Koh Samui'S Best Luxury Resorts

[Boater]

This is the fabled island where we came 20 years ago for cheap beach-shack lodgings and full-moon parties – and in search of that beach. Long known as a destination for backpackers, Koh Samui is sprucing up its image to appeal to a different kind of independent traveller: stylish, well-heeled and looking to be cosseted in a villa with butler service and world-class spa treatments, rather than party all night and crash out next day with a copy of Alex Garland's dark debut novel.

The change is conspicuous all over Koh Samui. At the airport (now served by direct flights from Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore), I noticed as many smartly dressed British families and honeymoon couples from Seoul as I did Australian backpackers. Some luxury resorts are developing private residences to sell as upmarket second homes to these wealthier and more discerning visitors.

The shift of gear began five years ago, when a Four Seasons opened on the site of a former coconut plantation. It was the first property on the island with access to a private beach, and each of its 74 hillside villas, designed along traditional Thai lines, had its own infinity pool.

Since then a swathe of high-end hotels has opened, including Le Méridien, a Banyan Tree, the W Retreat and, last autumn, Conrad Koh Samui. It's evidence that the island as we knew it, with its cheap bars and run-down hostels on Chaweng Beach, has moved on and up.

http://www.telegraph...ry-resorts.html

Edited March 2, 2012 by Boater

[Boater]

nice article to be written

i did find it funny how they describe the owner of 9gems

The exuberant Sathit Muangprom – a Thai version of Graham Norton

[smokie36]

Its on Thong Nai Pan Noi that I notice it the most. Horrible what's happened to that slice of paradise.

[Tropicalevo]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

[BigC]

Happy Inn Soi bon Gai

[Boater]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

maybe because of the prices they charge !!, 450 a bottle of beer if i remember correctly, and 40 K a room !

[smokie36]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

maybe because of the prices they charge !!, 450 a bottle of beer if i remember correctly, and 40 K a room !

Hardly luxury these days. Rumour has it Rooo charges 1k Baht a beer...Archa at that!

[Boater]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

maybe because of the prices they charge !!, 450 a bottle of beer if i remember correctly, and 40 K a room !

Hardly luxury these days. Rumour has it Rooo charges 1k Baht a beer...Archa at that!

Last time i was at the Roo residence , drinks where free !!! .. but beer wasnt wasnt on the menu

[smokie36]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

maybe because of the prices they charge !!, 450 a bottle of beer if i remember correctly, and 40 K a room !

Hardly luxury these days. Rumour has it Rooo charges 1k Baht a beer...Archa at that!

Last time i was at the Roo residence , drinks where free !!! .. but beer wasnt wasnt on the menu

I only ever got invites for a good smacking from sbk....

[Rooo]

I do not charge for Moet etc . Champagne is to be enjoyed . Never charged my friends a Baht.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm note to self, review. no more cross dressing as SBK.

[smokie36]

I do not charge for Moet etc . Champagne is to be enjoyed . Never charged my friends a Baht.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm note to self, review. no more cross dressing as SBK.

And there was me believing sbk was a six foot four blonde.....!

[Samui Coconut]

Not sure how the 9gems got mixed in with the 5 star hotels mentioned in the article. Isn't the 9gems on a hill above Bandon Hospital/Makro?

Propably just because of the pricing strategy. It is surely not 5 star and I would have expected that the Four Seasons would also have a review. I have been to all of them (not stayed) and in general agree with the overall reviews.

[robsamui]

I do not charge for Moet etc . Champagne is to be enjoyed . Never charged my friends a Baht.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm note to self, review. no more cross dressing as SBK.

Contextual note to Rooo: "cross dressing" is getting niggled cos you can't find your underwear. "Cross-dressing" is getting niggled cos you can't find your slinky nylon underwear.

R

[BigC]

The best resort would b where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

[BusyBee123]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

[Boater]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

oh dear ! , and these are holiday makers coming from the horses mouth !

I just love these fluff pieces spouted by some hack on a freebie advertising a box of <deleted> as if it were Terry's Gold.

