Koh Samui highlights

We spent 3 weeks in Koh Samui and had some days doing absolutely nothing, which is a good thing when you're traveling but doesn't give you much to write about. So instead of the usual day-to-day story I'm gonna share with you some of the best places we encountered. We stayed in Mae Nam, Chaweng and Lamai during our stay. Mae Nam is the most quiet one of those three. Chaweng and Lamai are bigger and more touristy with tons of restaurants and bars. They also have nicer beaches but it doesn't really matter where you stay if you rent a vehicle to get around.

Hotels

Ampha Place (Mae Nam) 

This was probably our favorite and we stayed here on two occasions, three nights when we got to Koh Samui and two nights right before we left. The hotel is located in Mae Nam and there is no beach within immediate vicinity of the hotel but the pool is great and they rent scooters so it's easy to get around. The owner is really nice and helpful if you need information or ferry tickets etc. and the breakfast is good costing around 150 THB. Be sure to try their jams, mango-passion fruit was our favorite!

Ampha Place's pool

P.S. Leave a comment if you stayed in Ampha Place and found our blog after reading a certain book..

Chaweng Cove Beach Resort (Chaweng Beach) 

We wanted a little something extra for Christmas so we splurged on a little more expensive hotel and had a room with a whirlpool one of the three nights we stayed here. The location was nice right on the beach and the breakfast buffet kept our stomachs happy for a long time.

Our whirlpool

The Spa Garden (Lamai) 

The hotel was located a little further away from the beach but they have a free shuttle service and scooter rental so it didn't bother us. Their restaurant had some tasty dishes and there was a pool on the premises. The weather was not on our side so we didn't spend time there but it looked good enough.

Chaweng Skybar & Hotel (Chaweng) 

Drinking beer and playing pool, that's how we spent our days in Chaweng Skybar & Hotel. It's right in the heart of Chaweng, short walking distance from the beach and other restaurants. They had some good happy hour offers, free pool and the room price was pretty decent considering the location.

Everyday routine 

PTK Residence (Chaweng) 

Staying two nights here was nothing special. The pool was nice but that's pretty much it. The hotel was not bad but there's better options for the same amount of money if you're staying in Chaweng.

Restaurants

Roman Turkish Restaurant (Mae Nam)

We got here on a quiet night but the place was quite lively. They had live music and the guy performing Nessun Dorma was VERY talented. The act alone was worth paying for so the fact that the pizzas were tasty was just an added bonus.

Bavaria (Mae Nam)  

Go German! This is your place to get your sauerkraut and wurst if you're tired of eating Thai food all the time. You can find this sausagelicious restaurant in the middle of the Mae Nam walking street. 

Wurst! 

Noi (Chaweng) 

We kept coming back to Noi again and again. Thai dishes were delicious and cheap and they also have a good selection of western food. I also appreciate the fact that they gave us fish sauce with chili without asking.

Stacked Samui (Chaweng) 

You know those times when you just want to forget counting calories and that six pack that is just around the corner and just enjoy the flow of that delicious grease? Luckily you have these kind of places when you most need them. They serve heart attacks on a plate disquised as juicy burgers and fatty fries. It's better to go here hungry as the portions are big.

More cheese,  please. 

Crystal (Chaweng) 

This little place is located right next to Chaweng Skybar & Hotel. It's a shame we didn't find it earlier as the food here was absurdly cheap compared to the ones around it. Besides being affordable the food was mouth watering and the staff was overly friendly. This is a must visit if you're nearby. Five stars *****

Green Cafe (Lamai) 

This was our hotel's restaurant when we stayed in The Spa Garden. Savory Thai dishes and good selection of European dishes with reasonable prices makes Green Restaurant worth a visit.

Pamon Thai (close to Lamai) 

Oh my, it makes my mouth to water just thinking about Pamon Thai. This is a small local restaurant just outside of Lamai. We were here two years ago and I was extremely happy to be back. Last time Sini didn't eat here but this time she didn't let the simple looks to fool her and had a go also. The dishes are amazingly tasty and they cost next to nothing. You have to have a car or a bike to get here but I highly recommend to give it a try and give your taste buds something to remember!

Delicious! 

Coco Tam's (Fisherman's Village Bophut) 

I don't know if it was because we were very hungry or what but the pizza we shared here tasted heavenly! I've eaten pizza all around the world including Italy and Sicily. I've had pizza to cure hangovers. I've had cheap pizza, expensive pizza, homemade pizza, all kinds of pizza. but still the one we ate makes it in my top 3, easily. The tropical cocktails and the setting were nice too.

Tropical Cocktails on the beach, not bad 

Disc golf

There are 3 disc golf courses in Thailand and two of them are located in Koh Samui so this is pretty much a perfect island :D

Samui Disc Golf

The place is easily reachable from Mae Nam and they have signs along the way. For 250 baht you can play as much as you want for one day and if you don't have your own plastic with you the discs are included for the price. The course is pretty easy and if you're not totally new to the sport there's a good chance for birdies. It's also suitable for beginners and they sell discs with unique stamps so bring some cash with you.

A beautiful place to play a round or two! 

Laem Sor Beach Disc Golf & Acoustic Cafe

This course is aimed more for enthusiasts and more advanced players. You can find it with a navigator but be sure to check your location from time to time if you're arriving with scooter as they don't have any signs on the road. You can tell that Dave, the owner, is really dedicated to the sport as he has done an enormous job making the place playable. He seems like a nice guy and showed us around the course. They have 18 holes but only 9 were available to play when we got there. It was 200 baht for using the course and the level of difficulty was a bit higher than in Samui Disc Golf. It was a funny "coincidence" that we run into Finns both times we visited here :p

He posed for us near the disc golf course 

She made that putt :) 

Good to know

Songthaews

Taxis are expensive, use Songthaews instead. They are pickup trucks with two rows of seats in the back of the car and they run all around the island. It doesn't matter how long are you going, the rate is 100 baht for farangs. For shorter distances you may want to bargain.

Riding the Songthaew 

Make it spicy! 

Many restaurants adjust their dishes to be more tourist friendly and cut down the heat. If you love spicy food just ask for fish sauce (Nam Pla)  with chili as every place has it no matter how westernized. The stuff smells horrible but tastes awesome, I love it.

Fish sauce makes it better. 

Fisherman's Village Walking Street market (Bophut) 

There's a ton of market stalls popping up in almost 1 km long Walking Street in Bophut. The market runs every Friday from 5 pm until late. You can buy pretty much everything here from sunglasses and t-shirts to souvenirs, spices, handicrafts, jewelry and much more for low cost. In addition to stalls there are free performances you can admire while enjoying the atmosphere. There's a big parking area if you're arriving with car or bike.

Friday night market

- Matias





Our route so far