Villa Nalinnada (Koh Samui Part 2)

 I know it's random, but this thing saved my skin throughout the trip (or at least when I'm in the villa and wants the balcony doors open)

This thing, by the way, has been my faithful companion for my Vyjayanthi outdoor shoots in the past 1 month.

Okay now be prepared to see the villa. It's breathtakingly beautiful. And I certainly don't mind waking up to this every single morning. The owner of the villa is a lady, and I think she's kinda cool. The whole villa only has 8 units (ALL facing the sea which we call the Gulf of Siam), and she resides in one of the units. 

So SHE wakes up every day in awe and beauty~ (I would if I were her)

Ready? Here's my room........

 The walls. And the ceiling. Lol~ Okok, here's the real deal~

 This is what greets me as I enter the door. 

Yup, I know, that white canopy bedframe~~~ 

(Please ignore my bra hanging off the edge of the bed. *malu die me*)

This is the view from my balcony.

Pretty amazing, isn't it?

The other side of my balcony has this. So one can sit here with a good book, have a drink, and just take in the seabreeze...

I'm not exactly a fan of seasports (or swimming in bright sunlight, for that matter), simply because I don't look good at all when I'm not fair. You see, I get pigmented. In a dirty way. I get freckles and sunspots not just on my face, but on my skin as well. I don't tan well (just the way it is), and look dirty afterwards, instead of the nice golden brown that other people get.

But after some internal fighting with myself that I am, after all, in an island in Thailand, with the sun and the sea as the main point of an island getaway (is it? =P), I finally decided to (literally) take the plunge.

The draw of the pool was too strong....

 The whole pool to myself, and that's the reception area.

 That room right there was where I resided in for 3 nights. =)

 The other rooms.

 The pool overlooks the turqoise-blue sea...

 Are you blown away yet?

 Villa Nalinnada. Situated somewhere between Lamai Beach and Hua Thanon. 

Nice place eh? 

Well the rest of Koh Samui is kinda vastly different. More kampung. 1950's. Kinda undeveloped but still nice...

 This is the Muslim Village near the villa. Along Hua Thanon.

 And we continue to ride deeper into the village. Hey we're travelling remember? 

Explore and Discover. 

That's always been my travel motto. =)

 

Guess someone's building more holiday villas~ Land in Koh Samui is cheap. About 1.2 million for a 30mx40m piece of land. SEA-FACING~!!!! Got spare moolah can consider building a holiday resort there man~

Random cows grazing!!! 

We even experienced chickens running for their lives across our paths upon hearing the bike come in. 

It was hilarious, watching chickens scurry. Have you ever seen a chicken run for its life? It looks damn funny~

Something like that:

Except that chicken I saw looked more comical.

If you're looking to explore Koh Samui, other than the waterfalls, one other place you should check out is the Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks at Lamai Beach - meaning Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks.

Well this is a landmark because they look like a penis and a vagina...(pictures later)

Though I really don't know why the association is with the grandparents...gee~~~

Found a story about it, which tells of an old couple whose ship was wrecked in the bay. Their bodies were washed ashore, which somehow became the Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks...

Er...right....

Well, the view was amazing...blue skies peppered with clouds, the sea in shades of blue and turqoise and green, no buildings in sight...

Okay, here are the Ah Gong and Ah Ma Rocks for your amusement...

 Postcard picture

Very graphic. Bleah~~~

And I found them...

 Please don't ask me why the Ah Gong rock is an erected penis. 

Esp when his body was washed ashore....

????????????

 I didn't take a close-up so as to protect Ah Ma's modesty...lol~

 I mentioned in my last post that in Koh Samui, you don't have to wear a helmet, right?

Not only that, you can sit sideways if you know how.

I tried, and it was a painful experience for my lower back...

Then again, if you're entirely new to this whole riding concept and feel that you need extra protection, you can always get a helmet from Tesco Lotus. It's like Giant in Singapore or Malaysia - a huge supermarket, and you can get helmets for about S$10.

 If you're equipped with a helmet, you reduce the risk of being so unlucky as to be stopped by the police for 'not having a helmet on' and be slapped with a fine. (The way I look at it, is just their government's way of earning extra moolah, for 2 minutes after having stopped us, they seemingly decided that they've hit their 'quota' for the day, and stopped stopping helmetless riders. Damn.)

Too bad for me, I was the second last to be stopped to give them money.

300 THB, please.

 A temporary tentage set up for this purpose of fining tourists and Thais alike, who weren't wearing helmets while riding...

 Issuing fines or, 'invoices'. Lol.

If you're into temples and religious travel, then you have to go to the Great Buddha, along Bo Phut Beach.

It's huge, so you won't miss it. Look out for this entrance, just in case:

Before we head back, I thought I should give a go at the automatic motorbikes as well...

For some reason, the left hand gets tired though all it had to do was hold the handlebar....

Oh, if you're looking to get some roadside stall kinda food, you know, where locals eat, then you have to try this stall just right outside Villa Nalinnada.

 Their noodles is a MUST-TRY. So is the pork (or chicken if you can't take pork) rice. ESPECIALLY the pork rice. It's SEDAP TTM!!!!!

And it's time to head back to Singapore~ Here, I want to introduce you to the 2 nice personalities who served me well this trip, from the Villa itself - Jack and Bassy!

 Very friendly and honest people. And they know exactly the right tips to give you regarding your travel/food if you ask. And I think Bassy is cool! She rides a hot pink bike by the way~ ;)

One tip from me: ALWAYS arrange for airport transfer from the hotel in a foreign land where you may not understand their language. Because to/from the airport is when you have ALL YOUR VALUABLES with you. You don't want to be robbed right at the beginning/end of your trip, do you? 

(CHOI CHOI CHOI!!!!)

 This is Koh Samui International Airport.

Interesting, eh?

Together with Singapore Changi Airport & 8 others, Samui International Airport is ranked among the top 10 of the world's most beautiful airports. =D

And you know the shopping area inside the airport? At the transit area, as you walk to your gate?

 The walk to the departure gate after checking in.

 Only difference is this is NOT in the transit area. Anyone can access this place. 

 No aerobridges here. You sit in a buggy and they'll drive you to your plane.

I returned back to Singapore slightly tanned (not apparent in this picture), refreshed, and having really nice memories of Samui. Maybe I'll come back next year~ You know, just for the Villa, and the Waterfalls... Oh! And yes, the super delicious pork rice~~~ 

SamuiRocksMySlippers,

*~Silver~*