Samui, "that fabled island" ia like any other resource peddled by the Thai to earn as much revenue as possible from a market which to varying degrees is as clueless as a Koala bear looking for a mate in McDonalds.

The beaches are nice as indeed is the topography, but from afar. Close up and you get hit with that unmistakable stench of rancid urine mixed with faeces. The problem is, there is no functioning infrastructure. Thai don't do urban planning or anything that won't yield an immediate profit. Thus, all those beautiful people visiting that fabled land take a dump and with all those other unpleasant bodily functions the product has to go somewhere. Mostly, it's into a cesspit. The cesspits overflow and on rainy days the effluence flows down onto those paradisial beaches and thence into the sea where the tides wash the dross back onto whichever beach is next in line.

Best make sure you get your Hep A before you go swimming.

But then, beautiful people paying stupid money for ersatz paradise might think they're immune from their own crap.

and

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

[Boater]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

oh dear ! , and these are holiday makers coming from the horses mouth !

I just love these fluff pieces spouted by some hack on a freebie advertising a box of <deleted> as if it were Terry's Gold.

Samui, "that fabled island" ia like any other resource peddled by the Thai to earn as much revenue as possible from a market which to varying degrees is as clueless as a Koala bear looking for a mate in McDonalds.

The beaches are nice as indeed is the topography, but from afar. Close up and you get hit with that unmistakable stench of rancid urine mixed with faeces. The problem is, there is no functioning infrastructure. Thai don't do urban planning or anything that won't yield an immediate profit. Thus, all those beautiful people visiting that fabled land take a dump and with all those other unpleasant bodily functions the product has to go somewhere. Mostly, it's into a cesspit. The cesspits overflow and on rainy days the effluence flows down onto those paradisial beaches and thence into the sea where the tides wash the dross back onto whichever beach is next in line.

Best make sure you get your Hep A before you go swimming.

But then, beautiful people paying stupid money for ersatz paradise might think they're immune from their own crap.

and

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

i would like to see what the TAT has to say about this ... such a rave review for samui as well, which has backfired !

[Boater]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

oh dear ! , and these are holiday makers coming from the horses mouth !

I just love these fluff pieces spouted by some hack on a freebie advertising a box of <deleted> as if it were Terry's Gold.

Samui, "that fabled island" ia like any other resource peddled by the Thai to earn as much revenue as possible from a market which to varying degrees is as clueless as a Koala bear looking for a mate in McDonalds.

The beaches are nice as indeed is the topography, but from afar. Close up and you get hit with that unmistakable stench of rancid urine mixed with faeces. The problem is, there is no functioning infrastructure. Thai don't do urban planning or anything that won't yield an immediate profit. Thus, all those beautiful people visiting that fabled land take a dump and with all those other unpleasant bodily functions the product has to go somewhere. Mostly, it's into a cesspit. The cesspits overflow and on rainy days the effluence flows down onto those paradisial beaches and thence into the sea where the tides wash the dross back onto whichever beach is next in line.

Best make sure you get your Hep A before you go swimming.

But then, beautiful people paying stupid money for ersatz paradise might think they're immune from their own crap.

and

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

i would like to see what the TAT has to say about this ..

but serious , i know there are the moaners ect here, but from an outside point of view, samui really needs to sort its act out !

[BangrakBob]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

oh dear ! , and these are holiday makers coming from the horses mouth !

I just love these fluff pieces spouted by some hack on a freebie advertising a box of <deleted> as if it were Terry's Gold.

Samui, "that fabled island" ia like any other resource peddled by the Thai to earn as much revenue as possible from a market which to varying degrees is as clueless as a Koala bear looking for a mate in McDonalds.

The beaches are nice as indeed is the topography, but from afar. Close up and you get hit with that unmistakable stench of rancid urine mixed with faeces. The problem is, there is no functioning infrastructure. Thai don't do urban planning or anything that won't yield an immediate profit. Thus, all those beautiful people visiting that fabled land take a dump and with all those other unpleasant bodily functions the product has to go somewhere. Mostly, it's into a cesspit. The cesspits overflow and on rainy days the effluence flows down onto those paradisial beaches and thence into the sea where the tides wash the dross back onto whichever beach is next in line.

