Sunday, July 24th, Koh SamuiBasics about the Island, Chabad and the ConradAfter finally driving off we did need to make a quick pit-stop before heading to the Conrad.
I had called the Chabad House weeks prior in order to find out about food arrangements and was pleasantly surprised by the ease of it all. The Rabbi gave me his Whatsapp number and told me to just message him whatever I wanted and he would fwd it to the kitchen to be ready upon my arrival. I did just that and messaged him on Friday afternoon with my requests. I checked back in Saturday night and he said there would not be an issue and that the food would be waiting for me Sunday afternoon.
[While some items I had wanted were not available, there was still enough to choose from.]The menu can be seen >>
hereOn a side note for those interested about Kosher Breakfast at the Conrad: I had also been in talks with the Conrad about Kosher breakfast which they were happy to facilitate being that I was a Diamond member. Turns out that the Kosher breakfast consisted of eggs, fresh rolls and dips such as hummus, spicy tomato, Israeli salad and Tuna plus a can of Coke. We decided to save it for lunches during our stay there as it was just the perfect lunch food.To further elaborate on the choice of hotel and reason for food pick-up as opposed to heading there for dinner daily I have posted the map of the Island here:
Point A: Airport
Point B: Chabad House
Point C: Conrad
Neon Green Dots: Most of the hotels on the Island
Blue line: Directions from A-B-CIt did not take long for it to be clear to me that I was not going to venture out to the Chabad for any of my meals during this stay. It is simply too far from the hotel and my time was too limited to waste my time with that. (To be honest, I am not sure that I would venture out even if my stay would be longer. Wasting two hours RT just to eat, does not seem worthwhile to me.)
As can be seen, the Chabad House is a quick ten minute drive from the airport and any reasonable car service should be able to stop on the way to the Conrad without charging extra. It is then a 45min drive from the Chabad House to the Conrad.
Most hotels on the Island will be within a 15min ride from the Chabad with the exception of the Conrad (45min) and the Four Seasons (35min) which is located on the top left corner of the screen. I did not bother renting a car while I was there. This was mostly due to the fact that I got a good price on a driver to take me there (and back). I also figured that in case I wanted to explore the Island I could simply rent a
"Tus Tus" for a mere $5/24hr.
Entrance to ChabadNo matter where life takes you, Kariot will be there!Another person picking up foodPlay-roomSpace on the second floor of the Chabad House. The shul is another separate -very big- roomCrazy how the Chabad House in Koh Samui dwarfs the one in Chiang Mai. This is a legitimate house with play area, shul, learning area, restaurant, computers, Mikva and more.
Kosher Pizza Store across from ChabadWe went for the Sambusak which was quite tasty and a nice change from all the meat we have been eatingDriving through town is quite the experience as you get a real view and perspective on the local life. You can see all the poverty around. It really is a bubble that one experiences when going to Koh Samui as most hotels cater to the Western Luxury Traveler and thus the hotels and surrounding activities are very similar to Western prices (think Miami).
The DriveFirst signs of the ConradBeing that the resort is on very high grounds the last 1.5 kilometers is basically a very elevated and curvy ride up the hill. Not the funnest of rides you'd want to make driving this yourself so in case you are renting a car, beware.
Resort stretching from bottom of the hill all the way to the topThe video does not do the best job in highlighting the curves and turns but trust me, its curvey and turney!We made it!Next up: Check-In, Tour around the Resort, Our room and the rest of the evening..