Travel With Me // Koh Samui Island Guide
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So here it is finally, my mini Koh Samui Island guide that I have been working on for quite sometime now but I am finally happy with it enough for it to go live. Phew' and just in time too as we only have 14 days left on the island before returning back to the UK. Trying my best to keep it short and sweet but also making sure I cover all that there is to know, I have decided to do a collection of 3 or maybe two post just rounded up all ares of Samui, from location, food and things to do.. Koh Samui is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket, made up of lots of coconuts, abundant touristy wonders, coral reefs and sandy beaches it is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for that paradise getaway or stopping off for some traveller fun. Beginning with location on the island and my thoughts on where to stay and visit, continue reading if you want to find out more about Koh Samui and what to expect...
Chaweng
Chaweng I would say is the heart and soul of Samui, it is a very popular tourist destination and attracts families, couples and travellers all year round. The most busiest time I have experienced so far is around Christmas and New Year, however with the weather hitting peak temperature around Feb - Apr Koh Samui is also very popular around this time of the year too.
Somewhere I spent a lot of my time was at Chaweng Beach, and personally Chaweng has the best beach on the island (having been to all). It is the only beach on the island that has crystal clear waters and the softest of silky sands, I tend to camp for the day by 'Monkey Bay' but if you're lucky enough to get a beach resort, Chaweng has many with a mile if not longer stretch of beach to choose from.
If you are looking for a the party scene and a travellers vibe Chaweng is definitely the place to be on the island. With its hustle and bustle ambience Chaweng is the perfect place to visit as it has everything from shopping, markets, food, partying and relaxing.
For partying I would recommend you head to Ark Bar, a resort on Chaweng Beach that holds beach parties every night with main DJ events on Tuesday and Friday's. If your looking for an evening of dancing, cocktails (buckets), pool and maybe a cheeky game of beer pong Ark Bar is your place to go. They are have a fire show, where you can sometimes take part - demonstrated wonderfully by my sister below.
Chaweng being the most popular location on the island it has a lot to offer in the way of food, shops and bars. The 'food court' being one of my favourite places to go eat of an evening as there is just so much to choose from and is also very cheap. But I will go into more detail of my favourite places to eat a little later in my next post.
For partying I would recommend you head to Ark Bar, a resort on Chaweng Beach that holds beach parties every night with main DJ events on Tuesday and Friday's. If your looking for an evening of dancing, cocktails (buckets), pool and maybe a cheeky game of beer pong Ark Bar is your place to go. They are have a fire show, where you can sometimes take part - demonstrated wonderfully by my sister below.
Chaweng being the most popular location on the island it has a lot to offer in the way of food, shops and bars. The 'food court' being one of my favourite places to go eat of an evening as there is just so much to choose from and is also very cheap. But I will go into more detail of my favourite places to eat a little later in my next post.
I have probably done most of my shopping in Chaweng as there is again such a variety to choose from and browse. It seems that Chaweng has every thing to offer when it comes to the perfect holiday destination, with endless market stalls and shops to browse, busy streets with open front restaurants and cocktail bars perfect for people watching. I could spend all day and night in Chaweng and not get bored, however if you are staying for a longer period of time it can be very non stop so if you are looking for a more relaxing, peaceful time in thailand I would suggest you stay maybe in Choeng Mon or Bo Phut and tuk-tuk to Chaweng when you are feeling more adventurous and in the mood for the hustle and bustle.
Recommends: Thai Food: Ninja Crepes, Samui Paleang, Food Court
European Food: Gringos Cantina (Mexican), Scandic (Swedish), Zicos (Brazilian),
Bars: Ark Bar, Solo Bar, Bamboo Bar
Lamai
To be honest Lamai for me was a very strange place, it has potential to be a really cute touristy destination with lots of trinket shops, restaurants and bars there is even one club on the main stripe. However having all this Lamai is like a ghost town it is extremely quite and holds a lack of excitement or holiday feel. With a group of 'Go Go bars' in the centre you'd think there would be quite a busy, holiday ambiance but we are yet to experience this from Lamai.
Lamai beach is also very rocky and can be tricky getting into. This part of the beach here is by Beach Republic Resort however further a long the strip it does become sandy. Chaweng and Choeng Mon beach are the best on the island for sand and clear seas.
