Discovering Koh Samet: What to do and my own experiences and impressions

The trip to Koh Samet didn’t take long, although it was tiring. I flew out at 6 a.m. from Chiang Mai, then a cab to the airport, an hour’s wait, a mini van to the ferry, another hour’s wait, a 45-minute cruise and we arrived on the island’s coast. When I got off in the main town, in the middle of a really crowded street, after a few minutes’ ride in a local cab, I had doubts – is this really the paradise island I had heard so much about? It took me a long time to shake off the rather negative impression. The crowd on the main beach, the noise and the poor dinner, with which I paid quite a lot for Thailand, discouraged me a bit. However, I gave myself time and after 2 days I was lost and found that it was one of the most beautiful places I had seen in Thailand.

Koh Samet is a popular island because it is very close to Bangkok. It is about a 2-hour drive by car from the capital. Tickets for public transportation are cheap and crowds flock to Koh Samet on the weekend. I arrived there on Friday afternoon. That’s why the island was so crowded. However, I quickly found out that there are beautiful, quiet corners on it, and the beaches are like taken out of a travel catalog. If you are going to Koh Samet, I have a few tips for you that will make you like the island for sure.

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My experiences on Koh Samet – Impressions and thoughts

Koh Samet is located in the southeast of the country. It just so happened that I was planning to go towards Koh Kud and had 3 weeks to fill my time. So I decided to stop for a few days on Koh Samet. However, it took a long time to make this decision. Earlier, during my month in Chiang Mai, where I was on a workation, I kept putting off booking rides and hotels. I was convinced that it didn’t matter when I made the reservation, even though I was aware that it was peak season, and I was supposed to get there on the weekend, when most people descend there. I was very surprised, because it turned out that there were hardly any vacancies on Koh Samet in my budget, and I was forced to book a hotel that did not have the best reviews and was quite expensive for its standard. I had no choice here.

I had to walk to the hotel, passing stalls, loud music bars and a few sellers on the way. Squeezing through the crowd, I felt slightly disappointed with the island. My accommodation was not the worst. The room was clean, but in need of renovation. On the plus side, there was easy access to the beach, which I went to right away. I sat down at a table to drink a cold beer and again – I felt disappointed. It was crowded and noisy, almost like my hometown Leba in high season. At one time I would probably have been satisfied, but now I was 43 years old and had no desire to relax in such a place.

The other day I rented a scooter, which cost me 400 THB per day, and took a tour of the island. I quickly found a small beach called Ao Chor with two reagge bars and a small restaurant serving sandwiches and Thai food. I spread out a blanket and stepped into the blue water, which cooled my heat-weary body wonderfully. Only then did I feel that I was on a paradise island and that here I could relax.

I spent 5 days on Koh Samet. Every day I went to a different beach, although I kept coming back to Ao Chor, which I liked best. On my last day I lounged on Ao Wai beach, which delighted me. It is probably the most beautiful beach on the island and being there, I unequivocally concluded that Koh Samet is a super place to relax.

My only disappointment that (literally) left a distaste was the food. Thanks to the Thais coming here from Bangkok, Koh Samet has a good selection of street food, but in 5 days I could absolutely not find anything that was of good quality and also had a good and comparable price to that quality. I only ate good pad thai once at one of the beach resorts. I paid 200 THB for it. If you know a bit about prices in Thailand, you know that this pad thai cost quite a bit. That’s why I won’t give you a restaurant in this post, because I really can’t recommend anything. I can, however, recommend you nice beaches that you will be happy/satisfied with.

What to see and do on Koh Samet?

Visit the most beautiful beaches in Thailand

Koh Samet really has a lot of them. The main beach is Sai Kaew. It is located in the town with the most hotels. There are also stores, restaurants and as many as two 7-11’s. The beach stretches south. Right next to it is Ao Hin Khok, which is already a bit quieter, although there is quite a crowd here as well.

As I mentioned, my favorite beach was Ao Chor, and I liked it because there were hardly any people on it. Only in the evening and afternoon did people flock here to the bar, but even then it wasn’t terribly crowded.

A big surprise for me was the Ao Nuan beach, which is reached by a bumpy and steep road. Then you just have to walk through the old resort and you are on the beach. There are no people there at all. There were a few people who were guests at the resort during my stay. Other than that, it was quiet and peaceful and I had the beach to myself.

The most beautiful island is Ao Wai. The water here is like the Maldives, the sand is as white and soft as flour. Because of its charm, a lot of tourists come here. There is also a large resort on the beach. Around 2 to 3 p.m., everyone heads to the restaurant or to the cottages and then you can enjoy the beach all to yourself.

Visit the island on a motorbike

Koh Samet is probably the safest island in Thailand. Every few meters there are bumpers on the roadway, which effectively stops people from driving like crazy. Renting a scooter on the island costs about 400 THB per day. This is the standard price in the south. The scooter doesn’t have to have great power. A Honda Click or Zoomer will suffice. The island has no hills and the roads are good to ride a small scooter on.

