Feedback On 8 Nights Stay On Samui

[dwoon]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

- Traffic condition is considered alright but the roads are really in bad shape. Even the major landmark like the "Big Buddha".... the road leading in is a real killer for any car's shocks.

- The food prices is high in general. A fried rice/noodles in an eatery cost anywhere from 80 to 120 bahts. These prices are no different from where I come from (Singapore). Up market restaurants prices are also on the high side (Like Dr Frogs & Zico's).

- Internet is expensive and not as widely available as I was expecting.

- Roads are really muddy and dusty. Even if it didn't rain, the roads would have water puddles and mud. (probably caused by people purposedly wetting the roads.... wonder why)

- Somehow, the service & attitude of the Thais on Samui doesn't seem sincere nor as nice as compared to those in Phuket or Bangkok. The Seatrans Ferry ticketing booth attendant was rather rude on both Samui & Donsak locations.

- Alot of shops don't seem to open till past 2pm.

- Tiger zoo was really expensive for that level/standard.

- Beach front areas like Chaweng or Lamai have narrow roads and proper parking lots were hard to find (so parked by the side of the road at times and was told to move off by the shops at times)

- I didn't feel the place to be any more dangerous as compared to say Phuket, Bali or Bangkok.

Well, it wasn't too bad a stay...... though things can be improved. I would probably return for another trip..... but not too soon though.

[Wellington]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

- Traffic condition is considered alright but the roads are really in bad shape. Even the major landmark like the "Big Buddha".... the road leading in is a real killer for any car's shocks.

- The food prices is high in general. A fried rice/noodles in an eatery cost anywhere from 80 to 120 bahts. These prices are no different from where I come from (Singapore). Up market restaurants prices are also on the high side (Like Dr Frogs & Zico's).

- Internet is expensive and not as widely available as I was expecting.

- Roads are really muddy and dusty. Even if it didn't rain, the roads would have water puddles and mud. (probably caused by people purposedly wetting the roads.... wonder why)

- Somehow, the service & attitude of the Thais on Samui doesn't seem sincere nor as nice as compared to those in Phuket or Bangkok. The Seatrans Ferry ticketing booth attendant was rather rude on both Samui & Donsak locations.

- Alot of shops don't seem to open till past 2pm.

- Tiger zoo was really expensive for that level/standard.

- Beach front areas like Chaweng or Lamai have narrow roads and proper parking lots were hard to find (so parked by the side of the road at times and was told to move off by the shops at times)

- I didn't feel the place to be any more dangerous as compared to say Phuket, Bali or Bangkok.

Well, it wasn't too bad a stay...... though things can be improved. I would probably return for another trip..... but not too soon though.

As you say

It's nicer in Phuket,

and you don't ruin your car wherever you go

Edited February 4, 2009 by Wellington

[koheesti]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

[game4shame]

Up market restaurants prices are also on the high side (Like Dr Frogs & Zico's).

I made the mistake of going to dr frogs recently - B400 for a vegetable lasagne. I was expecting a whopping slice of lasagne, filled with fresh vegetables, accompanied by a nice salad and possibly some newly baked bread.....

....I got a tiny piece of layered pasta with the odd bit of spinach or the like. that's it.

I don't mind paying up if I'm getting quality but I will not be going back there.

[mattias33]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

Fishermans village is nice, but the pricesituation op describes in Chaweng is hardly any better in fishermans nowadays. Most places there are expensive.

Where else on the island did your friend go in his 2 weeks here, just as comparission?

[maccaroni man]

Up market restaurants prices are also on the high side (Like Dr Frogs & Zico's).

I made the mistake of going to dr frogs recently - B400 for a vegetable lasagne. I was expecting a whopping slice of lasagne, filled with fresh vegetables, accompanied by a nice salad and possibly some newly baked bread.....

....I got a tiny piece of layered pasta with the odd bit of spinach or the like. that's it.

I don't mind paying up if I'm getting quality but I will not be going back there.

agree, I will not return even if the bill isn't being paid by me. I found the service very slow, the food just average and the prices way out of line with the quality.

[dwoon]

Unfortunately I did not drive inside but bypassed it on my way to the Big Buddha.

