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Any tips or advice on thailand koh samui? |
Travel Info Any tips or advice on thailand koh samui? Travel Tips Yeah, hire a jeep instead of a scooter/motorbike, its a lot less dangerous and you can get round the island in less than a day. the beaches arent really that nice, but fun for jet skiing etc at this time of year it often rains in the arvo, and snorkelling tours are often cancelled (with out refund) cos of bad visibility definitly eat at the beach front restaurants where you lie down to eat, so fun and cheap! hunt down the grandmother and grandfather rocks, football soccer, the big statues in the north and waterfall walks. have fun! Others the best hotel in koh samui (the hotel i stayed at there) is by far, the Sala Samui Resort & Spa Yeah make sure you are wearing shorts whilst sitting on the beach....killer ants man!!! Step one, invest in Lonely Planet's "Thailand" and "Thai Phrasebook". The guidebook will give you an overview of all the areas on the island, attractions, and contact info for hotels. The prices listed in the book are pretty right on for everything except hotels. The phrasebook is great because it has a dictionary section where you can find words written in English and Thai, as well as phonetically. So if you are having trouble communicating, you can just point to what you are trying to say. There are also free maps of the island available in the Tourism Authority of Thailand offices, and other travel agencies and shops around the island. You have probably already booked your trip, but as far as weather goes, February and March are the driest months. In Nathon, in the evenings, there is a little market that sets up with food stalls, and you can get a delicious, cheap dinner. For the most part, food stalls are safe and have a great variety of tasty and inexpensive food, you will save your money and soak up a little local culture while you eat your meal. Get hooked on the "shakes" that every restaurant serves. It's simply blended fruit/juice and ice. Lemon and watermelon are very refreshing, and mango is delicious too. I would suggest eating as much Thai food as you can handle. Western food is about double in price as Thai food, and it never comes out quite right. I got a hamburger that tasted like meatloaf, spaghetti with sauce that was sweet, and garlic bread made from a hamburger bun. It made me laugh, but I was still hungry. If you are sensitive to spicy things make sure you order your food "mai phet" (not spicy), sometimes they do put quite a few chilies in things. I reccommend trying a Thai papaya salad. They are the unripened green portion of a papaya shredded with carrots, tomato, long bean, garlic, lemon juice, and fish sauce. I think that a good "middle of the road" town to stay in on Samui is Lamai. It has the nicest beach for swimming, it is close to Chaweng if you want to go out at night, and on the inland side of the main street you will find some nice, cheap hotels. I would suggest not renting a motorbike unless you're really comfortable with riding one. The streets are hilly, twisty, at times poorly paved, and full of brazen drivers. You could rent a jeep, but they are quite expensive. You can catch a songthaew during daylight hours for anywhere between 10-50 baht and get anywhere on the island that is along the main road. If at all possible, try not to take taxis, because it will be about 10 times the cost of a songthaew. Motorcycle taxis are a slightly better deal. If you need a ride to the airport, go through a travel agency, songthaews typically do not go by there, and you'll get a better price than if you go in a taxi. All necessary services are easily found, and reasonably priced (i.e. banks, laundry, internet, doctors, etc). If you are going to be in Bangkok on a Saturday or Sunday during your trip DO NOT buy anything on Samui. There is a weekend market in Bangkok called Chatuchak and there is something like 15,000+ vendors there. Anything you find in a shop on Samui can be bought there, and cheaper! I would also suggest taking a ferry to Koh Phangan. The ferry ride alone is absolutely breathtaking. Phangan has much better beaches for snorkelling (I suggest Hat Khom) and overall has a lot to offer. There are many lovely beaches which aren't as populated as Samui, and there is also Hat Rin (where they have Full Moon Party) which is filled with people from every corner of the world. On Samui, Grandmother and Grandfather rock are ok... Not too impressive, Big Buddha is definitely worth a trip though. I would say also that elephant trekking can be passed, but a canopy tour should not. Also, a day trip to Ang Thong Marine Park is nice. Go see Talay Nai "Emerald Lake". Where ever you end up going/staying do get a Thai massage. Just remember not to tense up during the massage, you'll only make it worse for yourself. Make sure that you go somewhere that looks legit, and doesn't have a bunch of ladyboys hanging around outside. There doesn't seem to be too much crime on Samui, just don't leave your stuff laying around unattended. Use common sense, don't drink tap water, and haggle, haggle, haggle; and you should be alright. Most of all, remember to relax and enjoy yourself, you're in an awesome tropical paradise! Life experience. |
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