Ko Samet

Travel Guide

Hotel Deals of the Day

best price guarantee

Maps

Ko Samet

In a nutshell

Sway in a hammock and snooze: this is what a holiday's about, even if thousands have been here before you. Take a hike, stopping for dips along the way. Sip a sunset cocktail then tuck into a barbecue seafood feast. Watch out for the dogs.

Meet the troublesome teen of Thailand's islands: Ko Samet. Its older siblings – Ko Chang, Phuket, Ko Lanta – have grown up into respectable, package-holiday resorts. Meanwhile Samet remains the one that stays up late, wears its henna tattoo on its sleeve and sips vodka from a bucket.

Ko Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya–Ko Samet National Park, which encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland, as well as various other islands. Ko Samet has been developed over the past few years and remains hugely popular with Bangkok folk who take up many of the rooms during the weekends.

Despite its national park status all of Ko Samet's beaches have been developed -- the only way you'd know you're in a national park is via the entry fee charged to visitors. Many who come looking for an island paradise complain that the island has been ruined: tacky resorts crowd the best beaches, and trash sometimes spoils the landscape. Nevertheless, Ko Samet retains enough beauty and appeal to win over a regular stream of return visitors and it’s certainly a great, easy getaway from Bangkok if you need to kill a few days and have had enough of the big smoke.

The teardrop-shaped island has beaches running down most of its eastern coast, with Haad Sai Kaew being the most developed. Ao Tubtim is our personal favourite, though Ao Hin Khok just to the north is arguable the centre of the backpacker scene. The west coast has pretty Ao Phrao and on the north you'll find Ao Noi Na, both of these are dominated by more upmarket resorts.

The island is famous among Thais as the setting for a story by their most famous poet, Sunthorn Phu. Travellers will notice on Haad Sai Kaew the decaying statue of Phra Arpaimanee, who travelled with his flute around Thailand until one day he was captured by a ravenous giantess. After seeing her chomp the head off a buffalo, he managed to lull her to sleep with his music and ran away. Upon escaping he met and fell in love with a beautiful mermaid. They married and lived happily ever after with a son, Husakorn, who had the body of a horse and the head of a dragon.

As Ko Samet misses most of the heavy monsoon that plagues other islands, the weather is guaranteed to be pleasant at almost any time of year. Although most beaches have been overdeveloped, they still manage to be beautiful, with sparkling white sand curving between coconut palms and clear cerulean water. If you can get past the fact that this should be a national park, you'll find Ko Samet to be a traveller's paradise of magnificent beaches, delicious seafood and dozens of choices for nightlife.

Ko Samet is popular with Thais, foreign travellers and expats from Bangkok and Rayong, so there's always a good mix of people. However, this also means that it can get rather hectic unless you arrive mid-week. Being so close to Bangkok, Ko Samet gets crowded on weekends and holidays, and prices rise accordingly -- sometimes by as much as 60%. If bungalows are full when you arrive, it is possible to camp on the beach, despite what you may be told.

With the crowds comes a lively nightlife, with good deals on drinks late in the evening, including the popular coin toss, which gives you a 50/50 chance of winning a free drink. All bungalows have their own restaurants, and many fire up beach barbecues at night.

Where you choose to stay on Ko Samet depends largely on what your ideal scene is. The east coast is the most popular, as it's dotted with sandy beaches, coves and most of the island's restaurants, bars and accommodation. The tiny west coast beach is more secluded and upscale, with only three top-end resorts to choose from. Though the nightlife on the west coast is limited, the resort bars see a good crowd coming to watch the sunset over the water. The north is Ko Samet's quietest coast, with just a few small guesthouses clinging to the rocky shoreline. Some upscale resorts dot the far end of this coast on the only strip of pleasing beach.

As the island is a national park, all visitors have to pay an entry fee. This is 200B for foreign visitors (be grateful, it used to be 400B) and 20B for Thais and foreigners who can prove they live in Thailand; a driving license or teacher's card usually suffices.

While it's important to decide which coast is more to your taste when choosing where to stay, the island is only 6km long and 3km wide, so it isn't difficult to visit another area on a daytrip.