Although Lamai appears to be very quiet it does pick up on a weekend as there is a Market on a Sunday which gets fairly busy and you can buy all your usual touristy trinkets, food and clothes. Saturday night they have a free Muay Thai boxing event in the middle of the Go Go bar strip which is a good night out and and added bonus as it is free to watch (the main event in Chaweng Stadium is about £30 to go see). But personally from my experience that is about all Lamai has to offer.
Recommends: Thai boxing show Saturday night (10pm start till late) and Sunday Night Market.
Bo Phut
I love Bo Phut I think it is a really cute little area of Koh Samui, especially for couples coming away and looking for a romantic place to stay or spend the evening. Many tourists stay in this boutique village and enjoy it serene atmosphere and holiday ambiance. I find Bo Phut offers much more relaxation and calmness than say Chaweng - with its off road cobbled streets and a mini hustle a bustle of the village restaurants, bars and gift shops which all run alongside Bo Phut's tranquil beach which make it the perfect setting to spend an evening.
Every Friday Fisherman's Village hold a fisherman's market starting from 5:30pm till 10:30pm, it does get very busy and can get a little crammed however it is a great atmosphere and there is a LOT of delicious street food and Mojitos (cocktail stalls) to enjoy whilst having a nosy at all the wonderful handmade treasures up for sale.
Not only is Bo Phut good for relaxing and shopping it also has some of Koh Samui's popular tourist attraction right on it's door step, Big Buddha and The Chinese Temples. The Chinese Temples being a favourite of mine as there is so much to see and explore, you can also go inside one of the temples which is really fascinating.
Recommends: Fisherman's Village on Friday's and Chinese Temples.
Choeng Mon
James and I have lived in Choeng Mon for 6 months now which resulted in a nice change from Chaweng's hustle and loudness, it is also closer to Jame's Muay Thai gym which was another reason we decided to move. To be honest I'm going to say that there is not much to offer on this side of the island, don't get me wrong it is a nice little town with nice restaurants and the odd shop here and there but overall it is quite boring to visit (living here it is perfect with everything you need at hand, but for holidayness' it is a bit meh).
Choeng Mon Beach Hotel's pool which has been our home for the last 6 months. It is a nice enough place to stay and very cheap for what you receive, however holiday goers I recon you can get somewhere a little nicer for your money as this hotel is a little out of date now. Although perfect for living circumstances mind.
Choeng Mon beach is probably the smallest of beaches on the island, with only a collection of beach resorts along its front. It is my second favourite beach as it is so peaceful and doesn't get to busy. The water is not as wavy as Chaweng therefore is not as refreshing, but it is so beautiful and calm.
Choeng Mon's weekly wednesday market which again is one of the smallest pop up markets on the island, so may not be worth a visit. However if you are living / staying in Choeng Mon it is the perfect little spot to grab some street food and maybe a gift or two.
Baring in mind it is a small town on the island I wouldn't rule Choeng Mon out as a destination to pitch up hotel wise as it a very peaceful place at night so you are guaranteed a peaceful nights sleeps (unlike Chaweng) and it is is a great location with 10 minutes between Chaweng and Bo Phut. So a 100thb (£2) tuk-tuk will get you from A to B in no time.
Recommends: Food: Fareeda's Thai food and Krua Choeng Mon restaurant
Nathon
Nathon is Koh Samui's capital town, James and I go to to renew our visa's which is always in the day time, so I haven't experienced much of what Nathon has to offer. Being the capital of the island it is the islands main and centre pier therefore is a very busy destination stop for island hoppers and people going back and forth for work. Again like most of the towns on the island it holds a night market which can be the main event of the week, for Nathon it is Saturday. One thing I did notice about Nathon is has a selection of good gift shops selling counterfeit designer handbags, bohemian clothes, and all sorts of other wonderful things, each shop seems to be quite big and offer a slightly different alternative to Bo Phut and Chaweng (which are also good for shopping). So if you are looking to shop by the pier, Nathon is your place to go.
Recommends: shopping and Saturday Market
Ok, so that was my round up of all the towns on the island, I hope some of you found this interesting or a little helpful. I will be going into more detail on all things FOOD and things to do on the island in two more post before I head back home to England. I can't believe we are on the home run now, it is so scary to think we will heading home in just 14 days time!!
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