Question For The Wise Ones

[The Whole Fam Damily]

Greetings wise ones,

Me, the hubby, and our 2 year old will be heading to Koh Samui in two weeks. Hubby speaks some Thai and has travelled extensively throughout Thailand. This will be our first time to Samui.

I'm wondering:

1) Should we book a hotel online before we arrive or should we just find a place once we arrive?

We've heard that Lamai is nice and quiet and has a nice beach; Bophut is quiet but the water is dirty; that Chaweng is too loud and nightlifey. We don't want to be near 20 year old clubbers, but we're not old farts! Just a little bungalow somewhere would be great -- any recommendations? I saw Green Canyon on the web.. Any info. would be much appreciated.

2) Should we exchange money at the airport in bangkok or on Samui?

3) We were thinking of staying in Lamai for a few days and then heading over to Ko Phan Ngan (Had Yao perhaps?). Is there Internet access on this island? Any bungalow/area recommendations?

Thanks oodles and oodles in advance for any info. you could offer. 'Tis much appreciated.

[NedKelly]

You should be able to just arrive in Samui and go and find your own hotel. But it may be easier to book the first night before you come so you can just go straight there and then find the place for the next few days. Up to you. Either way should be easy. Lamai is ok, but you have to stay away from the main area. there is a place called Bills which was away from the main part of Lamai. You canget to it by walking along the beach. A bit dark at night walking on the beach so dont do it alone. But Bills was not a bad place. They have rooms at the front near the beach but also up the hill behind the main restaurant area. Hard to advise as not sure what your tastes are. But then again, one night wont hurt you.

Another place which would be ok is World Resort up near BoPhut Beach. You can walk to Bo phut from it along the beach, in about 10 minutes. Its nice to walk along there at night and Bo Phut has a selection of cafes and restaurants and is quieter.

Definitely get over to Koh Phangan. there are loads of places to stay and most are quite cheap. There is internet on the island but not at all locations. But Phangan is an easy place to get around. Just hire a bike and make your way around.

[The Whole Fam Damily]

Hi Ned,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Our tastes run cheap! We are looking for a little woody bungalow or something; no swimming pools, no maid service -- just a little place to sleep with airconditioning and a shower (cold shower and thai toilet is fine). Anyplace where I can find a little smoke would also be terrific -- how is Lamai/BoPhut/Phagnan in terms of this?

Someplace that I can have easy access to food would also be great as the youngin' likes to snack and so does his momma!

Is the beach in Lamai unsafe at night; hence the warning to not walk alone there? The beach in Samet where we were awhile ago was darrrkkkk as anything at night and the packs of dogs were a tad scary!

I will definitely check out Bill's and World Resort -- thanks for the reccomendations.

We can't ride bikes with the kiddo; does Phangan have jeep access? What about driver's licenses? I think ours both expired years ago!! Does anyone check? What about if you have an accident?

Any ideas about money exchange? Airport or Samui?

Thanks again. I wish others would pipe in -- I'm interested to hear anything and I KNOW that lots of people have samui reccomendations.

[NedKelly]

Hi, sound slike you should head directly to Phangan. If you want little bungalows and so on, then it is better as it has not been overdeveloped as Samui has. Sta one or two nights onSamui and then go over to Phangan. Phangan has some good roads now and some dirt shockers, so easy for a jeep. You could probably hire one over there. Ikinow they have bikes so they should have jeeps. I wouiild say u willpick up one in the main town where the ferry drops you off. Just walk straight off the ferry and straight along the rteet leading away from the ferry terminal. It has shops and so on where u should be bale to find what u are looking for.

As far as a license goes......not sure what to say. Ihave never beenpulled over in all the time I have hired cars bikes etc. But have heard stories. Just hand over your expeired license, hopefully the police wont be able to read it. If its expired then open it up and change the dates

Back to Lamai.....no I did not think it was dangerous but I remember it was dark walking back to Bills. That was a few years ago so has probably changed now. Nice beach though at the right time of year.

[NedKelly]

My last reply was sent without me completing it...dont know why. Anyway more on the license question....... remember that without a license you will not be covered by insurance. Also, some operators who hire vehicles dont actually have insurance so if yo uhave an accident beware that you will have to pay the costs.

There are many bungalows on Phangan where u should find what u want. One is called SeaFlower. They have oldish wooden bungalows with attached bath which is Bali style outside with no roof. really nice. You should be able to find ALL that u want here. Most places have a restaurant which will be open most of the time so getting something for the kid wont be a problem. there are also small shops around nowadays so you could aslo go outside for something.