Get orientated with a map of Ko Samet, Thailand

Ko Samet reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Samet Still Has It

Plenty of old-time travellers say Samet isn’t what it used to be. Well sure, but neither is your high street, the price of a Chang or Madonna Louise Ciccone’s hair style (or anything else).
But Samet is still well worth visiting whether you are chasing party or chill, luxury or low-end. It is a compact island where you can usually walk to several other nice beaches within minutes of your own. And being the driest island in Thailand this is a good one for a wet season visit. Which is helped by the popular beaches being on the east coast, sheltered from the wet season westerlies. And closest nice island to Bangkok doesn’t hurt.

I will say at the outset it is not as cheap as gems like Phayam and Jum, is not the place to find good snorkelling off the beach, lacks spectacular landscapes like Phi Phi and Railay, and is not big on culture - not that any Thai island is.

LIVELIEST BEACH - has to be the first from the north-east corner, WHITE SAND - HAT SAI KAEW. Tends to pull the package tourists and Thai weekenders. Plenty of nightlife-shopping-restaurants/bars-on-the-sand. Lots of more expensive joints here but there is one real nice traditional style travellers’ joint, Laem Yai Hut House way down the quiet northern end.

MOST LAID BACK - has to be tiny Ao Nuan about one third the way down the east coast with no road access. But the only bungalow joint might be taking advantage - has a wide range of accommodation from tiny rustic outside bathroom traditional bungalows to big aircon jobs, but wanted 700b for the former in almost shoulder season 2010 (2000b for the latter).

BEST LIVELY BACKPACKERS’ BEACH - AO HIN KOK in the north. Still plenty of cheap bungalows (and flash packer-midrange) plus a night club, reggae bar and plenty of beachfront dining at night.

BEST LAID BACK BACKPACKERS’ BEACH (away from Ao Nuan) - AO THIAN (Candlelight Beach)/AO LUNG DAM about 60% down the east coast - this longish bay with several patches of sand separated by sections of rock has a lot of accommodation spread along it these days but doesn’t seem to be crammed. Super cool outrigger dining platforms on Apache’s pier is my sort of place for a beer or five. I know TRAVELFISH has a downer on Apache, but I do like its pier.

BEST HIGH END BEACH - I’m ignoring super luxury Paradee Resort, the only joint on KUI NA NOK in the island’s south because it deliberately blocks the coastal walking track with felled vegetation and sends goons to try and kid you the beach is private (no beach in Thailand is private). Don’t stay with this outfit.
For the same reason, midrangers don’t stay one beach north, AO WAI, where Sametville Resort (not to be confused with the excellent Samed Villa on Ao Phai) has thrown a barbed wire fence and locked gate across the track. Hell, what do we pay our 200 baht National Park entry fee for if NP allows this??
Anyway, both places have wildly overpriced accommodation.
Nah, high-enders should head to the only beach on the west coast, AO PHRAO which is an exclusive enclave of upper range resorts on a very nice, very quiet beach with security gates on the entrance road. This is okay, they don’t block visitors and it is not on the main walking track.

BEST ALL ROUNDER - the 4th beach down, AO PUDSA-PUDSA/TUBTIM. Attractive and quiet beach but 3 minutes walk around the headland to lively Ao Phrai and not that far to Hinkok and White Sand. 2 places to stay, Tubtim Resort and Pudsa Bungalows with a lot of accommodation between them from budget to midrange+.
Note that VONG DUERN and adjacent AO CHO are also attractive all rounders, but I rate them a step down because they are further from the party beaches and have less budget accommodation. Nice Ao Phai also goes close, but may be a bit lively for some.

THE LESS VISITED NORTH COAST.
If you turn right off the ferry you can walk along the north coast beaches in about 15 minutes. This section has some real nice resorts like Moonbay Taley and Samed Cliff Resort plus quite a few budget joints with rooms down to 250 baht. You don’t pay the National Park 200baht entrance fee here, and I noticed the NP guys were not challenging people walking into the park without packs, so you could stay on the north coast and beach it on the east coast.

