyed and eaten! The Thai Experience can also cater to all kinds of dietary wishes, just let them know in advance.

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; The host is the most. Joe will look after you during the Koh Samui Thai experience and will guide and talk you through the evening in an interesting and entertaining way

Everything start with a transfer from your hotel or resort to Lamai, where the dining room is located. Once inside and everyone is present, the fun starts.
Joe, your Samui guide for the evening, will take you through the evening with explanations and origins of the food you're about to eat. You will even get to prepare and have a hand in making some of your own dressings,

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; Cocktails to break the ice. You can try three different cocktails and the chosen one has a free flow for the rest of the evening. Or local beer in case cocktails aren't your thing. As a non alcoholic drinker, I was served 3 different mocktails and enjoyed the same free flow option

The cocktails and the alcohol are real ice breakers and in no time a room full of potential strangers are mingling and talking to each other.
Around 2000 bamboo straws have just been ordered and every guest will take them home with them as their permanent straw. A great initiative!

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; Starters for starters. Three of them. Very tasty.

The starters are fab, all three of them, the laab muu being my personal favorite. These three starters are followed by two amazing Thai street food dishes. Two separate skewers, one with pork and sticky rice and my absolute fave, a skewer variation on the chicken cashew nut dish. An absolute winner.

Just go easy though, the mains have still to make their grand entrance!

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; Four meaty mains. All of them delicious! My fave was the Penang pork curry, closely followed by the prawn curry with chaploo leaves and this was closely followed by the slow cooked pork. It really was a photo finish!

The mains are served in a the so called 'phin to', 3 to 4 containers on top of each other, each container with a different dish in it. All four dishes prepared very well, tasty and presented in a very unique and authentic way. Especially the sweet pork is a dish well worth trying out, since it's a hard to get dish if you're only on the island as a tourist.

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; A close up of the slow cooked pork in a black pepper sauce (moo hong)

There's even a second set of mains, white snapper prepared in three different ways. Make sure you have some room in your stomach left by now since you don't want to miss out on the papillote, the pan fired or the Singha beer battered fish balls.
Tasty, well presented and getting you there of being stuffed to the max. Oh wait, there are still three deserts coming your way as well. 
Just go with the flow and enjoy another treat of the chefs!

The Thai Experience, the second coming

The Thai Experience, the second coming; Group picture after a wonderful evening.

By now, around 10.30-11.00pm the evening is coming to an end and the mini van is waiting outside to bring you back to your resort.

It's an entertaining and delicious event that is well worth your time and gives you a great and fun insight into the Thai cuisine. Hence 'The Thai Experience'. They have my thumbs up!
The whole group enjoyed the evening and pictures and social media contacts were shared by each other.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday they're open for business but other days of the week are open to availability. For groups a shorter version is available upon request.

The current price is 2,490.-THB per person and includes around 15 dishes, free drinks and transfers.
Follow this link and book directly a place at the communal table. Just do it and enjoy!

The Thai Experience also donates money to a local Samui animal aid charity, see the qoute below;
"I have one regular sponsor, the Thai experience, which contributes every month for the past three years to help feed the dogs.
With the help from the Thai experience I am able to feed up to 30 dogs. To give you an idea one 25kg bag of food costs 25 euro/ 23 GBP. There is an area in Ban Taling nam pier where locals and expats abandon their dogs especially puppies. Most of the puppies that end up here do not survive as this area is riddled with distemper and parvovirus. With funding from the Thai Experience they have helped in the purchase of vaccinations including test kits to see if the dogs have a disease"

Please visit their Facebook page.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Sunday 10 June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018 

Sunday afternoon, after a busy day so far, it's time for the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018.
It has been cloudy all day long, which was nice for the Bangkok Air Koh Samui half marathon which I participated in this morning. Start was at 5.15am, still being pitch dark and I managed to come in second in my age group of 50+ and 14th all over out of 300 participants. It was nice and cool for an early morning run.
Current temperature at 2pm is 33C and still cloudy but dry.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018; Five days ago these five baby cats were born at our house.

