Gulf of Thailand: Includes Koh Samui, Koh Phangan & Koh Tao

by Andrew Spooner, Dane Halpin

Overview

Footprintfocus Gulf of Thailand is the only dedicated guide to this glorious coastline of Thailand and offers detailed and concise information at a very cost effective price. Features an Essentials section with advice on travelling around and detailed information on sights and attractions.

• Essentials section with practical tips on travelling to and around the Gulf of Thailand

• Comprehensive listings of places to eat&sleep, and have fun

• Overview map so travellers can get their bearings with key highlights showing them what not to miss

• Street maps of key towns

• Slim enough to fit in a pocket

Loaded with advice and information on how to get around, this concise Footprintfocus guide will help travelers get the most out of the Gulf of Thailand without weighing them down.

The content of Footprintfocus Gulf of Thailand guide has been extracted from Footprint's Thailand Handbook and Footprint's Southeast Asia Handbook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781908207500
Publisher:	Bradt Travel Guides Ltd
Publication date:	09/19/2012
Series:	Footprint Focus
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	140
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Andrew Spooner is a feature, travel and sports writer and photographer. His work appears regularly in The Independent on Sunday, The Independent, CNN Traveller, The Guardian, the Observer, GQ and Bike. He has also taught Media and Journalism, part time, at the University of East London. In his previous life, Andrew travelled through the underbelly of Europe with various punk rock bands and he still likes loud music, played badly. After travelling to Thailand in 1989, Andrew developed a fascination with the country and now shares his time between Bangkok and London

Read an Excerpt

Beaches, resorts, national parks and cultured towns garland the

length of the Gulf Coast, with the islands offering unbridled

hedonism. Phetburi, south of Bangkok, is peppered with wats

and a hilltop royal palace affording sweeping views of the plains,

while Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park provides a glimpse of the

rare dusky langur. Cha-am, Hua Hin and Prachuap Khiri Khan

provide old-world charm, excellent spas, some outstanding

resorts and fewer tourists.

The appeal of the northern Gulf Coast towns is eclipsed by the

delights of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. These islands

have it all: there are the pampering palaces, appealing resorts, fine

dining, streets of thumping bars, action-packed beaches and quiet

bays on Koh Samui; meanwhile, once a month on the smaller Koh

Phangan, the world’s largest outdoor party spins on the sands at

Hat Rin when 10,000 people flock to dance and drink in the glow

of the full moon. Around the rest of the island, particularly the east

coast, the perfect getaways are waiting in cove after cove with

sapphire seas tainted only by a glint of granite.

Further north at Koh Tao, the underwater world is an attraction

with so many shallow reefs offshore. Around the island remote

bays are guarded by huge granite boulder formations and

surrounded by perfect tropical seas. At night Hat Sai Ri is enlivened

by funky bars and beachfront dining.

The thriving town of Nakhon Si Thammarat, unmuddied by

full-scale tourism, offers an opportunity to see the unusual art of

shadow puppetry and savour confectioners’ delicate pastries.