KOH SAMET HOLIDAY REVIEWS
Koh Samet
Book Koh Samet hotels with:
Aidan Dunbar. Date of travel: Jul 2005
Compared to the rest of Thailand, Koh Samet is extremely expensive, especially in terms of internet access, transport and food. The island is reasonably large, but the lack of footpaths means that the Songthaew taxis must be used to get anywhere if you are using one of the more remote resorts. The Island is a national park, with the entrance being about a kilometre from the main harbour. It is possible to bypass the 200 baht entrance fee by deciding at the mainland which hotel you are going to be using and catching a speedboat directly to the relevant beach. However, you are stuck without a Park Pass so you still have to pay if you go into the town (unless you “leave your pass in your room�). Getting to the island involves a half hour boat trip from a harbour 20 minutes drive from Rayong Bus Station (Rayong is around 2-3 hours from Bangkok via Air-con bus). After a storm this short crossing can be quite bumpy and even people in our group who regularly sail where suffering from sea sickness. After the sea had calmed down though, the water was remarkably clear providing good snorkelling conditions. Our hoteliers helped to arrange a speedboat trip around the whole island incorporating a visit to a fish farm and 2 stops for snorkelling. Sea Kayaking is quite popular here and most beaches have a place (or two) where you can rent them. Seriously, give it a go – really fun if you are in a group. There can sometimes be a bit of litter washed up onto the beaches, but on the main beaches this is often cleared away relatively quickly, so it isn’t too much of a problem. Watch out for stray rope on the more remote parts of the island though. Nightlife on Koh Samet finishes at about 2am, with taxis pretty much stopped by 3am. It would have been nice for someone to tell us this rather than us having to find it out the hard way and having to walk the 5 kilometres home in the dark. Other than that, stop by at Tok’s Little Bar and Naga Bar would always be happy of some custom – Naga Bar even has a purpose built dance floor! I have never been to any of the other Thai islands, but by my limited experience Koh Samet is quite a nice place and all the residents are really helpful and friendly. Tour Operator: World Challenge Expeditions (Team Challenge)
Compared to the rest of Thailand, Koh Samet is extremely expensive, especially in terms of internet access, transport and food. The island is reasonably large, but the lack of footpaths means that the Songthaew taxis must be used to get anywhere if you are using one of the more remote resorts. The Island is a national park, with the entrance being about a kilometre from the main harbour. It is possible to bypass the 200 baht entrance fee by deciding at the mainland which hotel you are going to be using and catching a speedboat directly to the relevant beach. However, you are stuck without a Park Pass so you still have to pay if you go into the town (unless you “leave your pass in your room�). Getting to the island involves a half hour boat trip from a harbour 20 minutes drive from Rayong Bus Station (Rayong is around 2-3 hours from Bangkok via Air-con bus). After a storm this short crossing can be quite bumpy and even people in our group who regularly sail where suffering from sea sickness. After the sea had calmed down though, the water was remarkably clear providing good snorkelling conditions. Our hoteliers helped to arrange a speedboat trip around the whole island incorporating a visit to a fish farm and 2 stops for snorkelling. Sea Kayaking is quite popular here and most beaches have a place (or two) where you can rent them. Seriously, give it a go – really fun if you are in a group. There can sometimes be a bit of litter washed up onto the beaches, but on the main beaches this is often cleared away relatively quickly, so it isn’t too much of a problem. Watch out for stray rope on the more remote parts of the island though. Nightlife on Koh Samet finishes at about 2am, with taxis pretty much stopped by 3am. It would have been nice for someone to tell us this rather than us having to find it out the hard way and having to walk the 5 kilometres home in the dark. Other than that, stop by at Tok’s Little Bar and Naga Bar would always be happy of some custom – Naga Bar even has a purpose built dance floor! I have never been to any of the other Thai islands, but by my limited experience Koh Samet is quite a nice place and all the residents are really helpful and friendly. Tour Operator: World Challenge Expeditions (Team Challenge)
