Koh Samui

[Braveheart]

Ko Samui (or Koh Samui, Thai: เกาะสมุย) is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand, close to the mainland Surat Thani town. It is Thailand's second largest island, with an area of 228.7 km

[Mackem Stu]

Some photo's of Koh Samui from my visit in 2003.

 

Sunset.

 

 

Arrivals at Samui Airport.

 

 

View across to Big Budha.

 

 

Big Budha

 

 

Mae Nam beach where I stayed. North of and much quieter than Chaweng.

 

 

A view from up high.

 

 

[Braveheart]

Great pics Stu thanks for posting, I'll have to dig through my photos and post a few myself. Can you give us a bit more information like where you stayed, cost and night life?

[strange]

Any hotel recommendations?

[BassGod]

I went to Koh Samui for three days about two years ago and it was about one day too many.

 

If you are the type that likes to lay on the beach and take it easy Koh Samui might be the place for you. The beaches are beautiful.

 

I stayed at Lamai beach and anyone that has been to Koh Samui knows that it's impossible to go from beach to beach unless you rent a motorbike or are willing to pay extortion prices to the moto drivers. In fact they wanted 100 baht just to take me from one side of Lamai to the other. I rented a moto the first bay but after turning the wrong way into traffic a few times I knew I didn't want to try it with a few drinks in me.

 

You can book these tours that will take you out all day and show you everything worth seeing on the island for fairly cheap, I think we paid 1600 Baht. After that all there is left to do is sit on the beach.

 

** Admin I'm a little unsure about the rules of this forum, if this post is innapropriate you won't hurt my feelings by deleting it.

I'd rather it be deleted than moved.

[Ikkyu-San]

Great pics Stu thanks for posting, I'll have to dig through my photos and post a few myself. Can you give us a bit more information like where you stayed, cost and night life?

 

Hi,

 

I stayed in Koh Samui for a week on my last trip to Thailand in 2005. Absolutely loved every minute of it! Not as good of a selection of girls as Pattaya or Bangkok but definitely worth a visit for the scenery and a great dance club called the Green Mango.

 

I stayed in a resort called Baan Chaweng, which was literally steps from Chaweng Beach. I would highly recommend this as a quality place to stay. Its a bit on the expensive side though, I've been looking at the prices for this year and its 55 Euro/Night for a twin room. Only negative thing I have to say is that the resort is not guest friendly...500 baht for each guest!

 

I found a a way around this though..the security guard took bribes of around 100-150 baht to turn a blind eye!!! :All_Good:

[Braveheart]

I went to Koh Samui for three days about two years ago and it was about one day too many.

 

If you are the type that likes to lay on the beach and take it easy Koh Samui might be the place for you. The beaches are beautiful.

 

I stayed at Lamai beach and anyone that has been to Koh Samui knows that it's impossible to go from beach to beach unless you rent a motorbike or are willing to pay extortion prices to the moto drivers. In fact they wanted 100 baht just to take me from one side of Lamai to the other. I rented a moto the first bay but after turning the wrong way into traffic a few times I knew I didn't want to try it with a few drinks in me.

 

You can book these tours that will take you out all day and show you everything worth seeing on the island for fairly cheap, I think we paid 1600 Baht. After that all there is left to do is sit on the beach.

 

** Admin I'm a little unsure about the rules of this forum, if this post is innapropriate you won't hurt my feelings by deleting it.

I'd rather it be deleted than moved.

Nothing innapropriate about this post at all. We encourage people to post about their experiences even if they are negative, provided it is an honest criticism it is acceptable. We all have our likes and dislikes and all you have done is state what you didn't like about it.

[picoman]

[Organic]

Samui memories....

Had good experiences in Samui. Last year during high season Chaweng and Lamai were packed. Much younger crowd than in Pattaya. Nothing like the scale of Pattaya (best left that way IMO). Fun to take a break from TG's ....lots of cute european girls that can be surprisingly cool.

Rented a house originally in Chaweng but quickly moved to Mae Nam. Beach at the front door, nothing extravagant but more than adequate. Clean, 700 sq.ft, Kitchen, A/C, Cable, nice porch, coconuts, garden, and an awesome family of golden retriever beach dogs. All for 20,000/m. Rent a bike monthly 2500/m?. Beach, mountains, ATV, explore the interior, fishing, diving, snorkeling, island hopping, beach bumming. I found more than enough to keep me occupied during the days. Nightlife is varied enough. Found that I was exhausted from daytime activities lots of nights. Decent variety of music. Only place outside BKK that I heard good house music. Also stumbled into other musicians who knew how to jam.

In Chaweng, had a friend who took over a bar on the main whore soi next to Lakeside. 2 shootings, 3 fairly massive street brawls, LB on Italians knifings and loads of motorcycle accidents all in 2 months.

I found ladies in the Beerbars in Chaweng would happily go for Pattaya prices. Green Mango, Sound, Solo all good freelancer pick up places. Lots of younger guys so older guys might need a nice wallet bulging in their pocket to attract attention B).

Other than CM easiest place to hook up with "regular" TG's.

 

 

Spent half the time at home during the evenings. Have friends over a couple nights a week, set up a bbq outside, and enjoy a few beers, good talk, smiling girls cooking away and the sound of some tunes and the surf......SIGH :Depressed:

 

It was 85 F here in Chicago last week. As I look out the window now it's snowing again. :Depressed: Man.....do I have the LOS blues big time right now.

