I will start by admitting that Koh Samui is one of the more touristy islands of Thailand, and that we have seen more naturally stunning and more cultural places... it’s main attraction being white sandy beaches and relaxation for the likes of sun dogs like us. Still, it is definitely worth visiting once you have had your fill of culture and just want to relax in the sun with a coconut shake and sun lotion by your side.
Many places in Thailand are suited for the long-haul traveller and may offer more cultural delights, but for those who havent’t got the time, Samui is much nicer than Phuket or Pattaya (aka the ‘underbelly of Asia’) and Samui has the added benefit of being close to other islands that you can visit. Even if you are backpacking, like we were, you’ll enjoy the luxuries here as we sank our teeth into toasties, chips (with malt vinegar) and pasta with a satisfied groan of happiness, after months of noodles!
WHERE IS IT?
Koh Samui is located on the southeastern ‘leg’ of Thailand, the first of three islands on your way back up to Bangkok, or last on your way down to southern Thailand. From Samui you can reach the mainland or visit the other islands, Koh Tao (good for diving) and Koh Pha Ngan (mostly known for the Full Moon Party).
HOW TO GET THERE
You can get a ferry to Samui from the mainland, which takes around 1 hour and will usually have busloads of other tourists. Expect lots of touts when getting to the otherside, unless you have pre-booked your hotel or huts.
You can also reach Samui from Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan by ferry. National ferries are generally the cheapest way to get around on a budget but if you have more cash to spare you can pay for a faster (and usually more luxurious) ride that’ll get you where you want to go.
You can also fly in from Bangkok and then catch a local taxi or shared mini-bus to your chosen destination. Make sure you agree the price first, although most of the shared-buses were fixed cost (price usually displayed in the bus) when we went so no need to haggle. Taxi drivers may still try and sting you though, so always put on your best brow-beaten expression and act extremely out of cash…
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed in Chaweng, at ‘Charlie’s Huts’ – these huts have the traveller in mind but provide good facilities, lovely food and instant access to the beach as well as some excellent fruit and yoghurt shakes. From their restaurant you can watch the day go by, read, sunbathe and swim within a stone’s throw. We were in our element here and it’s just what the doctor ordered! They are also in a great location for the shopping strip, we’d usually retire from the beach at around 4 for some R&R at the hut or ‘hammocking’, then emerge at around 8 for dinner & browsing shops etc. One thing to note about Charlies’ Huts though is that they take a hefty key deposit of 500Bhat (a key deposit isn’t unusual, but 500B is quite high), which we forgot to claim when we returned our key, so a nice little earner for them there!
You can stay in other areas of the island but you won’t find the same range of things to do, Chaweng has everything catered for. Laweng is also meant to be good, as it’s the second biggest tourist spot on the island.
HOW TO GET AROUND
You can walk, catch a taxi or get a shared-bus to almost any destination on the island as well as go on daily tours, rent cars, mopeds etc. The public shared buses are abundant so you won’t ever lack for a ride and the prices on these are generally fixed, one price for all.
WHAT TO DO & SEE
Our time was mostly spent in Chaweng, so I have focused on this area mostly but also mention some other places of interest.
Worship The Sun – Chaweng beach is the biggest on the island, offering a long stretch of white sand, and pale, pale blue water that stretches on for some time before you even get your bikini wet. Palm trees and hotels/huts line the back part of the beach offering respite from the heat when it gets too much. The water (in April) was warm and languid sunbathing on the shore and floating about doing nothing-in-particular are essential activities, not to be missed. In order to make the experience even more sloth-like, buy fruit, ice-cream, drinks and trinkets from passing sellers thus avoiding the tiresome task of getting up. We couldn’t afford this part, so enjoy the experience for us!
Shop, Shop, Shop – Chaweng is the biggest shopping area and you will find shops as far as the eye can see – a long strip of stalls, shops, restaurants, bars, beauty salons, tattoo parlours and more await the eager shopaholic. Worth haggling as you will usually get a higher price to start with that you may want to negotiate for a better deal. After a hard day on the beach, you will need to stretch your legs here, but beware of the go-go bars if this isn’t your thing – watch out for some fantastic transvestites, ultra OTT!
