Feel the reggae mon
Pirate flags and Rasta colours welcome you to King Busch Reggae Beach, one of the more laid-back bungalow operations on the island.
Also running a popular restaurant and bar with bamboo tables set up on the sand, the chilled-out staff rents out bungalows made entirely of bamboo apart from thatch roofs and tile floors in the ensuite wet bathrooms with Western-style flush toilets and hot-water showers. Thick mattresses are set on bamboo frames over bamboo floors that bend as you step, cooled by fans mounted on woven bamboo walls.
Bamboo benches are built into large bamboo porches, though only the front row bungalows have sea views due to a design that packs quite a few rooms into a small area. We were told that all bungalows are identical, and they’re surprisingly equipped with small flatscreen TVs and mini-fridges. A lack of mosquito nets is questionable given the open-air windows propped open by thick bamboo rods. Shoestring budget travellers can go for a beachfront tent with sleeping mat and blanket while using shared bathrooms.
An advantage of King Busch -- as compared to other north-coast backpacker options like By Beach Resort, Moonhut and The Treehouse Silent Beach -- is a location that puts a great string of beachside restaurants and bars at your fingertips. Stroll to the east for five minutes to try delicious 40-baht sticky rice noodles with curry at Khanom Jeen Pla Khiao, and continue for another five minutes to hit Bang Por Seafood Tahko, one of the best options on Samui for real local-style seafood.
The narrow beach fronting King Busch is picturesque, but the ring road runs directly behind it so you will hear some traffic through those thin bamboo walls.
Address: 77/3 Moo 6, Bang Po, Ko Samui
T: (080) 633 1174;
Web: https://www.facebook.com/reggaebeachKingbusch/
Coordinates (for GPS): 99º56'12.91" E, 9º34'39.84" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: Under 600B
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
Camping | 300 baht | 300 baht |
Bungalow fan private bathroom 700/1,000 baht for second row | 450 baht | 700 baht |
Beachfront bungalow | 1,000 baht | 1,300 baht |
Reviewed by
David Luekens
David Luekens first came to Thailand in 2005 when Thai friends from his former home of Burlington, Vermont led him on a life-changing trip. Based in Thailand since 2011, he spends much of his time eating in Bangkok street markets and island hopping the Andaman Sea.
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