Koh Samui is one of Thailand's most popular travel destinations. With an idyllic climate, white sand beaches, a wealth of activities and water sports to enjoy and an exciting nightlife, Koh Samui is ideal for a fabulous family holiday. The island is a shopper's paradise and there many quality shopping centres as well as bustling night markets. samui by night provides numerous dining possbilities. Visitors can enjoy delicious Thai cuisine, seafood and international fare at stunning beachfront restaurants. Situated some 700 kilometres south of Bangkok but only an hour and a half by air, the island is easy to reach. only the backpackers come by ferry these days and in the high season from February until June, the tiny airport welcomes over a dozen flights a day. The 250 square kilometre island is set in the Gulf of Thailand at the edge of the Ang Tong National Marine Park. Surrounded by 80 other islands, only six of which are inhabited, Koh Samui and the surrounding waters make a truly superb holiday destination. The biggest and busiest beaches, Chaweng and Lamai, are located on the eastern side of the island.


PRACTICAL INFORMATION

1. Getting there & away

Land

Bus

It can be cheaper and less stressful to get bus/ferry combination tickets that take you all the way to (and from) Ko Samui.

The government-bus fares from Bangkok’s Southern bus terminal include the cost of the ferry. These are 900/700/500B for VIP/1st class/2nd class. Most private buses from Bangkok charge around 450B for the same journey and include the ferry fare. From Th Khao San in Bangkok it’s possible to get bus/ferry combination tickets for as little as 280B, but service is substandard and theft occurs more frequently than on the more expensive buses. If an agency on Th Khao San claims to be able to get you to Samui for less, it is almost certainly a scam as no profit can be made at such low prices. The Surat Thani travel agency Phantip Travel (0 7742 1221) has offices in Na Thon.

From Na Thon, air-con buses fan out over Thailand and there are at least three daily departures for any given destination, the first one being at 7.30am.

Train

You can buy train/bus/ferry tickets straight through to Samui from Bangkok. Buying these combination tickets saves you some hassle, though you really don’t save much money – especially if you include getting to the train station.

Air

Bangkok Airways (0 7742 2512) flies about 16 times daily between Ko Samui and Bangkok. The flight takes about one hour and 20 minutes. Other destinations from Samui include Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. During high season flights may be booked out six weeks in advance, so plan accordingly. If Samui flights are full, you might try flying to Surat Thani first, then taking a boat. Delays are also common, so plan accordingly for connecting flights.

The Samui airport departure tax is 500B for domestic and international flights. The attractive open-air airport has a nice bar, restaurant, money-exchange outlet and hotel-reservations counter.

There are almost 10 daily departures between Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan. These leave either from the Na Thong, Mae Nam or Bang Rak piers and take from 20 minutes to one hour (130B to 250B). On Ko Pha-Ngan there are two piers (Hat Rin and Thong Sala), with the boats departing from Hat Bang Rak servicing Hat Rin, and the other boats Thong Sala. From the same piers, there are also around six daily departures between Samui and Ko Tao. These take 1¼ to 2½ hours and cost 345B to 550B.

Car ferries from Don Sak and Khanom land at Thong Yang, about 10km south of Na Thon.

2. Getting around
Car & motorcycle

You can rent motorcycles (and bicycles) from several places in Na Thon, Chaweng and Lamai, as well as from various bungalows around the island. The going rate is 150B per day for a small motorcycle, but for longer periods try to negotiate a better rate. Take it easy on the bikes; every year several faràng die or are seriously injured in motorcycle accidents on Samui. A helmet law is enforced with occasional vigour.

Suzuki Caribbean jeeps can be hired for around 1500B per day from various travel agencies.

3.Money & costs

Money

Changing money isn’t a problem in Na Thon, Chaweng or Lamai, where several banks (with ATMs) or exchange booths offer daily exchange services. See the maps for some locations.

4. Health & safety

Dangers & annoyances

Several travellers have written to warn others to take care when making train, bus and air bookings. These sometimes aren’t made at all, the bus turns out to be far inferior to the one expected or other hassles develop. We too have had trouble with buses/boat combos, and our last research trip included a harrowing minibus ride from Phuket to Surat Thani that left us biting our nails and screaming for our money back. Unfortunately there is little you can do to avoid this, except make sure to ask as many questions as possible when booking tickets. Air scams include travel agents telling customers that economy class on planes is fully booked and only business class is available; the agent then sells the customer an air ticket – at business-class prices – that turns out to be economy class.

As on Phuket, the rate of fatalities on Samui from road accidents is quite high. This is due mainly to the large number of tourists who rent motorcycles only to find out that Samui’s winding roads, stray dogs and coconut trucks can be lethal to those who have never dealt with them. If you feel you must rent a motorcycle, protect yourself by wearing a helmet, shoes and appropriate clothing when driving.

Theft isn’t unknown on the island. If you’re staying in a beach bungalow, consider depositing your valuables with the management while off on excursions around the island or swimming at the beach.

While you're there
Medical services
There are several hospitals on the island and nursing-care units for stubbed toes, scraped knees, pregnancy tests and earaches.
Hyperbaric chamber (0 7742 7427) The only hyperbaric chamber on the island is in Hat Bang Rak (Big Buddha Beach).
Samui International Hospital (0 7723 0781, 0 7742 2272; www.sih.co.th) For any medical or dental problem. Emergency ambulance service is available 24 hours and credit cards are accepted. Opposite the Muang Kulaypan Hotel.