Koh Samet

[puaa]

From what I have read, White Sand Beach on the east side of the island seems to fit my needs. Any suggestions for accomodations? Thanks

[LaoPo]

From what I have read, White Sand Beach on the east side of the island seems to fit my needs. Any suggestions for accomodations? Thanks

Welcome to Thaivisa !

There have been many topics on Koh Samet.

If you type 'Koh Samet' on the top left [Google search] you will find the topics and many answers, more than you will receive here in a short period.

Good luck!

edit:

here you go

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thaiv...0D%0A&hl=en

LaoPo

Edited August 21, 2007 by LaoPo

[Jimjim]

It's alright but there are many better islands.

[jumbo]

It's alright but there are many better islands.

In the same area??

[bangkokrick]

From what I have read, White Sand Beach on the east side of the island seems to fit my needs. Any suggestions for accomodations? Thanks

Koh Samet is my favourite island and i think that you are referring to haad Saikaew beach when you mention the white sand beach. It is a fantastic beach which offers the usual activities jet ski's etc. I usually stay at Saikaew Villa and the rooms start around 500 baht for a fan room and around 1500 baht for air an con room.

Cheers, Rick

[Jimjim]

It's alright but there are many better islands.

In the same area??

At least one, yes. Many better over the whole country.

[tracer5050]

i like ko chang but that just me , Quite

[sutnyod]

From what I have read, White Sand Beach on the east side of the island seems to fit my needs. Any suggestions for accomodations? Thanks

When do you want to go? Have been there recently and the waters were infested with these firy red jellyfish....

[dantilley]

Depends what you're after but it's a very good choice of island and the closest to Bangkok. JimJim seems to be being deliberately unhelpful by not mentioning the alternative islands for some reason, but I think the other islands in the area he's referring to are Koh Chang and the others near it (Koh Mak, Koh Kood, Koh Wai and a couple of others). For Koh Samet I'd say it breaks down as follows:

Advantages:

Small island so you can walk to most places. Even places that can't be walked to can easily be reached in a few minutes by motorbike.

Very nice beaches, some of the best in Thailand.

Lively nightlife, if beach parties with Sangsom buckets are your thing.

Close to Bangkok so easy to get to and from.

It's the driest place in Thailand (apparently) so you have the best chance of sun, even during the rainy season.

Disadvantages:

Needs a bit of a clean-up in some places.

Due to the size, has a bit of a lack of infrastructure - no paved roads, no "proper" pubs and restaurants (i.e. what they have are just basic operations on the sand, very nice though, but no air conditioned, plush places. Obviously no McDonalds or anything like that. This may, of course, be an advantage to many...

Has a lot of very big mosquitoes.

Not too much to do other than lounge on the beach or do watersports. So no jungle trekking, waterfalls and elephant rides like you get on Koh Chang.

For me, one of my best Thai islands. I went there last year with my parents and they loved it too.

Koh Chang is also a very good island and has a similar break-down to the above list, but it's a bit further from Bangkok; is a much, much bigger island; doesn't have quite such a mozzie problem and has more of an infrastructure with paved roads and small towns on it and so-on. Beaches are excellent also, but not quite as good as Samet's. The others near Chang are, for me, too much of a pain in the arse to get to and too inferior to either Chang or Samet to be worth worrying about.

Hope that helps!

Edited August 23, 2007 by dantilley

[sunreader]

Jeps Bungalows....grea food on the beach at night...some of the best in the most beautiful setting for a few quid.

[Jimjim]

Yes I'm being deliberately unhelpful as I don't want to give away a surprisingly undiscovered island.

My main point. You can find something better than Ko Samet. Or, if you go there, book ahead for sure. I have bad memories.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Jimjim

[dominique355]

At the risk of getting unpopular I would say that I was not impressed at all by Kho Samet.

Started by having to buy about a 5 times increased admission fee because of my race, I hate that. (I am farang)

Then, driving on the back of a pick-up truck over bumpy dirt-roads, hitting my back everywhere is bad enough, but doing it with the terrible smell all around ... Kho Samet is one big garbage dump! What is the Park Administration doing with the admission fee? All spending it on beer or Ya bah?

No Sir! I cannot recommend Kho Samet.

I would go back to Kho Kood or any of the small island around Kho Chang anytime. I loved Kho Lao Ya, a postcard place. But difficult to reach, only by boat (speedboat or small ferry).

[speedways]

for what its worth

i spent 3 nights on koh samet last january

i stayed ar the malibu garden resort

and it was a great trip if a bit pricey

but worth every penny

would definately go back again

[chavy]

It's 5 years since I was last on Samet island. As mentioned in a previous post the price structure is not fair though. The island being deemed a National park obviously means we are ripped off by the extortionate entrance fee. As others have posted the doesn't seem to be too much entrance fee money spent on the infrastructure of the Island. As I said it was 5 years ago I went but at that time you could not take your car accross, is that still the case now? The guys running the open back pick up taxi service make a killing everytime they switch on their engine. I seem to remember it was 150BHT from my bungalow to the beach / restaurant area then the same price back, for such a short distance it's very expensive. However, apart from the overpricing for us it's really not a bad little island for a short break. Have to agree with another poster who commented on Koh Chang being better with alot more to do & there wasn't this rip off enrance fee as soon as you step off the boat/ferry.

[Kinter]

I have to add to the unimpressed group. I think Koh Samet is seriously overpriced (don't get me started on the x10 times what a local pays park entrance fee). This is mainly due to fact that you are competing with young, well off Bankokonians for a relatively small number of bungalows (a half decent bungalow starts at about 1,500bt, whereas you can get the same thing for 500bt on other islands). It also has to have all it's water brought by boat which also pumps up the prices. It is in parts a rubbish tip just 50m in from the shore as there is nowhere to put the rubbish (it is a very small, thin island).

Really if you're willing to put in a few more hrs travel time there are far far nicer islands in Thailand. koh Chang, kho Phangnan(north end) and Koh Lanta to name but a few.

[Sporting Dog]

I'm with the naysayers - overpriced, too noisy and crowded and its too easy to find much better places in LOS. I ended up in hospital after food poisoning last time I was there but I guess that could happen anywhere.

[Furbie]

It used to be one of my favorite destinations (especially for a weekend getaway out of BKK); now it’s overpriced, polluted and too crowded. Yet another victim of the Thai island tourism cycle.