Change of money .....many places in the beach centres. Also the main towns where the ferries leave from or arrive to....have banks with change services. Dont use the airport.

Good luck

[adjan jb]

Anyplace where I can find a little smoke would also be terrific -- how is Lamai/BoPhut/Phagnan in terms of this?

No problem. Quite a lot of tobacconists on the island.

[valentinoxxx]

The exchange rates at Don Muang airport are much the same as anywhere else. Cash machines at Samui Airport.

Consider purchasing the Bangkok Airways Discovery Airpass if going to Samui. You get another stop for the same price or less as a Samui return. Bangkok Airways

Starting on Chaweng is a good idea as there is more to do and eat. A nice and inexpensive family beach bungalow can be found at OP Bungalow

Beachfront are 101, 501, 601, 701. Seaview 102, 702...

This part of the beach is better for children, as there is a reef to prevent a heavy outflow of water. There can be a fair amount of debris on the beach though.

Away from the nightlife, though only a few minutes walk away. So, very safe as there is almost always someone around.

Easy to take a day trip to Ko Pha nghan with the local ferry to scout out where you may like to stay.

3/4 ferry boats a day from Big Buddha pier to Had Rin:- 1030, 1300, 1600, 1830

Also from Nathon to Thong Sala.

You are rarely asked for a licence when you hire a car. They prefer to hold on to your passport.

Once you arrive take a walk north down the beach and look out for the more 'relaxing' places. Be careful out there.

Clickable links are underlined.

O.P. Bungalow

Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng North

111, Moo 2, Tambon Bo Phut

84320 Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

Tel: 0 7742 2424, 0 7723 0913-4

Fax: 0 7742 2425

[The Whole Fam Damily]

Thanks for the help everyone.

If we decide against renting a Jeep and opt for taking cabs everywhere, will it be a huge hassle or easy enough?

I would be very nervous to leave my passport with someone while I rent a Jeep; is this a safe, common practice?

Valentine - Excellent thought about a reef for the kiddo. I'll have to keep that in mind.. You warn us to "Be careful out there" -- Is Samui really that dangerous these days??

Adjan -- I'm not umm. looking for an umm. "regular" tobacconist... Would the _other_ kind of whacky tobaccy be found??? Who do you ask? The receptionist?

NedKelly - The Seaflower bungalows that you recommended sound great! Thanks!

Does anyone else have any words of wisdom about kid-friendly but hip places would be?

[valentinoxxx]

Cabs(Songthaews and taxis) can be huge hassle unless you know how it works.

Hire a car/jeep for when you want to do a tour of the island and use the songthaews(two bench vehicles) for everyday runarounds(small children do not pay) 10 baht for short hops(5 baht for locals)

If you don't mind paying more than the local price, you can try; http://www.budget.co.th/

It is standard practice to hold onto a passport, to prevent customer running away if there is a problem.

Budget won't do this.

Be careful out there referred to your search for a tobacconist.

Anyway take a walk to the north of OP when you get there. Be careful of offers of drug sales on the beach.

The centre(beach corresponding to between the Ark Bar and Chaweng Garden Resort )has the party crowd. OP Bungalows is a couple of hundred metres north of this point. Much quieter, with seperate cottages.

[sbk]

Hire a car/jeep for when you want to do a tour of the island and use the songthaews(two bench vehicles) for everyday runarounds(small children do not pay) 10 baht for short hops(5 baht for locals)

Where? Certainly not Koh Phangan or Koh Tao. Most songthaew fares on koh Phangan run from 20-50 baht one way per person, no charge for kids. Seaflower is nice but won't have much water in the sea as the low-tide season is starting (tide is out to the reef all day, maybe a bit of paddling but not much more). Mae Haad is nice, good snorkelling, seen lots of families there. Thong Nai Pan is good swimming but quite isolated because it is on a really bad dirt track over the hills. Hadrin is full of drunken partyers, probably should avoid it.

Almost all bungalow places here have a restaurant and prefer that you eat there for alot of meals.

Budget is available on Samui but to get the car over to Phangan would require a car ferry trip to Surat thani, another ferry trip to Phangan, then return the same way. Probably not worth it. Taking the passport as a guarantee is standard. Local police usually cannot read the drivers licenses (I showed my expired one and had no problem). Motorbikes aren't a good idea unless you are expert drivers, many of the roads on Koh PHangan are very bad and Samui has one of the highest accident rates in the country.

[valentinoxxx]

sbk

I write of Samui. Don't know much of the other two islands other than for day trips.