Jimmy, is this the same area that the "Secret Buddha Garden" is locatec at?

Cheers,

Matt.

The Secret Buddha Garden and Magic Garden are one of the same thing... I had to look that up! .... So yes, it's up that same road... as Paradise Farm and Peak View Restaurant, which turns off at the Chevrolet Dealership, in Lipa Noi...

The road from Lamai and or Maenam Soi 3 or 5 are a little bit rough, but all these roads do interconnect up there... ... it's a bit of a maze up there! .... ) The new Big Buddha above Lamai has some good views too, if it's not to hazy!

Check this web site... it seems to list a number of places!

http://samui.sawadee.com/attractions/magicgarden.htm

I don't generally go into to these touristy places .... too many people.... and it costs money!

There is an image I posted some where back in this thread of the entrance to the Magic Garden!

Thanks Jimmy, I missed the Chevy dealer last time when driving on the ring road, will have to pay more attention next time.

Thanks Jimmy, I missed the Chevy dealer last time when driving on the ring road, will have to pay more attention next time.

Yes and it's the new Chevy dealership.... not the old one where is still a sign as you come out of Nathon...

Do pay attention to that!

Nice picture from Koh Phangan.

Where is it?

Lookes like something my girlfriend wants to see, when we try to find and book a day tour to KP.

http://goo.gl/maps/nC4qg

Nice enough beach but the resort pictured is expensive.

Nice picture from Koh Phangan.

Where is it?

Lookes like something my girlfriend wants to see, when we try to find and book a day tour to KP.

http://goo.gl/maps/nC4qg

Nice enough beach but the resort pictured is expensive.

Is it Bounty resort or maybe Haad son resort?

if so both are cheaper than the ones we stay at on Samui, so that will not be a problem.

The place is called Haad Son, I'm not sure what the resort is called. There's probably two or three grouped together there, though only one has direct beach access.

If you're planning to visit during low tide (March - August), the swimming isn't always brilliant (goes for all of Western Phangan really). It's usually decent when the daily tide is at its highest point but not so good when it drops. The much longer Had Yao beach is a stone's throw on the other side (also dependent on tides for swimming).

Nice picture from Koh Phangan.

Where is it?

Lookes like something my girlfriend wants to see, when we try to find and book a day tour to KP.

http://goo.gl/maps/nC4qg

Nice enough beach but the resort pictured is expensive.

Is it Bounty resort or maybe Haad son resort?

if so both are cheaper than the ones we stay at on Samui, so that will not be a problem.

I am not sure which particular resort that is, in the image, I took, it was more the turquoise blue water, that struck me, especially being so nice after it was so stormy within the last week.

There are so many places to stay along the west coast.... (actually anywhere on KP and in all price ranges) ... and because of the BKK problems It is not as busy as it should be right now... so I heard yesterday.... Island View was not jammed packed for lunch crowd, which it usually is....

Rent a Motor bike and investigate... follow your nose!!! If you do a tour guided thing, you'll be limited to a few places... I discovered several areas I had not seen before...

Check out a number of beaches.... I think by now everyone knows my favorite beach is Mae Haad beach, up by Koh Ma.. north of this spot.... it really is not that difficult to get around KP... and not much traffic most of the day... some of the roads are a little steep at the north end of the coast road,...

I passed a hour or so yesterday visiting poor old Angthong, lazing away in his hammock ... I know he'll be happy to get his casts off!

One of several tourists attractions on Koh Phangan, in the See (Sri) Thanu area.... just off the middle road near the two gas stations; a few kms north of Tongsala.

Lake on other side of the road, a km or so up a side road !

Lake on other side of the road, a km or so up a side road !

It's more like a pond, there's very little water there in the dry season. I think it's an old quarry of some kind, though it may now be used as an irrigation pond.

Lake on other side of the road, a km or so up a side road !

It's more like a pond, there's very little water there in the dry season. I think it's an old quarry of some kind, though it may now be used as an irrigation pond.

Somewhere here are a couple of rather large water pipes coming out of tanks with large pumps - they may be part or Thongsala's water supply, as they continue in that SW direction along the side of the main middle road. Maybe this pond is one of a few that feed water to that system.

Somewhere here are a couple of rather large water pipes coming out of tanks with large pumps - they may be part or Thongsala's water supply, as they continue in that SW direction along the side of the main middle road. Maybe this pond is one of a few that feed water to that system.

The pond isn't quite there though, it's here: http://goo.gl/maps/yMO2J

There's a water bottling plant near the spot you've marked on the map, or at least I think it's a water bottling/purifying plant. Looks like one, though I haven't investigated too thoroughly.

Somewhere here are a couple of rather large water pipes coming out of tanks with large pumps - they may be part or Thongsala's water supply, as they continue in that SW direction along the side of the main middle road. Maybe this pond is one of a few that feed water to that system.

