PAGE 18 Sunday, July 24, 2011Sunshine Coast Sunday

SHE may have beenpetite in stature butthe strength she pos-sessed in her thumbswould surely defeat aburly arm wrestler.

And she was using every gramof power in them to knead andprod, recirculate and reawakenevery centimetre of tired fleshbefore her.In between silent groans ofagony and ecstasy, I chuckled tomyself that if football superstarsDavid Beckham and CristianoRonaldo could insure their legs formillions, Tik – my Thai therapist –should ensure her thumbs for thesame because they were just asvaluable. With every second oftreatment in the Luxsa Spa atHansar Samui Resort and Spa inKoh Samui, another little twinge,ache, strain and cellulite dimplesurrendered at the hands of Tik.A nine-hour plane flight fol-lowed by a gruelling 10 days ofplaying tourist had taken its toll.And with a return flight homebeckoning, I had welcomed thechance to let Tik work miracleswith a broken-down body.My Luxsa 90-minute signature

massage (3500Bt or about $126) isdesigned to balance the elements.The oil is applied to the skin forhealing.The therapy stimulates the

metabolism, relieves mental andphysical fatigue, reduces stressand tension, and balances thenervous system, which promotes asense of wellbeing that rejuv-enates all the senses.

Earlier, through a questionnaireconducted before the treatment, Iwas diagnosed as a combinationfire/water/earth character, but Ichose a fire oil mix of jojoba andeucalyptus to be used on my “splitpersonality”. The pampering be-gins with a foot-cleaning ritualusing an essential oil soak whileyou enjoy a herbal tea andcalming background music in thereception area.This decadent treatment pack-age seemed to epitomise theSamui holiday experience.We had arrived on Koh Samui(or simply Samui, as it is known tothe Thai people ) via the scenicroute with the wind in our hair onthe hourly Seatran ferry fromDonsak to Port Nathon over-looking the Gulf of Phuket.Time flies during the 90-minutevoyage as you watch the dock andmountain range backdrop fadefrom view and welcome the hazyoutline of dozens of tiny islandsand rock formations in thedistance.As the ferry is enveloped by thepastel blue of the sky and the tealgreen waters, the cheery natter ofworkers, friends and holiday-makers of all nationalities fills theair with excited anticipation.Thailand’s third-largest islandafter Phuket and Chang is home to50,000 people plus many morethousands of tourists and workersfrom the mainland on any givenday.The name Samui remains amystery – maybe an extension ofthe name of one of the nativetrees, mui, or from the Chineseword Saboey, meaning “safe

haven”. But for me, Samui simplymeans indulgence.Think tropical cocktails undermarket umbrellas by infinity poolswith waiters at your beck and call.Think aromatic spa treatments,world-class dining and casualelegance.Think coconut palm trees andcoral reefs giving way to whitesandy beaches.The wide, 7km stretch of whitesand beach at Chaweng is Samui’shappening place all-year-round forsun, surf and socialising.But for those who don’t want tohave Party Central right on theirdoorstep the whole holiday,Bophut Beach, just up the road,offers the best of both worlds.The long golden sand beach onthe north-east of the island is anice, quiet alternative to stay, butwith plenty of shopping, arts andcrafts, al-fresco and absolutebeachfront cafes and restaurantsas well as nightlife in and aroundpopular Fisherman’s Village.Tourists are spoilt for choicewith massage and spa treatments,hair salons, dive and snorkellingtour businesses, bicycle hire andeven cooking classes available inthe bustling village. Joining theboutique resorts, villas, cottagesand bungalows is Hansar SamuiResort and Spa.Looking out over the Gulf ofThailand, the resort has primeposition on Bophut Beach, with anunobstructed sea view from everysuite, and the Beach Bar and H-Bistro Restaurant soaking up allthe sights and sounds of villagelife at ground-floor level or, as thehotel likes to put it, “a front seat to

island life”. To usher in the holi-day feeling, each open-plan roomhas a large private balcony withdaybed, as well as little touches ofluxury such as teak floors, flat-screen TV and terrazzo bathroom.The French Mediterraneanmenu prepared by chef StephenDion in H-Bistro is both innovativeand complex – a subtle combina-tion of tastes in ever mouthful,merging Mediterranean spiceswith imported produce such asMaine lobster and oysters fromCanada, Japan and France plusthe local harvest of the sea.Vibrant Fisherman’s Village,only a five-minute stroll awaydown the cobblestones, puts on itshappy face every Friday nightwhen the “Walking Street” comesto town from 4-10pm. The beachroad is closed to traffic, allowingpedestrians to wander the marketstalls selling everything fromcoconut soap to hippy pants, jewel-lery to wooden art. Or perhaps popin to a tailor to be fitted for a qual-ity Armani-style, three-piece cus-tom-made suit – priced at a frac-tion of the cost in Australia – to bedelivered the next day.As lanterns are released fromthe beach to burn their imprint onthe night sky, the chic cafes fillwith world travellers while mus-icians play covers of the West’smost-loved rock and pop songs.As the night explodes in colourwith the 10 o’clock fireworks, thereal party begins.If that was all Koh Samui had tooffer, it would be enough. But thesightseeing on this “big little is-land” offers even more to keeptourists occupied by day.

Samui’s other tropical splen-dours all have their own pace andnatural beauty just waiting to beexplored.Beaches include Lamai (second

only to Chaweng in popularity, theperfect white sand crescent of thebeach is also considered to be thefinest on the island), Maenam(tranquil and retaining the oldSamui charm), Choeng Mon (aseries of bays on the north-west-ern tip), Taling Nam (the mostremote beach on the island), LipaNoi (the shallow waters make for afamily favourite while also boast-ing majestic sunsets), NathonTown (the island’s main port), HuaThanonm and Bang Kao (for totalpeace and quiet on the south-westtip).Man-made marvels such as the

15m tall Big Buddha, the Lad KohLookout and Kao Hua Jook Pagoda– all offering sweeping views overthe island from many angles – joinwith weathered wonders such asGrandfather and GrandmotherRocks to fill memory cards witheverlasting happy snaps of thispretty island in the sun.

■ The writer was a guest of theTourism Authority of Thailand.

ABOVE LEFT: The Big Buddha.ABOVE: View from Lad Koh Lookout.BELOW: The al-fresco dining andpool areas at Hansar Samui Resortand Spa. PHOTOS: SHIRLEY SINCLAIR

By SHIRLEY SINCLAIR

TRAVELLING AROUND

KOH SAMUI■ Where to stay: HansarSamui Resort and Spa■ How to get there: ThaiAirways, Bangkok Airways,Pattaya Airlines and FireflyAirlines fly to Koh Samui. Seetheir websites for details.

Thai island safe havenThai island safe haven

COLOUR MYWORLD: An exoticmix in the spa.

MUDDY GOOD: Reawakenwith a relaxing massage.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

User: Shirley.Sinclair Time: 07-21-2011 17:03 Product: SSS PubDate: 24-07-2011 Zone: All Edition: Main Page: TRAVEL_01 Color: CMYK