Samet In February

[Boo]

Hi

Planning on a visit Samet in February & looking for place to rent for a week that can accommodate 4-5 adults & one small child.

We would need 3 rooms & local resorts online look too expensive, so if anyone knows of houses to rent for short term or resort that has 3 bed bungalows to rent, please let mw know.

Also, recommendations on places to stay, visit, things to do.

Looking for local stuff, will be me (UK), my son (halfie) and the rest Thai so nothing too international

Many thanks

[simple1]

Try http://www.tubtimresort.com/huts.html Safe beach for the kids & at this location they don't have all night bars playing loud music until 4:00AM. Easy walk to the the main beach if you want access to water sports, other restaurants etc

[Boo]

thank you but looking at their website, they offer no electric socket in room. absolutely impossible for us but it does look nice if you could handle that condition.

[banchang]

This is my personal favourite spot, very Bohemian and quiet

http://www.koh-samet.org/koh-samed/Lungdum_Bangalow/

[bino]

Don't know what you consider expensive- but I like Samed Villas . It is right at the end / on the point at the end of the "Sai Kaew" string of beaches, so it is mostly away from the noise of the main Sai Kaew beach area, but all of that is available / walkable. Nice to walk down the beach and choose from many restaurants. There is a path leading around the point to the Tubtim beach mentioned above. We usually pop for the deluxe seafront bungalow, but they do have family villas / inexpensive rooms available.

[simple1]

Don't know what you consider expensive- but I like Samed Villas . It is right at the end / on the point at the end of the "Sai Kaew" string of beaches, so it is mostly away from the noise of the main Sai Kaew beach area, but all of that is available / walkable. Nice to walk down the beach and choose from many restaurants. There is a path leading around the point to the Tubtim beach mentioned above. We usually pop for the deluxe seafront bungalow, but they do have family villas / inexpensive rooms available.

Bino, when was the last time you were there?. They've built a large open air bar (not bar beer), so what's the noise level like at nighttime?

[Boo]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far.

Samed villas looks really nice & within what I consider reasonable. Would be interested to know about noise levels in nighttime, will be taking my 70 year old mother in law & she usually turns in around 8pm. lol

[maxtingtong]

there's not so much to see and do in Samet rather than enjoy yourself with sunbaths and beach walks. The place is getting more and more expensive. Not so comfortable as well for people with limited motion as often you have to pass through a couple of other boats at the pier to get on it. Maybe better you rent a speed boat that will unload you directly at your place. The road is mostly not paved and messy. Remember you have to pay national park entrance fee of 200 baht (40 baht for thai ppl and farangs that can show a valid thai document as driving license and such) while this is often avoided using speed boats. Speed boats prices for collective trip is of 250 baht, if you rent the boat for yourself is around 1200 baht. Same resorts may include it in the price of the accomodation. Maybe with elder people I suggest you consider to change your destination.

Max

[bino]

Bino, when was the last time you were there?. They've built a large open air bar (not bar beer), so what's the noise level like at nighttime?

It has been a little over a year now... so maybe it has changed. Is the bar specifically at Samed Villa? If so, it is new to me. All they had before was the restaurant. Silver Sand resort next door had a beach bar, and sometimes have the "Fire Show" and other events, but never outrageously loud or late in my opinion. I don't consider 8 PM to be late though- usually just getting dinner at that time!

will be taking my 70 year old mother in law & she usually turns in around 8pm. lol

If that is the case, and what simple1 says above about a new bar at Samed Villa, then I'd probably advise to skip all of Sai Kaew area and be looking at Wong Duern instead. I've stayed at Malibu, which was decent. Their website shows really high prices- more than Samed Villa, which I sure don't remember paying! Maybe if you call them direct, you will get a better price.

How will you transport mother in law to the island? Is she still fit and agile? Taking the normal ferries from Ban Phe can be problematic- sometimes have to climb down the pier and across other boats. Then- have to ride in the back of the pickup truck taxis over the horrible roads in the national park. You might want to consider / budget for a speedboat directly to the beach in front of your chosen resort. Did this when my grandparents were here, and it is much more civilized!

As a bonus, since you are not passing the national park entrance in the back of a truck with your luggage when arriving by speedboat, you might not get hit for the national park fee. If there are enough foreigners in the group, this can then justify the cost of the speedboat. No guarantee though, esp at Wong Duern. A national park guy is usually on the beach.

Edited to add - I didn't really read Max's post above, where he is saying almost all of the same stuff. Therefore - take it as good advice from more than one person!

Edited September 17, 2012 by bino

[bangsaenguy]

I'm confused about the bar. It has no beer. What do they serve?

[sketcher]

I'm confused about the bar. It has no beer. What do they serve?

Beer

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[DrTuner]

We usually stay at Jeab Bungalows (Google it, if no hit change to Jeb) when going with a larger group, they have a couple of bigger bungalows. Location is excellent and their restaurant is good. When travelling only with wife, tubtim is the choise. Still walking distance from main attractions, but very nice and quiet chilling during the day.

[Boo]

great infomation, many thanks to you all.

[kaobang]

old school party dont stop

[LastGarrison]

I recommend to anyone the restaurant out in the sea. Think it's name is Baan Ploy and it's the opposite side of the port to the main beaches etc.

You ring a bell on the shore side and they said over a little row boat on a pully then pull you across to the restaurant that is on stilts out in the sea. You climb up and then inside you sit on the floor and dangle your legs through a gap in the floor above the sea.

The fish are all in pens at the back and you can choose which ones you want to eat and then they kill them and cook them fresh there at very reasonable (for a Farang) prices. A unique dining experience.

Have to say I usually stay on Malibu when I'm there and it is one of my favourite places in Thailand for a few days.

[rsokolowski]

The rooms on the Malibu Beach Resort website do not look impressive at all and the listed prices are higher than at the Samed Cabanas (next door). A close friend of mine recommended Malibu, but based on the website we were not convinced that this was a good deal. We booked a three night stay at the cabanas for the middle of June, so we will see. Looking forward to a relaxing three nights.

[MTH]

February has well past and gone, would be nice to hear from the OP to find out where they stayed and if it’s recommended or not.
If I’ve seen this thread earlier, I’d put my vote down for Samed Villas as well.

[Boo]

Sorry all, we didn't go in the end, we stayed up in issan & plan to come over again in October & visit Koh Chang.

We'll get to Samet one day I'm sure so this thread will prove to be very useful when the time comes.