Tingle Your Tastebuds – You will find an excellent array of restaurants in Chaweng – the gourmet experience is not only had by those with deep pockets either – we managed on a budget of £10-£12 each a day. One of our favourite haunts was ‘Legends’, not quite a gourmet experience, but offered toasties, chips with malt vinegar, as well as Red Bull and vodka at £1.00 a shot. They also had a good selection of 2nd hand books and accept trade-ins. There are not many places on Chaweng for 2nd hand books, and if you find one they are likely to be expensive, so we loved ‘Legends’even more for providing good but cheap books.
Tattoos & Piercings – We had a piercing each here, in retrospect not in the best place in town but we never had any problems and have actually healed far better than our English counterparts with similar piercings. No such thing as freeze spray for us – ooooh, I can still remember the pain! Tattoo parlours are also abundant but not something we wanted to do here and prefer to do it in England at some point, plenty of selection on Chaweng though, for those brave enough.
The Big Buddha – Erected in 1972 and at a pretty impressive 15 metres high, this is the main tourist ‘thing to see’ on Koh Samui, it’s golden image reflected on many a postcard to send home. But don’t get your hopes up too high, once you’ve seen it you’re done, it’s a large golden statue for tourists to gawp at (with a religious context as well of course).
The ‘Grandmother’ & ‘Grandfather’ Rock Formations (Hin-Ta and Hin-Yai) - These rocky naturally formed sexual features adorn every other postcard from Samui. Not exactly for the culturally minded! One example of each, worn away by erosion and the waves, for your viewing pleasure.
The Water Festival – If you are lucky enough to visit in April, you’ll be a part of the excellent water festival celebrations, welcoming the spirits of the new rainy season with the likes of buckets of water, toothpaste and flour all over you. Don’t be fooled – you will need your own ‘weapons’ too, and the local shops are only too happy to oblige with water pistols and all the necessary ingredients for the party. After the first few buckets of ice-cold water poured down your back lurking behind the smile and the promise ‘No, no, have no water’, you will definitely want to take part and get revenge… All this is done in wonderful good nature and I’d happily go back any April and be a part of it all over again, you just can’t miss it!
You can also visit the Butterfly farm and a snake farm, but as we were occupied with sun-basking and had a low budget, we didn’t do either. Getting close to creepy crawlies wasn’t my thing, and my other half can’t stand snakes so the decision was made for us!
National Park of Ang Thong – A beautiful group of islands reachable from Samui on a day trip, the main island containing a stunning crystal blue lagoon which can only be reached via a tunnel. There are few of these unique formations in the world, I believe there is one more in Italy and another in Thailand on the west coast, further to the south (reachable from Trang on a day trip, we had a chance to visit this one). Well worth seeing if you have a chance.
DAILY BUDGET
When we were in Thailand, £1.00 = 64Bhat. We were spending around 750Bhat a day each. Allow £12-£16 a day per person and this should be plenty, of course take £20-£25 and you’ll be laughing. Cans of Chang beer are easily obtained from supermarkets veeeery cheaply and your hut may come with the added bonus of a hammock, something fancy hotels may not offer! Complete this with sun-filled days and good food & cocktails in the evening and you’ll see where I am coming from…
HOW LONG TO STAY FOR
I’d suggest a 10 day minimum stay whether you’re on a package deal or back-packing. After just over 2 weeks we went to the next island for the Full Moon Party, but we would have happily stayed on Samui 3 weeks before moving on.
LEAVING THE ISLAND
From Samui you can get all inclusive ‘ferry+bus’ tickets to Bangkok, Penang (Malaysia), Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) amongst others. Be prepared for looooong bus rides and don’t ever be fooled by ‘Yes, the bus drops you in the centre of town’… we learnt the hard way and developed hard tactics to avoid the touts!
Naturally, you can fly out of Samui from the local airport (very teeeeny airport by the way!), ask at any travel shop on Chaweng for details of destinations and prices.
SUMMARY
Well, we got engaged on this island, kneeling in the crytal, pale blue waters of Chaweng beach, so yes, I am biased.
But come to Samui and judge for yourself!
Hope you enjoyed the read and comments are most welcome. I’ve written a few reviews on other spots in South East Asia if you’re interested ;o)
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