I bet you have never heard of this little island in Rayong, only 4 hours away from the capital, but you should definitely add it to your bucket list to disconnect/relax during your visit to Thailand!
Koh Samed is only 6.8km long, so 2 nights would be the ideal stay, in my opinion.
There is not much to do but visit its beautiful beaches and enjoy being in paradise :) So I believe it is the perfect stop in between long trips or the best weekend getaway.
In this guide, you can expect to see my personal tips and recommendations.
It is very simple: you take a bus from Bangkok [Ekkamai] to the pier at Rayong [Sribanphe Pier]. This takes approx 2h30.ย
Lastly, you take a speedboat or ferry from the pier to Koh Samed [Nadan Pier]. This can take from 20 to 40 minutes.
You can either book the trip with 12go.asia [and it garantees the connections and it includes bus+boat 20eur go and back] or book it directly at the local bus station and pier once you get there.ย
Option 2 is even cheaper, but the only risk is that the bus or boat might be fully booked and you may need to wait for the next one.ย
Up to you :)
Where to stay in Koh Samed
The most convenient / common is to stay in the north, next to the pier in the main walking street.
Otherwise you can go to a resort which are located accross the beaches of the island!
HOSTELS / boutique hotels
- Sundaze
- Sidewalk
LUXURY HOTELS
- Paradee Resort [the prettiest private beach]
How to move around Koh Samed
The most obvious and comfortable is to rent a mopet. Koh samed has no taxis nor cars, there is practically 1 main street and that is all!ย
If you do not know/want to rent a motorbike, there are these green trucks that serve as "public buses".ย Prices are suggested, but vary depending on how many people you share the ride with. You may have to wait for more people to come so that you can split the costs, so it is not the fastest way. However, you will never be in a rush here :)ย
Beachesย
Surprisingly, despite being a small island, as there are so many beach offerings it is not hard to find places to be alone at. Here are the 3 beaches my friend and I went to and enjoyed "privately" [almost empty and virgin!]ย
THE ONLY BEACH TO SEE THE SUNSET FROM! But definitely worth it, it leaves you speechless. We came here every day and could never get enough. Most of the time we were also alone!
We also went to KERALA and BUZZ beach clubs, which we enjoyed much the vibes and views.
Similar name, but NOT the same as Ao Wai. This one is public, but for some reason no one knew about it? We were literally alone and had the beach to ourselves the whole day. There was a bar called "Apache" which looked nice, and it was very photogenic :)
Beautiful waters and Audibar is always putting good music on! It was a bit more crowded so we did not go, but always walked through it and thought it was beautiful
The main beach of Koh Samed's city center. It is full of restaurant and bar offerings to choose from and it is always full of people! It is a very nice environment during day and night.
You can find fireshows, kayak rentings, some resorts, etc.
It is a private beach for Paradee resort only, so if you stay in this hotel you may not want to leave at all! We tried to sneak in and swim but were soon asked to leave. However, it was by far the prettiest place in Koh Samed
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Where to eatย
Next to Banana Bar there is a woman with a little stand selling Bubble Tea: you have to try the TARO flavour, it was a 10/10.
I am not the only one to agree that it is the best food in town! We were recommended it many times and after seeing how fully booked it always was, we decided to give it a go. It was very good, good prices, authentic and very cute decoration!
We found it one night as it was the last one to close [and I am Spanish, I forgot my schedule is too late for Thailand]. But it was so good we came back the following night, too!
The menu is very long so there are options for everyone.
Aiming to discover and connect with the countries I visit, through the creation of eternal memories and experiences.
I am a photographer and travel content creator :)
Currently backpacking around Southeast Asia, ask me about my trips and tips!
Upcoming guides:
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[Sri Lanka, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Erawan Falls, Lombok, Gili Islands, Khao Sok, Krabi (Railay), Komodo, Ha Giang, Taipei, Palawan&Balabac, Koh Tao, Chiang Mai, Seoul, Perhentians]
