Activities and courses on Samui
By Dave Rudd
Take your PADI openwater course
In between lazing on the beach, eating at swanky restaurants or drinking in the myriad bars, there are many activities and courses available on Samui. Samui scuba diving is the number one activity to learn and many places offer PADI courses, while learning to cook Thai style, Thai massage, and Muay Thai boxing are also popular.
Samui scuba diving
While not being world class, the diving around Samui is pretty good. The waters are clear and warm, there is much colourful coral reef and many fish to discern and prices are very reasonable. There are many dive operators on Samui that offer daily trips out to interesting nearby dive sites and these same companies also generally offer PADI Open Water courses.
Most dive companies adhere to international dive standards and are often foreign-owned to boot. There are dive schools all around the island and competition is strong, meaning good prices, yet ensuring you go with a reputable company versus cost is advised. The beginner PADI Open Water dive course usually takes up to four days and includes classroom theory, swimming pool training and training in the sea. You can then use your PADI certification to dive or go onto advanced courses anywhere in the world.
Samui dive sites
Samui’s Sail Rock is the most popular dive here; a PADI five-star site consisting of a lofty pinnacle that stretches 50 feet above the surface of the sea and going down 100 feet or more. There is a huge abundance of sea creatures around the pinnacle, including moray eels and colourful tropical fish. You can swim through part of the pinnacle as well as see whale sharks in the right season. Sail rock is 30 miles from Samui between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Shark Island near Koh Tao is another popular dive site. Reef and leopard sharks tend to hang around this outcrop, which shelves down to 70 feet or so, making it ideal for beginners. There is also a huge amount of coral here and an abundance of reef fish, including angel and banner fish. Two other worthwhile dive and snorkel sites near Samui are Nangyuan Pinnacle and Twins. You can swim onto the site at Nangyuan pinnacle, while Twins goes from 20 feet to 60 feet.
Those into boating can also learn to sail on Koh Samui with the Samui Sailing and Kiteboarding Asia. More on diving in Samui.
Lamai has kick boxing instruction
Samui massage and yoga
Various health and wellness courses can be enjoyed on the island of Koh Samui. If you want to learn Thai massage, Spa Samui and Health Oasis offer regular courses and workshops in many health-related fields, including water therapy. Massage classes can span anywhere from a beginner’s day course to a month-long stint of Thai and Western oil massage.
There are fewer places to learn yoga on Samui than Thai massage as the Thais haven’t really embraced this art. Those who do teach yoga will invariably be foreign freelance instructors offering yoga courses in conjunction with existing spas. With that said, there are more and more yoga specialist centres cropping up on Samui to offer the full yoga retreat experience.
Places that offer yoga on Samui include the Healthy and Fun Yoga Café, with its multiple programs; Hatha Vinyasa, which focuses on breathing and posture; and Yoga Thailand in Bang Por, in the north of Samui, which focuses on the philosophy behind yoga. In addition, Absolute Yoga in the Fisherman’s Village features all types of yoga, as well as a restaurant, while the Yoga Café in Bophut has popular daily yoga classes from beginner up to intermediate level. The official wellness centre on the island is the Health Oasis Spa and Resort, which is licensed by the Thai Health Department. More in yoga on Samui.
Samui Muay Thai
There are several places on Samui where you can learn Muay Thai boxing, but Lamai Gym is without doubt the number one facility for training. Champion Thai boxer Stephan Fox is the founder of the school camp and vice president of the World Muay Thai Council. The camp has tailored courses for foreigners wanting to learn Thai boxing and it has been accredited by the World Muay Thai Council. There are two boxing rings here, comprehensive boxing facilities and equipment, and a large training area. You can even book ahead and stay at the camp on a longer course.
Samui cooking and fruit carving
Thai cooking can be picked up really fast and the Samui Institute of Culinary Arts, Chaweng, is one of the best places to learn. It is a well-known cooking school which does morning classes for beginners as well as two-hour evening classes for people who have knowledge of Thai cooking but want to learn more. Another popular place to learn cooking is the Blue Banana in Bang Rak, where Khun Toy takes on small groups in a more relaxed and rustic setting. For fruit carving, Papillon Resort does the ‘Art of Carving Fresh Fruits & Vegetables’ course along with Thai cooking courses.
Note! It’s advisable to have yourself covered by travel insurance when visiting Thailand. The safety risk for activities on Samui is not high but insurance is a good idea since there is a lack of accountability in Thailand. Travel in the kingdom isn’t dangerous but if you’re going to do activities like these it will save a lot of hassle if your insurance is in order.
