Adventurous beach bums travel off the beaten path in Bophut, Thailand
2010-03-31
When visiting a new country there is a tendency among many travelers to stick to the more common tourist destinations and activities. For others, an international vacation is an opportunity to explore new and different places that they might have otherwise never seen. Travelers heading to the East Asian nation of Thailand might want to divert their path from the larger cities and explore the sleepy beach village of Bophut on the island of Ko Samui.
Ko Samui is a small island situated off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand. Here, tourists will find a collection of seven small towns, of which Bophut is one. Highlighted by its beautiful beach and traditional Thai-Chinese atmosphere, Bo Phut has been gaining acclaim as an out-of-the-way tourist destination, even attracting a number of new hotels and guesthouse developers.
Bophut beach is essentially divided into two halves: the western side which houses the modern hotels, developments and nightlife, and the eastern side that continues the town's traditional heritage as a fisherman's village.
The city is unique in the region in that the island's entertainment and amenities are targeted more toward couples and families than many of their mainland counterparts. These attractions include a go-kart track, a number of romantic restaurants and a sleepy, but rarely empty public beach.