Last week saw quite a bit of rain around Koh Samui, it was dry only from Tuesday to Thursday. All other days saw rain in varying strengths and amounts. Maximum temperatures ranged from 30C to 32C but with a fairly high humidity.
From Thursday through Saturday our family spent a few days in Bangkok. Some busy days and times for us but we got everything sorted that needed to be done. It was tiring though and we're glad to be back home again.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 4th June – 10th June 2018; Bangkok at night, from above.

For next week Monday afternoon and Tuesday may see some rain and possibly next weekend again. Wednesday and through to the weekend there may be some strong wind. Some typical light monsoon minded weather.
Do enjoy your your time on Samui though when you're here next week.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Tuesday 5 June 2018

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018


A brand new event and race has been added to the Koh Samui running calendar; Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018 and a 2 mile obstacle course.
  
The start and finish of this not so common distanced race will be at the Namuang Stadium, a relatively late start at 6.30am and a 6.45am start for the 2 mile obstacle course. More details will be released soon.
Entry fee is 400.-THB for a T-shirt, breakfast and a BIB number. A medal will be available to all finishers and the top 3 finishers in all age categories for the 10 mile race will receive trophies.
Age categories will be 29 and under, 30-39, 40-49 and 50 up.
Registration forms will be available as of 1st September, 2018.

The 10 miles is  not a very common race distance in Thailand, I only participated in two 10 mile race so far.
It's an exciting distance and in that part of the island, most certainly also a challenging route, with a few hills in it.

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018 at the Namuang stadium 

Looking forward seeing there in due time! There are still a few other races to be run on Koh Samui and the mainland in the meantime.

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018

Skal Samui 10 Mile run, Sunday 21st October, 2018

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two.

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned.

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens.

Camille

Sunday 3 June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 28th May – 3rd June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 28th May – 3rd June 2018 


It's Sunday morning, the long slow Sunday morning run has been done and it's time for the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 28th May – 3rd June 2018.

It's been cloudy all morning and a few isolated rain drops have come down already. Current temperature at 9am is a cool 29C. For the rest of the day it looks like the clouds will stick around and a shower at some stage today is very likely.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 28th May – 3rd June 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 28th May – 3rd June 2018; Living on a tropical island can have some interesting events happening to you. Two days ago I was about to leave the house, when I noticed that I couldn't leave the driveway, since the neighbors coconut tree had fallen down and blocked the exit. It took me about half an hour to clear the driveway again.

Last week saw rain and thunderstorms during four out of seven days. A lot of times the rain was at night though. It was also very hot and humid and maximum temperatures reached from 29C to a whooping 35C

The forecast for next week is not looking too great. Mostly overcast is forecast and every day has a high chance of rain.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Saturday 2 June 2018

Goodbye to May and welcome to June 2018

Goodbye to May and welcome to June 2018


The start of the new month was yesterday and May ended a day before that, so here we are; Goodbye to May and welcome to June 2018.

First let's have a look at May. It was a fairly straightforward May. Fairly quiet around the island tourist wise but the Thai schools started again, so busy on the roads again.
The weather was fairly standard for a May. About half of the days last month saw varying degrees of rain, from nightly hard showers to tropical showers to some occasional thunderstorms. Typical May weather. This was also paired with some sunny and partially cloudy days. It makes for very high humidity.

Goodbye to May and welcome to June 2018

Goodbye to May and welcome to June 2018; A nice sunset last week near Big Buddha

Coming on to June, the rainy season has landed over Thailand but is not as in your face on Koh Samui as other parts of Thailand. Do expect some showers but there should also be plenty of sunshine.
For runners this is a good month, it starts to cool down a bit and today we had the 11th Cancer Car run organized by Four Seasons and next week is the Bangkok Airways half marathon. Hope to see you there.

If you find yourselves on Samui during this June, I hope you enjoy it!

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. Camille