Zhoumo kuaile!

Koh Samui reminded me of Bali, but with better beaches. Both islands are consumed by tourism, with one resort located just a few feet from the next, a profusion of stands selling cheap souvenirs, and mediocre restaurants trying to capitalize on hungry foreigners. While Bali may be more geared toward the honeymooners, Koh Samui seems to cater to the partygoers (ever heard of Thailand's full moon party?). And it has an overabundance of gyms (an outlet for those famous Thai boxers?) and hair salons (a front for another kind of service provider?).

What makes me sad, however, isn't the crowds or locals trying to make a buck, it's the trash on the side of the road, on the beaches, and in the water. On my last morning in Thailand, I decided to take a quick dip in the ocean before heading to the airport. I ended up swimming next to a floating flip-flop and a large piece of styrofoam.

But Koh Samui and Bali have the kind of natural beauty I hadn't ever seen before and I certainly don't regret my experiences there. I just think it might be time I start volunteering for the Surfrider Foundation.      

And so as I try my mightiest to hold on to my tan in rainy Shanghai this weekend, I wish you all a good one!

Back from the Beach

It’s pretty amazing to think that at the beginning of February, I was on the mountains of Japan and at its end, I was on the beaches of Thailand. I feel very blessed.

The trip to Koh Samui invigorated and rejuvenated me; the ocean has always been my happy place and I was thrilled that we were reunited once again. The beaches in the Gulf of Thailand were beautiful and unlike any other I’d seen before: turquoise waters rhythmically swaying back and forth, away from and toward the white sandy beaches bordered by lush vegetation.

The most gorgeous ones were an hour’s speedboat ride away. Not terribly relaxing, the ride was rather violent thanks to choppy waters and a lead-footed captain. I spent most of it with my stomach in my throat; it’s a miracle someone’s breakfast didn’t come up.

Our destination was the Ang Thong Marine Park where our first stop featured snorkeling. I have to admit, I wasn’t terribly impressed; the water was murky and crowded with other boatfuls of tourists. The second stop, however, took my breath away. Remember the movie, “The Beach,” with Leo (-nardo DiCaprio)? Well, it was a book first and this place inspired its author -- Emerald Lake, an inland saltwater lagoon that can’t be seen from shore. Photos -- iPhone photos to boot because I forgot my camera (I know!) -- don't do it justice.

Our third and final island stop involved kayaking and lounging in the crystal clear water under the glorious sun. The Ang Thong Marine Park is a protected archipelago made up of 42 islands. I read that it's what Thailand looked like before the onset of mass tourism, overfishing, overpopulation, and modernization.

We spent our other days in Koh Samui on the beaches of Lamai and Chaweng. Though still beautiful, they were overrun by tourists, the majority of whom seemed to be old, large, Russian men in speedos.