The fix is coming along! They just need to concrete the area now, also working a little further down....

The detour works!

My guess it will be ready before the monsoons!

Bye the bye, Soi 3 from Maenam is now open all the way, to the island's centre connecting road.... still just gravel/ sand... but quite a good ride...

can i drive my car crazy and get the back end out. I mean of the car round the corners rally style

As long as you don't drive one of these Suzuki's, you should be fine ... These things are a menace on any road!

Don't get me wrong it is/was beautiful up there I would spend hours with my son in our 4x4 exploring the trails at 5kph. I assumed the safari companies paved the roads to make faster trips. Still don't think the farmers were a part of the equation.

This is a "Tourist" island, and tourists want to see it. It is not just for you alone. If you and any others against the road were genuine, you would not have gone up there thrashing your 4x4 around the dirt roads. Plus the people who live up in the hills deserve a better life which comes with this road access. People who use this road do not go off it doing damage on their honda clicks..

Good response OS

It's not just a tourist island !!! Many people who live here have nothing directly to do with tourism and yes the people who live or work up in the hills do deserve better... Until one gets off the main roads around the perimeter of the island, most people would have no idea of what goes on...up in them hills, There is a lot more to Samui than bars, restaurants and resorts !

One 200 Rai, Durian Farm alone, I found out on average produces over 25 million baht on average a year, and much of it is exported to China... that not only helps the local economy but the National economy too. Add up all the various farms they produce a significant chunk of change ! Coconuts, are another significant crop both for Samui and KP...

Durian fruit starting to develop, should be ready in a few months! Good roads will help get the crops to market, not to mention making it safer for those who have to tend them throughout the year !

The largest durian producer is off a paved road and built the secret garden

The fix is coming along! They just need to concrete the area now, also working a little further down....

The detour works!

My guess it will be ready before the monsoons!

Bye the bye, Soi 3 from Maenam is now open all the way, to the island's centre connecting road.... still just gravel/ sand... but quite a good ride...

Those guys in the first pic were packing up their gear as i passed bye !

Don't get me wrong it is/was beautiful up there I would spend hours with my son in our 4x4 exploring the trails at 5kph. I assumed the safari companies paved the roads to make faster trips. Still don't think the farmers were a part of the equation.

This is a "Tourist" island, and tourists want to see it. It is not just for you alone. If you and any others against the road were genuine, you would not have gone up there thrashing your 4x4 around the dirt roads. Plus the people who live up in the hills deserve a better life which comes with this road access. People who use this road do not go off it doing damage on their honda clicks..

Good response OS

It's not just a tourist island !!! Many people who live here have nothing directly to do with tourism and yes the people who live or work up in the hills do deserve better... Until one gets off the main roads around the perimeter of the island, most people would have no idea of what goes on...up in them hills, There is a lot more to Samui than bars, restaurants and resorts !

One 200 Rai, Durian Farm alone, I found out on average produces over 25 million baht on average a year, and much of it is exported to China... that not only helps the local economy but the National economy too. Add up all the various farms they produce a significant chunk of change ! Coconuts, are another significant crop both for Samui and KP...

Durian fruit starting to develop, should be ready in a few months! Good roads will help get the crops to market, not to mention making it safer for those who have to tend them throughout the year !

Yes Jimmy, i guess you are correct, what i meant is that the main industry here is tourism although there is more, like fishing, coconuts and durian. I doubt if the bulk of tourists get to see the island's hinterland, but there are a lot who do. I expect that is why that toilet up there is needed .

I guess the best way tourist see the hinterlands of Samui, is by doing the Safari Truck runs....

but you do see more people doing this on bikes now~!

Getting back to Soi one, this road works just off Soi one, stopped my co-rider and I near the area that goes to the waterfall off Soi one ... Not sure yet where this road leads.... but no doubt will find out soon!