DOWNSIDES.
The NP entrance fee gives little for your money. The main road south is still a dusty pot-holed disgrace and as said, NP does nothing about the blockages on the coastal walking track .
Busy - closeness to Bangkok and Rayong sees weekends and public holidays crowded with locals. Good idea to book ahead at these times.
Water shortage - the reservoir is small relative to demand. Lots of places ship in water from the mainland, one reason accommodation is dearer than some islands.
Expensive songhaew-taxis - fares are posted at the pier and pick-up points at beaches and are quite modest if there is a full load. But if you have to charter one for just yourself it is very expensive - we paid 200baht for a 3km 5 minute trip from Vong Duern to Ao Phai.
----------------------------------
I always try a different beach on revisits so for my latest March 2010 trip I stayed at Vong Duern and Ao Phai. I’ll file a trip report and accommodation reports (Vong Duern Villa and Samed Villa) when I get a chance.
- Sights & activities
- History & culture
- Scenery & environment
- Eat & drink
- Traveller's scene
- Romance
- Value for money
- I'll be back (or not)
By tezza (dabbler)
Written on 23rd April, 2010 after a visit to Ko Samet in March, 2010

Also reviewed by tezza: Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park, Coral and Raya Islands, Haad Nopphara Thara, Haad Sai Khao, Kanchanaburi, Khao Lak, Ko Bulon Lae, Ko Kho Khao, Ko Kut, Ko Lipe,
Ton Had Bungalows, Ao Lung Dum

Ao Lung Dum is a rather peaceful spot, away from the crazy party and fireworks found in the rest of the island.

Ao Lung Dum is between Ao Thian and Ao Wai. I stayed in this cove in February 2010 and we had a peaceful stay. It was a perfect getaway!

The beach is rather rocky, which is truly an advantage because not that many speedboats dock there. And because there's a steep hill behind it, the resorts form only a single line facing the beach, hence it's also less crowded. We did most of our swimming, however, in the beautiful cove of Ao Wai, which is about ten minutes away through a steep cliff and the way there is a good warm up.

There are a number of good resorts, such as Apache, which has a charming restaurant cantilevered over the water, pretty much hanging on a rickety pier.

For those who want to have something very basic though, I would strongly recommend Ton Had Bungalows, which is found on the part of the beach with the most rocks. The woman who welcomed us was very accommodating and friendly.

The collection of bungalows is very close to the water, some of them just a few short steps away. The bungalows are basic. We stayed in a fan room for eight people, 800 baht (and there were just two of us). For that price, one cannot really ask for more than the basic, but it's definitely worth the price. The AC rooms are around 1,000 to 1,200 baht. Each bungalow has a porch overlooking the water, as well as a hammock.

This place does not serve food though but there are restaurants very close to it, and I would strongly recommend Apache Resort for a good meal.

Ton Had Bungalows can be contacted through 0877833262.
- Sights & activities
- History & culture
- Scenery & environment
- Eat & drink
- Traveller's scene
- Romance
- Value for money
- I'll be back (or not)
By kawadjan (dabbler)
Written on 22nd February, 2010 after a visit to Ko Samet in February, 2010

Have your say

You need to be logged in to add a review.

Username: Password:

Not a member? you can join here.
Review title

Snappiness encouraged ;-)

When did you visit here?

This gives your review a bit of context - especially if you were last in Chiang Mai in 1932.

Your review

(Remotely sensible, non-ranting comments are much appreciated. If you don't like somewhere, please explain why -- it's all far more helpful for others that way.) Serial ranters, loons and spammers will be banished!
And please, no self-promotional URLs -- that's what your signature field is for.

So how does it rate?

On a scale of one to ten (with 10 being outstanding and 1 being bloody awful) how would you rate here under the following criteria?

Note: Ratings are OUT OF TEN -- not five!
Please note comments are edited for clarity, typos and style before they appear. Ranting tirades, spam and anything else that really belongs somewhere else won't make the cut. If you want to rant, go to Thorntree.

Please login and refresh this screen before writing your review -- thanks!