I drove into the mountains to find out what Magic garden was ..... and was I disappointed to find some statues planted into the hillside. It was interesting though as I dorve through a durian plantation which were bearing huge fruits, when some trees were barely 3 meters tall. Bought one to try in town and was I dissapointed. If any of you are wondering.... the real durians would smell 3 to 4 times stronger.... and its taste would be sweet & creamy. What I got was watery and it tasted like pineapples. I was expecting inferior quality from Thai durians.... but this was really

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

[Boater]

I made the mistake of going to dr frogs recently - B400 for a vegetable lasagne. I was expecting a whopping slice of lasagne, filled with fresh vegetables, accompanied by a nice salad and possibly some newly baked bread.....

....I got a tiny piece of layered pasta with the odd bit of spinach or the like. that's it.

I don't mind paying up if I'm getting quality but I will not be going back there.

i ordered the pasta once and thought they had given me a child's portion !!!

how they won the Thailand Tatler Award for 2008 is anyones guess!!... unless it is judged the same as the Thailand Property Awards

[Birdman]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

You mean favourite part in the evening?

[Birdman]

As you say

It's nicer in Phuket,

and you don't ruin your car wherever you go

So far nobody said, that it is nicer in Phuket, except you.

re ruin car: Most Samui folks drive Pick Ups and SUVs.

[koheesti]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

Fishermans village is nice, but the pricesituation op describes in Chaweng is hardly any better in fishermans nowadays. Most places there are expensive.

Where else on the island did your friend go in his 2 weeks here, just as comparission?

The OP describes much more than just the price situation and I wasn't putting FV out there as a cheap place. Prices in FV aren't cheap but the atmosphere is head and shoulders above the rest of the island IMO and I'm sure I'm not alone in that belief (as prevous threads on this forum have proven). So if anyplace on Samui would have higher prices, you'd expect it to be FV.

As for where else we went, here's an incomplete list - Nathon (ate near one of the waterfalls), Bophut (several places along the ring road not far from the Bophut stoplight including that night market & a Thai 24-hour place), Lamai (the Swiss place on the corner nearby the girlie bars), Chaweng (seafood on the beach, at Kush, Ark Bar + others), Maenam/Bophhut (the famous crab place), Bangrak (Olive Tree, + others), Choeng Mon maybe (remember going, not sure if we ate), KPG-Thong Sala (Beck's), KPG-Haad Rin along the beach someplace. His last nights he was very happy just to go to FV as it was his favorite spot.

[mattias33]

Just returned from 8 nights on Samui.

As a 1st time tourist there, this is what I noticed/observed about the place and thought I'd just put this up.

Thanks for the post.

Did you get to Fisherman's Village? I just had a friend staying for two weeks and FV was his favorite part of Samui by far.

Fishermans village is nice, but the pricesituation op describes in Chaweng is hardly any better in fishermans nowadays. Most places there are expensive.

Where else on the island did your friend go in his 2 weeks here, just as comparission?

The OP describes much more than just the price situation and I wasn't putting FV out there as a cheap place. Prices in FV aren't cheap but the atmosphere is head and shoulders above the rest of the island IMO and I'm sure I'm not alone in that belief (as prevous threads on this forum have proven). So if anyplace on Samui would have higher prices, you'd expect it to be FV.

As for where else we went, here's an incomplete list - Nathon (ate near one of the waterfalls), Bophut (several places along the ring road not far from the Bophut stoplight including that night market & a Thai 24-hour place), Lamai (the Swiss place on the corner nearby the girlie bars), Chaweng (seafood on the beach, at Kush, Ark Bar + others), Maenam/Bophhut (the famous crab place), Bangrak (Olive Tree, + others), Choeng Mon maybe (remember going, not sure if we ate), KPG-Thong Sala (Beck's), KPG-Haad Rin along the beach someplace. His last nights he was very happy just to go to FV as it was his favorite spot.

Fair enough. On that list i would also rank "Fv" on the top. Absolutely no question about it. And for a married man (like myself) or for a man that not nessesarily look for women (koheesti and maybe friends? ) fv is a bit higher style nightime than the rest of the island wich (at least night-time) focus a bit more on the "other stuff". And you do get pretty descent pricing on for instans seafood in fishermans village still. Allthough for a man that call chaweng "pricy" i still dont think i would reccomend fishermans village. Op seams to be "thai-oriented" so to speak, knowing that 80-120 baht for fried rice/noodles is way to much in thailand, and for that reason only fishermans village as the tourist spot it now has become is out of the picture. Dont get me wrong, i like fishermans.

