Hotter than home, tropical setting, something for everyone
Disadvantages:
Expensive (for Thailand), crowds in peak season
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
…. then go to Koh Samui. Which is where I was fortunate enough to be this time last year for a week. After eight and a half years together, Tom and I thai’ed the knot, surrounded by our friends and family, on the beach. It was sweltering (April is the hottest month on the island but our travel dates were constrained by work commitments – it’s better weather-wise to go February time or the summer) but a truly unforgettable day….
…. time to stop reminiscing as this review is about the island, not my wedding ( website: www.tomandlinzwedding.info). So why go to Koh Samui?
For time-rich, money-poor backpackers, Koh Samui would not be the most appealing choice to find tropical paradise. For picture-perfect beaches and Robinson-Crusoe-style tranquillity, there are alternative destinations in South-East Asia. Koh Samui is not cheap by backpacker standards although it is certainly affordable by other standards. It is also well-developed; the main road adjacent to Chaweng beach (the largest one on the island) is crammed full of bars, restaurants, fast food outlets (McD’s and BK included), “mini-marts”, clubs (of the normal and girlie varieties), a ten-pin bowling alley (where I met the Koh Samui bowling champion who was practising on the next aisle!) and stalls selling everything from banana pancakes to pirated CDs.
Ok, Chaweng is pricey (comparatively) and a hive of commercialism. But don’t let that put you off. What Koh Samui does offer to the careworn holidaymaker is choice. If you’re time-poor, money-a-little-bit richer and after sun, sandy beaches, sea in which is warm enough to swim, with plenty of things to see and do, you won’t be disappointed. And if like me, you’re there with friends and family, Koh Samui caters for everyone, including children, from the sun-bathing junkie to the most dedicated bar crawler.
We stayed at the Coral Bay Resort in North Chaweng (9 Moo 2, Tambon Bophud Chaweng Beach, (077) 422 223, info@coralbay.net) for most of the week. Rooms with breakfast start from £45ish. This is where we got married and the owner, Doris, and her team did a fabulous job of arranging everything - the schedule, food, entertainment, flowers, fireworks and massages at the nearby spa for the wedding party! The resort contains 53 wooden air-conditioned bungalows set in lush, well-tended gardens. The newly-renovated deluxe bungalow we stayed in was spacious, with a huge 7ft bed, a day bed to lounge on, private verandah and a lovely bathroom with a waterfall-effect shower (looks and sounds luxurious but in reality, it feels like someone tipping a bucket of water over your head - good for hot, sweaty days!) The hotel has a little beach (not as soft or picturesque as the main Chaweng beach down town) and an outdoor pool which is quite deep (separate shallow bit for kiddies) for a hotel pool. We swam in the morning as we found the water too hot by the afternoon when it had been heated all day by the sun. Breakfast was served in the main building (cooked to order rather than buffet, a nice touch) where reception is also located (with friendly staff who can recommend and book tours). Most of the guests who stay there are European, judging by the books that have been donated to the hotel library. Some of them are particularly uninhibited about showing off their bodies - "leopard-skin thong man" (appeared in one of our wedding photos) and "lady who likes to do backstroke topless" (not a good sight after breakfast) being especially memorable. The hotel also hires out mopeds and arranges car hire for reasonable rates for guests who want to explore the island. The food in the hotel is excellent, particularly the prawn cakes and curries (made from coconuts grown on-site), as well as reasonably priced.