Some of these roads lead no where, or just to a "farm house" .... Usually one is greeting with a nice smile and a wave while one turns around!!

blond guy on the truck has a disguised map of planet constellation on a specific day and a code on his legs and gives a signal to outer space to that plan....!

blond guy on the truck has a disguised map of planet constellation on a specific day and a code on his legs and gives a signal to outer space to that plan....!

Is he bitten or what.

blond guy on the truck has a disguised map of planet constellation on a specific day and a code on his legs and gives a signal to outer space to that plan....!

Is he bitten or what.

Nailed.

blond guy on the truck has a disguised map of planet constellation on a specific day and a code on his legs and gives a signal to outer space to that plan....!

Is he bitten or what.

Nailed.

I am guessing Mosquito bites,.... looks ugly!.... I think he should try some Citronella !

blond guy on the truck has a disguised map of planet constellation on a specific day and a code on his legs and gives a signal to outer space to that plan....!

Is he bitten or what.

Nailed.

I am guessing Mosquito bites,.... looks ugly!.... I think he should try some Citronella !

Looks itchy.

Some people get bitten to pieces and it doesn't seem to matter what they use. Some people also have a bigger reaction to mozzie bites than others. I'm fortunate in that I get bitten maybe once a month and within 30 minutes you wouldn't know I had been. Friend of mine from NZ came over a couple of years back and it didn't matter what she tried she got bitten day and night. The bites blistered and started to bleed after a couple of hours, poor girl. One thing for sure, she will not visit SE Asia again. Interesting to note that they chap in the photo has a number of bites on his thigh. Ankles and lower calf seem the norm. and certainly below the knee..

What's this road looking like in 2019?

6 hours ago, RickG16 said:

What's this road looking like in 2019?

Great, and in fine condition. I use it often to get from Maenam to the Southern part, and I also take friends over the hills for the beautiful view.

Has the right turn (canopy adventures heading towards lamai) at the top of the hill been concreted to the point of being useful & if so where does it come out & has anyone actually used it?

(I know it's Naton-ish)

25 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Has the right turn (canopy adventures heading towards lamai) at the top of the hill been concreted to the point of being useful & if so where does it come out & has anyone actually used it?

(I know it's Naton-ish)

Concrete all the way, and in fine condition last I used it, a few month ago.

 

Two exits, one close to Buddy Resort when using the left turn at the T-section, where Maenam soi 1 hill road ends, and turning right you'll get out at the 7-Eleven corner in Lamai after the temple; if "7-Eleven corner" don't make sense, I show it on Google Street View here...

28 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Concrete all the way, and in fine condition last I used it, a few month ago.

 

Two exits, one close to Buddy Resort when using the left turn at the T-section, where Maenam soi 1 hill road ends, and turning right you'll get out at the 7-Eleven corner in Lamai after the temple; if "7-Eleven corner" don't make sense, I show it on Google Street View here...

Thanks khunPer but I meant this offshot in the general direction of Naton that is just after the viewpoint at the top when driving from Maenam towards Lamai. I have never seen traffic coming out of there & everyone I have asked that has tried say it's too dangerous even in a 4x4.

2 hours ago, evadgib said:

Thanks khunPer but I meant this offshot in the general direction of Naton that is just after the viewpoint at the top when driving from Maenam towards Lamai. I have never seen traffic coming out of there & everyone I have asked that has tried say it's too dangerous even in a 4x4.

 

The turn off you mention is a dead end and leads to Khun Si Waterfall (plus a bunch of Durian orchards)...slightly further on (50mtr max) is a smaller turning and sometimes is passable that takes you to the Big Buddha above Lamai...haven't been that way for at least 6 months so have no idea of the condition of that track at the moment.

 

In the pic below you can see they have laid a bit of concrete to the left

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Neilly said:

The turn off you mention is a dead end and leads to Khun Si Waterfall

I've been trying to take some friend up to that waterfall last year, but gave up in my normal car, after the concrete road ended and we had been driving some length of the dirt road.