Sidequestion: is there a waterfall in Nathon???? .(you talk about na muang?). Seems to me you took him to mostly shitty places except for fishermans so no wonder that became his favorite spot on the island. Both chaweng and lamai for sure has places to offer that would match anything in fishermans village both pricewise and qualitywise, but then again it is offcourse a point of validity were you stay and whats close. If i stay in lamai i wouldnt bother going to fishermans village, but if i stayed in bophut i wouldnt bother going to lamai. They are both tourist spots and everything is availibe in both places. Nothing more, nothing less in either place if you ask me.

[Birdman]

Quiet interesting the criterias from a first time visitor from SIN:

- Traffic condition

- The food prices

- Internet

- Roads

- the service & attitude of the Thais on Samui

- shops

- Tiger zoo

- proper parking lots were hard to find

- dangerous

How was the beach??

BTW the main criteria from European tourists on a beach destination...

[BusyBee123]

I think some europeans criteria is comfortable seating outside 7/11 to drink their beer purchases.

[dwoon]

Yes, I noticed that many caucasians (dunno if they were europeans) like to hang about just outside the 7/11 outlets in Lamai or Chaweng to have their beers.

I think some europeans criteria is comfortable seating outside 7/11 to drink their beer purchases.

[dwoon]

Well, I didn't do much of the beaches. The only one that I went to was where I stayed in north Lamai.

The sand was fine and waters clean (but not crystal clear). There seemed to some natural breakwater about 250 meters out and at low tide, I could see many wading out upto those distances and it'd be like waist deep. So it was basically sheltered and no strong waves.

As a 1st visit, I didn't laze about on the beach .... but spent more time driving around the island.

Quiet interesting the criterias from a first time visitor from SIN:

- Traffic condition

- The food prices

- Internet

- Roads

- the service & attitude of the Thais on Samui

- shops

- Tiger zoo

- proper parking lots were hard to find

- dangerous

How was the beach??

BTW the main criteria from European tourists on a beach destination...

[game4shame]

Up market restaurants prices are also on the high side (Like Dr Frogs & Zico's).

I made the mistake of going to dr frogs recently - B400 for a vegetable lasagne. I was expecting a whopping slice of lasagne, filled with fresh vegetables, accompanied by a nice salad and possibly some newly baked bread.....

....I got a tiny piece of layered pasta with the odd bit of spinach or the like. that's it.

I don't mind paying up if I'm getting quality but I will not be going back there.

agree, I will not return even if the bill isn't being paid by me. I found the service very slow, the food just average and the prices way out of line with the quality.

i ordered the pasta once and thought they had given me a child's portion !!!

how they won the Thailand Tatler Award for 2008 is anyones guess!!... unless it is judged the same as the Thailand Property Awards

I actually thought I was on candid camera or you've been framed or something when they served up my meal. it was absolutely pathetic - I thought it must be top notch lasagne before it's such a small slice but it was very very average. not a varied selection of vegetables inside either. no salad or bread or anything to go with it. place is a joke.

loads of other places to eat in samui though - bauhaus bistro in lamai is a favourite, as is one of the seafood restaurants down the lamai walking street. forgot the name.

[BusyBee123]

Sidequestion: is there a waterfall in Nathon????

probably went to hin lat waterfall (if you can call it that)

[Lite Beer]

loads of other places to eat in samui though - bauhaus bistro in lamai is a favourite,

That closed down a few months ago.

[animatic]

There is a waterfall in Nathon.

And there is good food from 80 baht with beer up to $200 without wine.

I have had good dinners at Dr. Frogs but found the prices a bit up. Good pizza.

But Antica Locanda in Banrak is more real italian.

You can find most anything here, except a pressed duck, or roast rappit.

But there is a HUGE shake out of restaurants here right now.

To many for the available trade.

So the winnowing is ongoing.

Remember the food has ferry fees tacked on to supply costs,

so it will be a bit up compared to mailand costs. It IS an island.

Still I can eat well for a week on around 1,500 baht if I want to.

I usually don't want to though.

