Life in Thailand: Koh Samed: Expectations and Recommendations

Ao Phrao Bay of Koh Samed island. Tiger'n'Bird have always enjoyed staying at Le Vimarn Cottages & Spa or the more affordable Lima Coco Resort.

The real charm of Koh Samet exists in the huge variety of available experiences. White sand beaches are located in a myriad of small bays situated around the island. Larger beaches are typically shared by multiple resorts, with smaller beaches occupied by single resorts. Visitors can rent motorcycles, ATVs, or simply take one of many green pickup taxis and visit one beach after the other, buy a drink or grab a quick snack and experience all that the island has to offer. The rocky beaches in the north give way to wide, hot white sand beaches located in the national park. Towards the south, the white sand beaches become even more pristine; with shimmering aqua waters running up into sunny beaches wonderfully shaded by mangroves (Ao Wai beach). In the south, the beaches become wild and rocky once again, with a variety of aquatic life providing fun snorkeling potential.

Situated about 200km to Bangkok’s southeast, the small island of Koh Samed (area 13.1 square km or 5.1 square miles) has long been a favorite getway for those seeking a weekend and a day away from the big city. Sometimes spelled “Samed” and other times “Samet” – yes, yes, we all long for the day when an official transliteration exists – the island is shaped somewhat like a stretched triangle, with the town and populated area located at the wide northern face, closest to the mainland, and stretching down to a small point to the south.

How to get to Koh Samed
By Car. About a 3 hour, 200km drive to one of the piers. Parking may be complementary or otherwise depending on where you choose to stay on the island. Negotiate directly with your preferred hotel to park for multiple days if switching locations multiple times on the island (if parking at public pier, this is unnecessary).
Bus or Van. About a 4-6 hour trip, inclusive of multiple stops, depending on option selected. Trip originates at Ekkamai Station (bus) or Victory Monument (van).

This island has a huge variety of experiences – white sand beaches next to nearly-deserted resorts during the off-season; a beach town along a long white-sand beach replete with nightlife options and fire shows; and for the last six years, a five-star resort that presents a more luxurious option (this place is almost always fully booked for the weekends!). Resorts opposite the mainland – on the north face of the island – have waters that may be somewhat polluted and appear less clean, with ships coming and going throughout the day. However, this northern area hosts the only resorts on the island outside of the national park. Fees are required for entry to the national park, which includes the southern resorts and the main island beach of “Sai Kaew”.

Venders selling goods along the Hat Sai Kaew beach just as dusk begins to fall

Sai Kaew is lined with hotels and hosts crowds of tourists by day and many seaside dining options and fireshows by night. As a general rule, the further south the resort is located from Hat Sai Kaew, the more isolated the area is and the more pristine and untouched the white sand beaches are (think National Geographic photos of tropical islands). In case you're in doubt, check out the photos below!

Wong Duean beach near the midpoint down the island, with a shared beach between three or four resorts.

A woman stares out over the aqua waters off of Ao Wai beach at a darkening sky

Piers and Ferries
On the mainland, there are two main public ferry piers and several private piers to service specific hotels on Koh Samed. From here, visitors can take the regular ferries - which are cheaper and tend to leave for the 30-minute trip on the hour or when filled to capacity - or pay the higher fare for a direct speedboat trip to either the public pier or a specific hotel. The private ferry piers have nicer waiting facilities and typically complimentary ferry service directly to your hotel.

Mainland Piers
Nuanthip Pier. Main public pier, primarily used by tourists. Final destination for most buses and vans coming directly from Bangkok.
Sri Ban Phe Pier. Another public pier. Mostly known and used by Thai travelers.
Additional piers in use by hotels that own and operate their own ferries, arranging transport for customers.

Nuanthip Pier's main entrance can be seen in Photo 1 below, with the wood pier in (2), and waiting area at the end of the pier in (3). Photo 4 shows a common ferry. Ferries are color-coded, and Nuanthip's ferries are typically a combination of dark and light blue colors.

Sri Ban Phe Pier's main entrance can be seen in Photo 1, below. This pier is concrete, and offers a "songtaew" service to take passengers out to where the ferries are docked. Photo 2 is a view of the mainland from the ferry. Sri Ban Phe's ferries are a combination of bright purple and pink.

Lodging
Tiger and Bird typically shy away from recommending hotels or hostels at various locations since there is so much good information on popular booking websites! However, with Koh Samed, the amount of information available can be vast, confusing, and just plainly outdated. Below are some places that we've had excellent experiences at.

Paradee Resort. Ao Kio beach. Romantic. The most expensive and ONLY five-star hotel is found on the southern side of the island. Very quiet private beach and wonderful service. Relatively far from the town.
Le Vimarn Cottages & Spa. Ao Prao beach. Romantic or family-oriented. Higher-priced option on the beautiful bay of Ao Prao (the first picture in this article). The hotel is beautiful and private, and only a short trip from the town. Taxis and motorcycle rentals readily available.
Lima Coco Resort. Ao Prao beach. Family-oriented. Affordable. Beautiful resort nestled in the middle of Ao Prao bay. Perpetually sold out on weekends (and weekdays during the tourist seasons!), visitors must book several weeks in advance to guarantee a spot!
Vongdeuan Resort. Ao Wong Duean beach. Romantic or family-oriented. Affordable to higher-priced. Beautiful white sand beach shared between multiple resorts. Consider it a miniature version of the town's Sai Kaew beach, but with a quieter, and less crowded feel to it.
Samet Ville Resort. Ao Wai beach. More family-oriented? This resort is very quiet at night, and can be a great way to just get away from the city. **Disclaimer: Tiger and Bird have NOT stayed at this resort recently - our last overnight visit was about five years ago - but we often stop by to order a cocktail and enjoy lounging on the brilliant white sand beach** We consider this beach to have just about the most authentic feel on Koh Samet, hitting all the architypes of the traditional "tropical beach" one might imagine. White sand, not raked or modified? Check. Low-lying "mangrove" trees sitting at the water's edge? Check. Tropical smoothies and fruit juices available for a small price ($3 each)? Check. Even if you don't stay here, grab a blanket, rent a motorcycle, and be sure to visit!

Now, what about Food?
Note how we don't really mention food anywhere- Tiger has the theory that island fare is just that, island fare. Now Ao Phrao Bay has a passable pizza place ("italian") and there are some decent Thai dishes at the Lima Coco Resort, but by and large across Koh Samed, the food quality isn't that great and prices tend to be rather high. We recommend you simply enjoy the affordable drinks, fire shows, and tropical beauty with friends, loved ones, and family!

Professional pre-wedding photoshoot of a young couple on the Ao Wai beach.

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Switched things up a bit this time and tried to provide more information that can be readily used by people - you, specifically! - who might plan on visiting Koh Samed. The information provided here is current to 2018. Next post we'll detail more about our weekend trip to Samet. Until then, that's all folks!

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