Best make sure you get your Hep A before you go swimming.

But then, beautiful people paying stupid money for ersatz paradise might think they're immune from their own crap.

and

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

Best Regards NALAK

[smokie36]

Nonononono Bob.

[BangrakBob]

Nonononono Bob.

Sound like Don Logan there Smokie

[Rooo]

What market is telegraph travel aiming at? Fair enough about people's opinions, nothing different of what we sprout on here.

[Boater]

What market is telegraph travel aiming at? Fair enough about people's opinions, nothing different of what we sprout on here.

its an upmarket paper here in the UK , so high end travelers .... you wouldnt see anyone under 50 reading the paper

[jamesbrock]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

oh dear ! , and these are holiday makers coming from the horses mouth !

I just love these fluff pieces spouted by some hack on a freebie advertising a box of <deleted> as if it were Terry's Gold.

Samui, "that fabled island" ia like any other resource peddled by the Thai to earn as much revenue as possible from a market which to varying degrees is as clueless as a Koala bear looking for a mate in McDonalds.

The beaches are nice as indeed is the topography, but from afar. Close up and you get hit with that unmistakable stench of rancid urine mixed with faeces. The problem is, there is no functioning infrastructure. Thai don't do urban planning or anything that won't yield an immediate profit. Thus, all those beautiful people visiting that fabled land take a dump and with all those other unpleasant bodily functions the product has to go somewhere. Mostly, it's into a cesspit. The cesspits overflow and on rainy days the effluence flows down onto those paradisial beaches and thence into the sea where the tides wash the dross back onto whichever beach is next in line.

Best make sure you get your Hep A before you go swimming.

But then, beautiful people paying stupid money for ersatz paradise might think they're immune from their own crap.

and

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

Looks like the first poster came on a bad day, as she was a little preoccupied with the stench in Chaweng. The second poster had some pretty accurate points though...

[Rooo]

Not saying it's not correct in some places. Sometimes you wonder if these people ever get out of their area that they booked in & have a look around. I will never come back if I only viewed / stayed in Chaweng.

[jamesbrock]

Not saying it's not correct in some places. Sometimes you wonder if these people ever get out of their area that they booked in & have a look around. I will never come back if I only viewed / stayed in Chaweng.

Very true. Samui is a beautiful island when you get out and explore.

[Tropicalevo]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

Looks like the first poster came on a bad day, as she was a little preoccupied with the stench in Chaweng. The second poster had some pretty accurate points though...

Some accurate points?

So we are comparing Koh Samui with Hong Kong? ("and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.") I would expect things to be cheaper in HK.

I have lived in Hong Kong and it has some the dirtiest, smelliest water/sewage/drains/beaches in the region. Fragrant Harbour - you are chjoking.

[jamesbrock]

The comments section below the article would put anyone off going to Samui.

You have it spot on there. I have just returned from a week there and can clearly say that if you like holidays in an overpriced cesspit then Samui is for you.

After even the shortest rainfall the place stinks of raw sewage and the sea is covered in a brown sludge. The beach around Chareng is like a giant ashtray. The infrastructure simply has not kept pace with the massive increase in hotel rooms.

The food and drink is way overpriced, far more than we pay here in Hong Kong. There is no public transport system and the taxis are run by a "mafia" with extortionate fares demanded for even the shortest visit. Negotiate with the driver? You must be kidding!

I really do wonder is Michelle Chan has ever set foot on Samui, because what she is writing about sure isn't the place I have just returned from. (and will never go back to).

What Ms. Chan also fails to point out is that there is absolutely no rule of law there. The foreigner has no rights whatsover, you are on your own, with a totally corrupt police force.

Looks like the first poster came on a bad day, as she was a little preoccupied with the stench in Chaweng. The second poster had some pretty accurate points though...

Some accurate points?

So we are comparing Koh Samui with Hong Kong? ("and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.") I would expect things to be cheaper in HK.

I have lived in Hong Kong and it has some the dirtiest, smelliest water/sewage/drains/beaches in the region. Fragrant Harbour - you are chjoking.

The sad part is you're serious...