Ko Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya - Ko Samet National Park, which encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland, as well as various islands in the region.

Despite its national park status all of Ko Samet's beaches have been developed -- the only way you'd know you're on a national park is via the entry fee charged to all 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.

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 with the head of a dragon -- if nothing else an interesting study in genetics.

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. And though the 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 there is little peace to be had unless you arrive mid-week. Being so close to Bangkok, Ko Samet gets extremely crowded on weekends and holidays, and the prices do 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 restaurant, 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 fairly limited, the resort bars see a fairly 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. A few upscale resorts dot the far end of this coast on the only strip of pleasing beach.

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.

Orientation
The main ferry boat pier on the island is in the little settlement of Nadan, which is little more than a row of shops lining the kilometre-long road from the ferry to the national park entrance booth. A few essential services are available here, including a pharmacy. Prices in Nadan tend to be lower than on the beaches, particularly for motorcycle rental. If you're really stuck there are a few places to rent a room in Nadan.

At the time of writing, Ko Samet is home to three ATMs. The first is outside the 7-Eleven at the arrivals pier in Nadan. The other two are near the 7-Eleven just outside the national park entrance booth near Haad Sai Kaew.

Once you're off the boat in Nadan, songthaews ferry passengers the one km from the pier to the national park entrance and Haad Sai Kaew for 10B per person, or to Ao Phai for 20B each, as long as a minimum of 10 passengers make the trip. For beaches farther south, the fare increases dramatically.

Notes and precautions
In the past Ko Samet had a bit of a bad rap for malaria, but it hasn't been a serious problem in over a decade. Dengue fever however remains an issue, so take all the usual precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. In the past rumours swirled of disease-ridden dogs roaming free in packs -- the truth is a lot of strays wander round, but they're well taken care of by the locals and are used to tourists, so they will be no bother. Just be sure not to leave your half-full Sangsom buckets on the beach after a night's partying -- the dogs have been known to imbibe. And though the climate on Ko Samet is generally pleasant, the tides manage to pull a couple of people to their deaths every year, so be wary when swimming.

National park entry fee
One thing that really bothers people about Ko Samet is the fee charged to all visitors upon arrival. It's bad enough having to pay the inflated fee to enter a well-protected national park, but being charged 10 times a local to enter a park that has been over-developed and largely trashed by developers is a bit of a joke. Thankfully, after spending a year at 400B, the entry fee was reduced in late 2007 to a more affordable 200B. In the past, it was possible to avoid paying this fee by arriving on the island at places other than Nadan or Ao Wong Deun. However, proactive rangers now meet arriving boats at almost every location to collect this fee.