Getting Around

[Super Hans]

How easy is it to get around Samui and KPN? I don't do motorcycles in any form, so rely on buses and feet in the main. Are there buses that link the beaches in Samui? Is KPN small enough to walk from place to place? Are tuk tuks as big a rip off there than they are here in phuket?

[Lite Beer]

How easy is it to get around Samui and KPN? I don't do motorcycles in any form, so rely on buses and feet in the main. Are there buses that link the beaches in Samui? Is KPN small enough to walk from place to place? Are tuk tuks as big a rip off there than they are here in phuket?

Samui has Sonkteaws (spelling) during the days. Avoid the ripoff taxis.

Night time , only taxis. You could learn to drive a motorbike but the roads are very dangerous.

Suggest you stay near where you want to go out at nights.

[sbk]

Ditto for koh Phangan, songthaews or minivans (no taxis tho). it is not that small and unless you really like a nice long walk, certainly not small enough to walk around. Also, better to stay near where you want to go out at night.

[lazeeboy]

you could go to tesco lotus and buy a pushbike for a couple of thousand baht ,then when you leave donate it to a temple for the poor ,using taxi's will cost you more in the long run ,and you'll get fit..

[mattias33]

Dont forget the bike-taxis. They are usable for shorter distance, and most of them are ok priced if you bargain. Otherwise songthaews as already mentioned (also those needs to be bargained, especially if you get one on Chaweng beachroad he will try to overcharge you).

Yellow cabs i keep my little "Thaivisa-campain" and say to every tourist whenever i get the chans: Dont use them!!! Ever!!

[koheesti]

How easy is it to get around Samui and KPN? I don't do motorcycles in any form, so rely on buses and feet in the main. Are there buses that link the beaches in Samui? Is KPN small enough to walk from place to place? Are tuk tuks as big a rip off there than they are here in phuket?

I'm the same - don't drive a car or ride a bike. I walk around my area or if I need to go more than 1-2 km take a songtow. Wave them over, tell the driver where you want to go, ask how much and get in the back. There's a button to push when you want to get off. Then pay the driver.

When I first arrived I thought no way in hel_l I'd get on a motorbike taxi but did it once and got a kick out of it. Just tell him no hurry if he speeds and weaves otherwise your chances of surviving drop dramtically. Motorbike taxis aren't as common where I live so what I'll sometimes do is go to the bar next door and offer one of the workers some cash for a ride. Better they get it anyhow.

Yellow taxis - AVOID them. I was approached by a taxi while walking to a firend's place. I told him it was a couple minutes away by car (10 minute walk) and he still wanted 300 baht. I offered 100 and he declined. Better to sit in your taxi waiting for the "big score" than make 100 baht for 2 minutes work, I guess.

Edited January 18, 2008 by koheesti

[Super Hans]

Thanks. Sounds much easier to navigate than phuket.

[Super Hans]

How easy is it to get around Samui and KPN? I don't do motorcycles in any form, so rely on buses and feet in the main. Are there buses that link the beaches in Samui? Is KPN small enough to walk from place to place? Are tuk tuks as big a rip off there than they are here in phuket?

When I first arrived I thought no way in hel_l I'd get on a motorbike taxi but did it once and got a kick out of it. Just tell him no hurry if he speeds and weaves otherwise your chances of surviving drop dramtically. Motorbike taxis aren't as common where I live so what I'll sometimes do is go to the bar next door and offer one of the workers some cash for a ride. Better they get it anyhow.

I'm actually looking forward to going somewhere where there are few motorcycle taxis, whose drivers rank only slightly above slugs in my views. They should be shot on sight here in Phuket.

How about accommodation? Is it easy to pick up reasonably cheap guesthouse rooms, say less than a 1000 a night? Is there plenty of availability at this time of year?

[mattias33]

How easy is it to get around Samui and KPN? I don't do motorcycles in any form, so rely on buses and feet in the main. Are there buses that link the beaches in Samui? Is KPN small enough to walk from place to place? Are tuk tuks as big a rip off there than they are here in phuket?

When I first arrived I thought no way in hel_l I'd get on a motorbike taxi but did it once and got a kick out of it. Just tell him no hurry if he speeds and weaves otherwise your chances of surviving drop dramtically. Motorbike taxis aren't as common where I live so what I'll sometimes do is go to the bar next door and offer one of the workers some cash for a ride. Better they get it anyhow.

I'm actually looking forward to going somewhere where there are few motorcycle taxis, whose drivers rank only slightly above slugs in my views. They should be shot on sight here in Phuket.

How about accommodation? Is it easy to pick up reasonably cheap guesthouse rooms, say less than a 1000 a night? Is there plenty of availability at this time of year?

As you know, you get what you pay for so to speak. In Samui in general its no problem to find accomondation for that price. But it is all depending on what you want. In Chaweng nice beach with a mega nightlife and 1000 highclass restaurants the budget is a bit low, and considering that you dont drive yourself i think you can forget Chaweng. 1000 / night would take you up in the mountain somewhere with nothing within walking distance. On the other hand Ban Rak village for instans you get a beachroom for 800, also now in the highseason, but its a smaler village and not as much to choose from, and the beach is not as nice as chaweng but still swimmable.

If you go for the price only there is always Nathon, with no beach, and less than 5 bars and not so much restaurants. Quite frankly i cant see any tourist want to stay there longer than 2 days, except for the prices. You get a good room there for 400/night.

So its the same as all over the world: Where alot of people want to stay, its expensive, where nobody want to stay its dirt cheap. You just have to find your balance between the two. There is alot to choose from all over the island, and 1000/night will give you a nice room also in the highseason.

Good luck