The pond isn't quite there though, it's here: http://goo.gl/maps/yMO2J

There's a water bottling plant near the spot you've marked on the map, or at least I think it's a water bottling/purifying plant. Looks like one, though I haven't investigated too thoroughly.

I've seen a smaller pond feeding into Thongsala's water supply, but that looks like a quarry site to me.

The structures 150m north of my map marker are part of a cement plant.

I've seen a smaller pond feeding into Thongsala's water supply, but that looks like a quarry site to me.

The structures 150m north of my map marker are part of a cement plant.

Yes, it is a quarry. There's water in it now because it's been raining recently.

Cement plant? Oh. I remember driving to Kao Ra bungalows and passing a building with dozens of the white, large water bottles you see being sold all over the island neatly arranged, plus what looked like very clean, recently installed pipes. Must have been a different building.

Here are a few images of the centre road, heading north on Koh Phangan.... not very exciting, but just to give an idea to people who don't know...

No need for comments! if you do want to comment, start new text box so as not to repeat the images!

Leaving Tongsala, main street... past Tesco...

fixin the bridge heading north...

Lots of coconut trees and a few Mango trees en route...

Haad Salad Turn off...(turn left and down the hill) !!!

Past the crocodile , monkey and elephant farm.... one of several on KP...

Turn off to Mae Haad... I wish people would not stop on the corner, that's a sharp turn!

A few kms past here, one arrives in Chaloklum... total distance about 14 kms or so from Tongsala.!

Never a lot of traffic on this road... but wise to drive slowly and safely as there are a few sharp curves on the road!

Jeez, can't a guy lie in bed a few weeks without them building new bridges all over the place???

Jeez, can't a guy lie in bed a few weeks without them building new bridges all over the place???

well... you could always rent this and ask them to show you around all the new developments around the island!

Looks like it has good shocks, so you won't bounce around too much!

It won't be quite so much of a shock when you are up and about!

There is a whole lot of new building going on around too! ... This might be finished before you get out and about !

Lol, that's one car I wouldn't want to travel in. Of all the ongoing developments, the only one I'm looking forward to is the paving of the Ban Tai - Thong Nai Pan road. I'll probably move to TNP once it's finished...

I enjoyed a very refreshing swim, with my waterproff camera!! this is the video inside the waterfall

[ media ]

[ /media ]

A few images of Chinese New year celebrations, in Maenam, 2014

Pics shot from the boat that sails to Koh Tan.

A little bit north of Chaweng near Matlang.

I wonder if the construction will be finished this year?

Left picture is from July 2012

Right picture is from July 2013

This is the only beach on Samui with no buildings and I hope it'll stay this way.

It's about 1 km north of Phang Ka or 1 km south of Taling Ngam.

thanks for info, i'll check this out for sure but do you know what locals call this beach? and is that branching from the road from "IBS fightcases" south of "villa la kosta"?

I have no idea what it's called. The beach will only be visible during low tides though.

Sunset this evening, Ban Por beach....

I just saw this video on youtube and thought it might be interesting to post here.

Some of the footage is from Koh Samui and Ang Thong national park.

Sure is a different view of smiling buddha

It's shot with a TBS discovery pro quad drone and has some pretty awesome footage.

Video from Samui starts at 2:50 but some of the shots before are also cool to watch.

Nice video virt, watching short films like that just makes you want to pack it all in and move to Thailand.

It seems like the reclining Buddha above Lamai can finally do so in the shade

The road leading up to it has had some new concrete laid so it's not quite as bad as it used to be

Had a nice ride round with a friend of mine today and found some new tracks...one that went from Nathon to Maenam...don't ask me for directions tho...way too complicated and I think I'll have problems remembering it again myself

Hi

one vidéo of Koh Samui from the sky , do by a very good pilote drone, a Russian Guy

Hi

one vidéo of Koh Samui from the sky , do by a very good pilote drone, a Russian Guy

Amazing! ........I could not figure out where it was until it reached Chawang Lake!

I want one!.... it will save wear and tear on my bike!

It took me until the Le Murraya hotel sign to figure out where he was, interesting seeing the back side of the lake, I've never been up that way and didn't know it connected with another road coming in from (I'm guessing here) the ring road?

It's a very interesting new medium and you certainly get a whole new perspective from that height. Just a shame the camera appears to be mounted in the wrong position, half the frame is taken up with the chasis of the drone which kind of detracts from the whole "flying above it all view" concept.

Takes some skills not to fly too high and hit the electric cables or too low to hit people.

I recognized it immediately when he came out of the soi to the bigger road. It's just outside my place. hehe

I've been planning for a while now to walk around this lake. Just waiting for an opportunity not too hot weather and whenever I manage to wake up early enough...

Will probably start walking around 5:30 in the morning just when it's getting daylight.