Independent travel in South-East Asia
Itineraries
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Hotels We Recommend
We have stayed at a lot of hotels in South East Asia in our travels. Some good, some bad, and some beyond belief. Here are some we have stayed in, and feel we can recommend.
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Arrive in Bangkok --> Bangkok --> Farmstay -->
Ayuthaya --> Pattaya --> Ko Samet --> Ko Chang -->
Back to Bangkok
Ayuthaya --> Pattaya --> Ko Samet --> Ko Chang -->
Back to Bangkok
Ko Samet, that is often seen written as Kho Samet or Koh Samet, is the closest island destination to Bangkok, and yet is often forgotten when western visitors are considering an island holiday. This is may be the case for Ko Samet, as it is not as spectacular as the other tourist islands of the southern coast, being that it is fairly flat, while the others are mountainous, and it is covered with a scrubby dryer vegetation, as against tropical rainforest of many of the other islands. However, we believe it is a mistake to not visit the island on this basis as, along with most other western tourists, you would be missing out.
Each bay or stretch of beach has a variety of accommodation options, from basic to mid range, and each beach is connected by paths over the separating headlands to the next bay. Ideally, you could walk a couple of bays and check a few out, as prices vary - those close to the ferry's drop off point will tend to be the most expensive!
The dense bush, and very rough vehicle tracks between beaches, ensure everything is centred around the beach, and a resulting very relaxed atmosphere prevails - beach restaurants and bars, water sports, food hawkers patrolling the beach, massages & deck chair hire all dominate. This beach atmosphere is most prevalent on beaches south of Hat Sai Kaew, including our favorites, Ao Phai, Ao Wong Deuan, Ao Thian and Ao Cho.
Next - Getting to Ko Chang
Ko Samet
Finding accommodation on Ko Samet isn't difficult, so long as you don't arrive on a Saturday morning. This is when locals from Bangkok book just about everything up. When you approach the beaches on the ferry you will see all the accommodation options of that particular beach, as almost everything is beach front, with almost nothing more than 50 meters back from the waters edge.
Le Vimarn Cottages
40/11 Moo 4 Tumbol Phe
Ko Samet
40/11 Moo 4 Tumbol Phe
Ko Samet
Malibu Garden Resort
77 Vongduern BeachKo Samet
77 Vongduern BeachKo Samet
Sai Kaew Beach Resort Koh Samed
Koh Samet 8/1 Moo 4 Tumbol Phe Amphur
Koh Samet 8/1 Moo 4 Tumbol Phe Amphur
