Disclaimer: Happy Elephant isn't the best restaurant in Thailand. It's probably not even the best restaurant on Koh Samui, to be honest, but it is rather quaint, it features a subdued decor (funny how that can be tough to find in South East Asia), fresh food, and a view over the ocean that makes everything else wholly inconsequential. Dining at sunset, looking out over Koh Phangan, washing curry down with warm Beer Chang... I can deal with that.

My first night in Samui on this trip, the power was out across the island. Not sure then why I opted for the yellow curry with duck, but it turned out to be quite delicious. I suppose duck that has been on ice all afternoon has a little extra zing to it.

Another bonus is that this restaurant is on my favorite part of the island - Haad Bo Phut is a pretty beach, and never feels overly crowded, regardless of how busy the big resorts are. There's enough space for everyone!