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I rented my scooter from a tiny store in town. Almost all hotels offer scooters, so you don’t have to walk around looking for a suitable place. To rent a scooter, you need to leave your passport with the owner. It’s also a good idea to take photos of all damage and scratches.

Keep in mind that to legally drive a scooter in Thailand, you must have a Category A driver’s license and an international driver’s license. You can also make a driving license in Thailand. Good travel insurance is not required, but it’s a good idea to get it before you go. Also make sure it insures you in case of scooter accidents.

Try some water sports

Koh Samet offers many water sports options. There are a couple of schools on the island that organize courses and trips out to sea. Check out Ploy Diving at Sai Kaew beach.

Snorkeling is very popular on the island. Masks are available for purchase at stalls in town or for rent at hotels. Snorkeling expeditions for a full day or half day are also organized.

At many beaches you can also rent a kayak or SUP. Equipment is rented by the hour. It’s worth trying these sports at quieter beaches, such as Ao Nuan or Ao Wai.

Drive to the very end of the island

At the very tip of the island you will find Sunset and Sunrise Viewpoints. This is a beautiful corner that a lot of people visit during their stay on Koh Samet. It offers a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Even during the day it is beautiful here, although it can be very hot at times. There are a couple of benches in the shade of the trees, where travelers like to wait for the sunset in the evenings. If you don’t have a scooter, there are sunset cab rides from the town. Just approach the driver and ask.

Trek around Koh Samet

This is something I haven’t tried on Koh Samet myself, but I’ve seen a lot of people go there to trek along the main road. The route is straightforward and leads from the town of Sai Kaew south to the viewpoint. For me, this is a rather extreme option, because in this heat, even in the evening I probably wouldn’t be able to walk these few kilometers. If you do decide to do such an activity, be aware that after sunset, packs of dogs come out of the forest, which are fed by the islanders. They didn’t seem threatening to me, but I was just passing by on my scooter. I don’t know how they react to pedestrians.

Summary – What I liked and disliked about Koh Samet

In my opinion, Koh Samet is a fantastic island. I really liked the beaches here. It was a real surprise, because actually the photos I saw on the Internet reflected the beauty of the area. I even liked the main beach, where I saw crowds during the weekends. Just before I left, the beach was empty, wide and I really enjoyed walking there.

Koh Samet, however, for me does not have a special atmosphere similar to what you can experience on other islands. It’s hard to find that relaxation there, characteristic of places like Koh Tao or Koh Mak. Maybe that’s because it attracts a completely different clientele. Lots of families, couples, older expats with young Thai women and Asian tourists here.

My biggest disappointment here was the food. I don’t know how it is possible that there is practically no place on the island where you can eat well. The worse place in this regard for me was Railay Beach. Hopefully, the gastronomy on Koh Samet will improve in the future.

Is it worth visiting Koh Samut? Yes, absolutely yes! The island is beautiful and will be perfect for you if you want to relax and see beautiful beaches.

Koh Samet – How to get there? Where to stay? How to move around?

You can get to Koh Samet very easily from Bangkok. From the capital, mini vans leave every hour. You can catch them from Ekkamai station, for example. The trip takes about 3 hours. You will arrive at Ban Phe – a ferry landing where you can buy a boat ticket for about 100-200 THB. A cab will be waiting for you on the other side. Getting to the town is very quick and you will pay 20 THB for the fare.

I travelled to Koh Samet from Chiang Mai. I took the first flight to Bangkok at 6 am. Then I caught a cab to Ekkamai, by 9 I was already sitting in a van to Ban Phe.

You can book your mini van and ferry tickets online or buy them on the spot.

Koh Samet offers quite a selection of hotels and resorts. If you’re going there for a weekend and/or during peak season, it’s a good idea to book well in advance. Sai Keaw is the main towns and there you have everything at hand. However, the streets and the beach can be crowded. At other beaches you will find peace and quiet.

I stayed at Sin Samud. The hotel is right on the beach. The rooms are OK, nothing special and in need of renovation. For a few days, however, such a standard was enough for me. I can also recommend Candle Resort, which seems to me a really pleasant place to stay. The beach next to it was not so beautiful, but you can always rent a scooter or catch a cab and go somewhere else.

You can rent a scooter on the island, but if you don’t want to do that, you can always catch a cab. So-called songteaws, or pick ups, drive all over the island and will get you where you want to go. You can catch them on the road. In Sai Kaew they stand at a small traffic circle. The fare should not cost you much. You can also arrange with the driver to drive around the island or come to pick you up at a certain time.

Koh Samet is a beautiful island that is easy and inexpensive to get to. Head here for a few days to see for yourself that the beaches here can rival those in the Seychelles or the Maldives. I’m sure your stay here will be one of the best. Let’s just hope the restaurants serve better food!