Edited February 8, 2009 by animatic

[Boater]

loads of other places to eat in samui though - bauhaus bistro in lamai is a favourite,

That closed down a few months ago.

it looked open yesterday?

but Bauhaus night club was being knocked down yesterday........

also a very good restaurant to try is Sala Thai

[Lite Beer]

loads of other places to eat in samui though - bauhaus bistro in lamai is a favourite,

That closed down a few months ago.

it looked open yesterday?

but Bauhaus night club was being knocked down yesterday........

It was all closed up when I was there in December. Maybe Shamrock or someone else re opened it as rumored in another thread.

[game4shame]

loads of other places to eat in samui though - bauhaus bistro in lamai is a favourite,

That closed down a few months ago.

it looked open yesterday?

but Bauhaus night club was being knocked down yesterday........

It was all closed up when I was there in December. Maybe Shamrock or someone else re opened it as rumored in another thread.

as boater said - bistro is open, club is closed. 2 different places.

[mattias33]

There is a waterfall in Nathon.

And there is good food from 80 baht with beer up to $200 without wine.

I have had good dinners at Dr. Frogs but found the prices a bit up. Good pizza.

But Antica Locanda in Banrak is more real italian.

You can find most anything here, except a pressed duck, or roast rappit.

But there is a HUGE shake out of restaurants here right now.

To many for the available trade.

So the winnowing is ongoing.

Remember the food has ferry fees tacked on to supply costs,

so it will be a bit up compared to mailand costs. It IS an island.

Still I can eat well for a week on around 1,500 baht if I want to.

I usually don't want to though.

Hin lad would be the closets waterfall to Nathon, not that it is in Nathon but anyway. I also go eating there. Relaxed and good pricing. Allthough i prefer the namuang of the waterfall spots. Most lightly a tourist would also with all the stuff they have there now. Elephant trekking and souvenir sales. It´s a fun thing to sit and watch the tourists there. And cheap.

[koheesti]

Sidequestion: is there a waterfall in Nathon????

probably went to hin lat waterfall (if you can call it that)

That was the one. It's called "waterfall" on the map and passes for a waterfall around here.

[koheesti]

Hin lad would be the closets waterfall to Nathon, not that it is in Nathon but anyway. I also go eating there. Relaxed and good pricing.

But as you posted above, it is one of those "shitty spots".

[mattias33]

Hin lad would be the closets waterfall to Nathon, not that it is in Nathon but anyway. I also go eating there. Relaxed and good pricing.

But as you posted above, it is one of those "shitty spots".

Yeah, your friend would need a better guide if he is only spending 2 weeks here next time also. But for a expat that seen every corner of the island, sure hin lad waterfall will do for a lunch. No arguments there. .

[samuibeachcomber]

i would reckon 2 weeks on samui is too long,10 days max if on holiday,knowing what i know now i'd go for a few days on KPN and koh tao.i've been to monkey shows,elephant treks,waterfalls and i think they are all poor,but driving round the island and stopping off is nice,and a day out to an nong national park.

[koheesti]

Hin lad would be the closets waterfall to Nathon, not that it is in Nathon but anyway. I also go eating there. Relaxed and good pricing.

But as you posted above, it is one of those "shitty spots".

Yeah, your friend would need a better guide if he is only spending 2 weeks here next time also.

Maybe you'll offer to be the guide? That is if you can pull yourself away from grilling crepes and posting to Thaivisa while drunk.

[mattias33]

Hin lad would be the closets waterfall to Nathon, not that it is in Nathon but anyway. I also go eating there. Relaxed and good pricing.

But as you posted above, it is one of those "shitty spots".

Yeah, your friend would need a better guide if he is only spending 2 weeks here next time also.

Maybe you'll offer to be the guide? That is if you can pull yourself away from grilling crepes and posting to Thaivisa while drunk.

First of all, you can not make crepes on a grill (discussing foodculture with you is pointless, all you know is burgers and egg/bacon so lets leave that out before its getting to embarrasing on your behalf). And secondly i am not the right kind of guide for your friends since they most lightly like to drunken up and hangin around only with men (quiznights and sportevents with no women around what so ever is not my cup of tea, you are better at that). But, i can however suggest to you what a 2 week first time tourist is suppose to see on the island. If you want. Thirdly, i am almost never drunk nowadays. I builded up a resistance against alcohol , and if i ever do get the chance to get drunk, i have way more interessting things to do than to post on thaivisa for sure, dont worry!!