Seafood

Seafood is another must-have. Ringed by beaches, the island is also bedecked with ocean-side restaurants for local platters served against the backdrop of stunning views. At Relax @ Samui restaurant in the northern Bo Phut area, the tables peer over the horizon from the beach.

Well-decorated dishes arrive, including battered seafood in edible deep-fried pastry bowls; the clear, spicy and sour tom yum soup served in coconuts, plus other delectable seafood dishes such as crab and egg curry.

The unpretentious air of this venue - the swing under the tree, the chickens running amok nearby - reflects the simple, slower side of this part of the island where locals outnumber tourists.

For travelers seeking a break from local fare, the US-style grill house Stacked, at the heart of Chaweng Beach Road, delivers fat Angus beef burgers and top-grade steaks.

As the restaurant's name suggests, many dishes arrive 'stacked', including a knife stabbed through its pulled pork burgers or onion rings in towering formation.

The lime-green establishment, particularly the outdoor area, is as lively as one would expect in a venue at the heart of Koh Samui's dining and nightlife district, an area that is well worth a stroll.

Street vendors and a range of entertainment from live music to drag cabarets operate shoulder-to-shoulder on this vibrant street.

These days, however, the area is no longer heaving - an impression previously unimaginable on this well-known island - and again, one of the country's many post-coup effects.