For our honeymoon, we stayed two nights at the Tongsai Bay (84 Moo 5, Boput, Koh Samui, (077)245 480, info@tongsaibay.co.th) which is at the top of the price scale for hotels on the island (we paid about £160 per night for the room, excluding breakfast). The hotel is located in a very pretty horse-shoe shaped bay. We had a fabulous hillside cottage (semi-detached but next door was empty) with a balcony overlooking nothing but a sapphire sea. There was even a large bath on the secluded balcony where you could splash about in private. The bed (four poster) was very comfy (not huge though) and the room was kitted out with every luxury. You can even call a golf buggy to take you to reception as the cottages are spread out over a huge site with lots of steps. There are two pools, one next to the beach (quite shingly) and an infinity pool which is close to the super-luxurious, super-expensive villas. The hotel rents out equipment for water sports (no jet skis to be seen, thankfully) and we tried snokelling (water is not very clear) and sailing in the catamaran. There are a number of eating places. We tried out the little cafe for cakes and juices and the main Chef Chom restaurant for breakfast (about a tenner a head) where we saw a Thai super model - there was a magazine shoot going on when we were there, much to new hubby's delight. The quality and choice of food was good. One downside is that the hotel is quite isolated although the hotel can arrange taxis into town. Getting back from town for a reasonable price was difficult as the bus-drivers are reluctant to go all the way to Bophut. All in all, a great place to spend a couple of days but the credit card did take a big bashing and I did miss the far more informal and relaxed atmosphere of Coral Bay.
Getting aroung Koh Samui by public transport is easy enough as there are plenty of air conditioned taxis, motorbike taxis and open buses to use. Negotiating a fair price is more difficult however! I found the whole bargaining experience quite daunting although I did get the hang of it eventually.
Shopping on the island is limited to tourist goods and clothing (lots of tailors - I had a good suit made but the price you pay does dictate the quality you get). The mini-marts are good for stocking up on beers and other drinks cheaply, as well as photo developing. ATMs are available to get more cash out when funds have run out.
Eating out places are in abundance on the island, many restaurants of varying quality being located on the beach itself. The choice is also wide - there is even a Star Trek themed place when we were there.
For entertainment, the sky's the limit. There are loads of bars to choose from. A few of us did venture into a "go-go" bar to see what it was like. The one we went to consisted of seats around a platform where numbered girls danced to catch the attention of a punter who would be willing to fork out for some private attention. Sounds sordid and it was, but as the only female in the group, I didn't find the experience threatening at all, just incredibly tragic. We didn't stay for very long and moved onto a cabaret club (not my choice, I just tagged along!) instead where transvestites strut their stuff to show tunes and pop hits. Again non-threatening fun although the staff can be quite aggressive in pushing you to buy drinks. Not a night out for the timid!
A trip to Koh Samui would not be complete without a trip to Ang Thong national marine park. We paid for a day trip (approx £25 each) which included transport in a speed boat, lunch, snorkelling and kayaking. The scenery was gorgeous and we got the chance to visit some unspoilt beaches. On the island of Ko Mae Ko, we climbed up to see Thale Nai, an emerald saltwater lake. It was a great photography moment after the sweatiest climb in the world. The kayaking in boats of two was hard work, especially in the tropical heat - or maybe I chose the wrong rowing partner! We were quite exhausted (and a bit sun burnt as even factor 60 is useless defence when you are sweaty) at the end of the day but happily so.
Getting to and from Koh Samui by plane (which is what we did as we were pushing the boat out a little) is expensive (we paid around £100 for the flight with Bangkok Air although tickets can be bought for less). Bangkok Air is the only airline that flies direct from Bangkok to Koh Samui and even owns the airport there which itself deserves a special mention as it is very picturesque and rustic. The flight service is good although they seem to serve a diverse range of in-flight snacks - we surveyed our friends and the choice ranged from sandwiches to chicken nuggets on spaghetti. Everyone leaving the airport must pay a 500 baht airport tax which is a bit annoying, especially as the same has to be paid when you leave Don Muang airport in Bangkok. Bring extra pocket money!
Phew, so much to write about... I hope I covered all the important bits. I truly had a great time, as did our family and friends for many of whom, it was their first trip. Koh Samui rounded off my month long trip to Thailand nicely and gave me some lasting happy memories. After all, meeting the island bowling champion was a great honour. Oh and getting married of course!
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