Koh Samui

Transport

,, Scooter is the cheapest way to go around.  Rent for one day is 200 Bath, for three 500 Bath.  Taxi is very expensive. Even a short distance, you pay  500 Baths.
I was stunned that no one drives too fast on the island. The average traffic speed is 35-40 km /h, and if we deviated from the main road, we could see almost no other vehicle." (2019)

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“We’ve been obliged to spend a disproportionate amount of our spending money on transport. Samui is a large island (the coast road runs to some 50km) so you really can’t just walk – or perhaps only if your hotel is right by the beach, and you have no interest in seeing anywhere else. Taking advantage of this, a taxi monopoly was established, which then displaced all other forms of public and private transport, including the tuk-tuk and the usual Thai buses – there is no public transport whatsoever. Taxis are, accordingly, quite expensive (for example, a short drive from Bophut to Chaweng, which is around five-six kilometers, costs 300-400 baht). The only other option is to hire your own vehicle, for instance, a moped. I don’t recommend this on Koh Samui, however, even for experienced motorcyclists: tragically, foreign tourists die on Thai roads almost every day, in accidents caused by bad roads, chaotic driving standards, alcoholism, and so on. Of you aren’t confident on a motorbike in Thailand, don’t risk it, and even if you are, do so only with the utmost caution.”

Shopping

Fisherman's Village (Bophut) - Friday night market, superb! Not to be missed!

Others

“The beaches in the north aren’t very wide, and the sand is a disconcertingly yellowish color. On the beaches of Bophut and Maenam, meanwhile, the sand is very coarse. They are also quite steep, and you can’t walk along with them comfortably. The advantage here compared to Chaweng is that the sea deepens sooner here, and you can reach swimming depth more quickly. This is good for adults, but not really for young children, or for adults who only want to paddle. The most beautiful part of the beach is located at Santiburi  Beach Resort. Bophut’s waterfront is worth visiting for its attractive dining options.

At the northeastern tip of the island, the palm-fringed beaches of Choeng Mon are beautiful, and it’s no surprise that so many hotel complexes were built here. In the south, most of the beaches are covered in rocks or pebbles. In the south, it’s easy to take beautiful pictures, but the shallow water makes swimming impractical.

In the east, Chaweng Yai beach is the longest (approx. 6km) and the broadest, and it curves beautifully around a natural bay. Again, no prizes for guessing why so many hotels were built here. The beach and nightlife are a lot of fun, but it’s not a very calm, relaxing kind of place. From December to March, and again in July and August, there are big crowds here. In the evening, when the sands are illuminated by torches lit around the cafés and bars, the effect is very pretty. The biggest problem with Chaweng is the big difference between high and low tides at different times of the day.

Chaweng Noi (Small Chaweng) is quieter, yet still very beautiful. It’s also much shorter, however, at only one kilometer long. Some consider Chaweng Noi even more beautiful than Chaweng Beach. Others particularly recommend the beach at Lamai, which is also very beautiful, and quieter than Chaweng. Lamai Beach is the second-longest on the island. It’s good for bathing and swimming, has fine white sand, and at low tide, it’s also broad enough. The palm trees look good, too. On the west of the island, there are very pretty private beaches south of Nathon. The most beautiful is Taling Nga Beach (often written as one word: Talingngam). Sunsets here are spectacular.”

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“Between June and October, box jellyfish pose an appreciable danger to bathers. It’s very rare, but one or two people have died on Koh Samui from box jellyfish stings. More usually, however, the stings ‘only’ result in agonizing pain. The tendrils of the box jellyfish can be up to three meters in length, and the poison affects both the nervous system and the heart. In fatal instances, the bather was badly stung, and subsequently drowned.” (K.J., 2016)