[Sex Kitten]

Nice pics of samui,I always stay at Lamai beach alot quieter than Chaeweng if its peace your after,

Hire a bike it takes about 45 mins to ride around the whole of the island unless you stop for a beer.

 

Di...

[Veres]

Anybody been to a full-moon party? Impressions? Any good?

[Braveheart]

More information on the full moon party is available here: Full Moon Party and here: Koh Pha Ngan

[abarei]

Any hotel recommendations?

If you want to stay near Lamai, I would recommend the 'Weekender Villa':

http://www.weekender-villa.com/

 

Been there, great service, but it's a bit far from the 'real' beach and the 'real' action.

If I'll be on Koh Samui again, I'm pretty sure that I'll stay there....

[spades1]

Great pics

[friends]

I really like Koh samui ..been there a number of times since 1999

 

Friendly .lay back ,good food ,good beaches ..the P4P scene obviously a hell of a lot smaller than Patts is good .Well for me it is .Girls friendly ..nice and cheap ,good attitudes

 

But we all have different opinions and different agendas

 

Here is a couple of recent pics

 

Cheers

 

Tongsai Bay ..Chongmong Beach ..8 klms north of Chaweng

 

 

 

Cliff view restaurant ..looking towards Chaweng

 

 

[TopCat]

It's almost peak season. Who's going to Samui anytime soon?

[ozjockey]

I really like Koh samui ..been there a number of times since 1999

 

Friendly .lay back ,good food ,good beaches ..the P4P scene obviously a hell of a lot smaller than Patts is good .Well for me it is .Girls friendly ..nice and cheap ,good attitudes

 

But we all have different opinions and different agendas

 

Here is a couple of recent pics

 

Cheers

 

Tongsai Bay ..Chongmong Beach ..8 klms north of Chaweng

 

Cliff view restaurant ..looking towards Chaweng

 

Can anyone recommend a good beachside resort?

Looking to go there in April

What is the P4P side like? good quality?

[friends]

Can anyone recommend a good beachside resort?

Looking to go there in April

What is the P4P side like? good quality?

April is very hot

 

Plenty of good beachside resorts ,it really depends on your budget and where abouts you want to stay

 

Do you want to be Chaweng ..the main area or Lamui ?

 

Do you want to be further out and use a scooter or car ,then you have Bang Por , Tongsai Bay ( Chongmong Beach )

then there is down pass the Tiger Zoo ..very nice or various other areas Big Buddha ..it really depends on your preferences and budget

 

Cheers

[Irishfella]

I'm heading to Koh Samui in January 08. I tried to book into Ark Bar Garden Beach Resort but it is full

 

CAn anyine recommend anywhere else in the same location on or very near Chaweng Beach

 

Thanks

[Keith]

I'm heading to Koh Samui in January 08. I tried to book into Ark Bar Garden Beach Resort but it is full

 

CAn anyine recommend anywhere else in the same location on or very near Chaweng Beach

 

Thanks

 

Note - Ark Bar has a joiners fee for guests (300 baht I think). I am booked there at Christmas but only because I couldnt find anywhere else that wasnt really expensive and still on the beach.

 

When in January are you going? If it is early January, then I think most places will be booked and so you may have to stay a distance back from the beach.

 

Keith

[quse17]

Nice pics, love the hat and I bet those Scooters were really fun

[gareth]

I'm heading to Koh Samui in January 08. I tried to book into Ark Bar Garden Beach Resort but it is full

 

CAn anyine recommend anywhere else in the same location on or very near Chaweng Beach

 

Thanks

hi irish fella ,

next door to the ark bar is the mandalay resort ,but they dont have a web site other than that try OP Bungalows or book a hotel for 2 nights and just search around for another place when your there , there;s no shortage of places to stay i am in samui from the 11th january till mid march

[tati]

Has anyone stayed at the BaanLamai resort in Lamai? Iam trying to contact the Baanlamai resort in lamai using emai and faxes but got no replies???. In their website: www.baanlamairesort.com, they mention that it is located in central Lamai .

 

If anyone has stayed at this hotel, could you tell me

1> how it looks like (rooms and bathrooms)

2> location:

How far away are you from one of these places: Banhaus or Lamai Wanta or Mac Donald or Thai boxing stadium or bar entertainment area.

For instance: How far are you from Bauhaus pub (200m, 500 meters 1km)

3> How did you book

[native]

Has anyone stayed at the BaanLamai resort in Lamai? Iam trying to contact the Baanlamai resort in lamai using emai and faxes but got no replies???. In their website: www.baanlamairesort.com, they mention that it is located in central Lamai .

 

If anyone has stayed at this hotel, could you tell me

1> how it looks like (rooms and bathrooms)

2> location:

How far away are you from one of these places: Banhaus or Lamai Wanta or Mac Donald or Thai boxing stadium or bar entertainment area.

For instance: How far are you from Bauhaus pub (200m, 500 meters 1km)

3> How did you book

I dont know where baanlamai is but the town is small and can walk anywhere. Have stayed at the lamai wanta several times the place is only a few years old and very nice and the owner is a thai doctor can fix you up right there.

[tati]

Hi Native,

 

Thans for the info.

Yes I stayed as well at tha Lamai Wanta 2- 3 years ago in May (900Baths), but now they put up the price to 1600 Baths. As I want to stay a month, I am looking for something cheaper. Lamai is not big , but some hotels can be a little far away (on the hillside or next to the lamai village :1 to 2km from Banhaus)