 

I've been doing the drive from Nathon over the hills and mountains to Maenam in a small 4x4 Suzuki Jeep many years ago – at that time, 2001, quite scary and not recommendable – don't know the conditions today; however it was a great experience. The top was called "Samui Everest", but later I couldn't find it on Google maps. There was a restaurant at the top – no other customers than my friends and myself – and they even had one room for rent build on top of long posts; not recommendable when it's windy.

 

The image, a frame from my video, is from 12th September 2001 (the day after a day most folks remember)...

 

I have a frame showing the road by the – a motorbike is passing – seen from the viewpoint. Deep rails from rain season water, so difficult to drive, but might be different today, or might be same-same...

 

 

Samui-Everest-road-2001.tif

Nice one KhunPer.

 

Brought back some memories.

I too went over 'the Everest' in a jeep back in 2001. Fun times.

On 1/17/2019 at 2:52 PM, Neilly said:

 

This steep road on the left, how far does that concrete road go up the hill before it turns into a dirt road again? I havent been up there for a few years, but it only used to go about 50-100m.

And how far up there is the buddha/temple? Ive only ever managed to find this temple from 1 entry point on a scooter, by going to the bottom of the hill at the Lamai end, then turning right, and soon righ again, and all the way back up.

Is this route easy to drive on a click/pcx?
 

On 1/20/2019 at 4:12 PM, steelerian said:

This steep road on the left, how far does that concrete road go up the hill before it turns into a dirt road again? I havent been up there for a few years, but it only used to go about 50-100m.

And how far up there is the buddha/temple? Ive only ever managed to find this temple from 1 entry point on a scooter, by going to the bottom of the hill at the Lamai end, then turning right, and soon righ again, and all the way back up.

Is this route easy to drive on a click/pcx?
 

 

Sorry for the late reply but have been away for a few days...that concrete only went a few hundred meters the last time I rode it. There's several ways of getting to the Buddha/Temple...but on a Click/PCX at the moment the way you mentioned is about the only sure way.

Somebody mentioned that Maenam Soi 1 shortcut to Lamai is now closed for scooters after recent fatalities on that road?

 

I did hear it in a bar so it might not be correct but would think that somebody on here will know

 

2 hours ago, huberthammer said:

Somebody mentioned that Maenam Soi 1 shortcut to Lamai is now closed for scooters after recent fatalities on that road?

 

I did hear it in a bar so it might not be correct but would think that somebody on here will know

At least part of Maenam soi 1 is open for scooters and motorbikes today, but I've not been all the way over the hills to Lamai...????

It’s not officially closed, they just put up a sign “automatic scooters no allowed”, but who cares. Same sign on Maenam Soi 5 which is much more extreme

On 3/9/2011 at 2:48 AM, mufcsamui said:

Only for the brave its samui's latest death trap

That was 8 years ago, its now 2019 and now every man and his dog uses it. However on a couple of occaisions i have met tourists trying it 2 up on a hire scooter, then it really can be dangerous. Not so long ago, i had to park my car and rescue two middle aged foreign ladies who had dropped their scooter at the very steepest part on the Maenam side. I can say that i also was scared as hell. I got the scooter down to a safe level then struggled back up to my SUV and got the other very scared lady down. Apparently the guy who hired them the bike told them that it was a short cut to Lamai...idiot !

On 11/25/2019 at 3:25 PM, Huckenfell said:

Apparently the guy who hired them the bike told them that it was a short cut to Lamai...idiot !

Strange, rental contracts for scooters on the Island usually has a clause forbidding driving over the mountains or on the beach. 

At least I had when I rented out 10 years ago. 

On 11/28/2019 at 2:15 AM, PoorSucker said:

Strange, rental contracts for scooters on the Island usually has a clause forbidding driving over the mountains or on the beach. 

At least I had when I rented out 10 years ago. 

10 ten years ago the roads were not paved

The 'No Automatic' signs are there because the brakes are overheating and often fail going down the steep hills, mostly with the newer Honda automatics, Clicks, PCX's etc, due to their new combined brake system and people not knowing how to use them properly.