A few nights in Samui...

**rawlins** · 04-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Samui

After only 2 weeks of mayhem in Pattaya I was in need of some relaxation so I threw the options up to SBF … It was a choice between Phuket, Samui or Koh Chang….

After the usual ‘up to you’ debate Samui got the winning vote so flights were booked online with Bangkok Air departing about 7am the next day from Bangkok… ( Couldn’t get any from U Tapao..)

We arrived at Samui airport knackered due to not being able to sleep when having to get up early and got a beach hut booked through the information desk there….

We opted for Chaweng beach because I didn’t want total peace and quiet.

This was the beach hut at a resort called ‘Baan Chaweng’…. Everything seemed more expensive on Samui compared to Pattaya and this cost 5000 baht per night…( I think the equivalent on Koh Samet or Koh Chang would be about 3000 but the tourist hoards that visit Samui probably think it’s a good deal….)

Here is the our Soi that led down to the beach…

And this is the bed… That’s the bed that is…

The first day was pretty much trying to catch up with sleep and relaxing on the beach…. Chaweng beach is OK… It was fairly busy and was getting busier as a ‘full moon party’ was approaching… Thankfully we headed back up the day before the party – last thing I needed was an all night beach party packed with shitfaced rowdy backpackers…

Few shots of Chaweng Beach…

Some of these backpacker types can be OK though….. (hope their sponsors don’t see these pics…)

SBF enjoyed the view as much as I did and managed to snap this next pic herself with me pretending to pose…. ( I’m getting worried about SBF…..)

That night we took a walk around near the ‘Green Mango’ disco area… It was crap… We stopped for food in a corner bar/restaurant and were met with rude service but OK food…So rude that SBF wanted to fight the waitress…… The service wasn’t rude everywhere, but in general the Thais there had a poorer attitude than in Pattaya… maybe they are tired of dealing with all the daft farangs?....

After the food we had a look around then settled in a bar and smoked some Sisha pipe to aid the relaxation process…

This bar had half a Beetle sticking out of it…

We were only there a few days and wanted to see the sights of the island so booked a tour with ‘Mr Ungs’ tours… They take groups around in big off-road jeeps and are aimed at the younger lot… I was chuffed when it turned up because our jeep was full of farang girl backpackers….

Some pictures from the day tour:

Stopped at ‘Cock Rock’ where this guy was belting out good tunes…

Obligatory Hefelump ride…

And Crocodile show… He is sticking my 100 baht into the Crocs stomach here… I let him keep it…

I ordered some crocodile one night from some African BBQ place… I let SBF try a taste then revealed what it was… she ran to the toilet to wash her mouth, came back, cried a bit and phoned her Mum to tell her that I had fed her crocodile… What was that all about?... I thought I had made some fatal religious error or something… did somebody important get re-born as a crocodile?.. turns out she is just scared of crocs and therefore was also scared to eat it….. I promised her that I wouldn’t feed her crocodile again (might feed her to the crocs though…)

Waterfall in the jungle… (Thais seem to have a fascination with waterfalls..)

The ‘Magic Garden’…. Some guy had spent his entire life carving out things in the rock in this garden near some stream… very nice place it was apart from some rude Krauts stepping in to view when you try to get a photo…

Up high into the hills for a lunch stop and time for a few Singhas…

Then the last stop was a big Buddha which had these statues nearby at the waters edge…

Apparently this is a bad woman… Tried to steal or kill some bloke I think…

This was our guide for the day… He was a good laugh… After initially trying to take the piss about farangs in general he ended up being OK…

Apart from the day tour it was just a few days relaxing on the beach with a failed attempt to try and lose SBF at sea by shaking her off a jetski….

Overall my impressions were that it was overpriced for everything and the Thais there could have been a bit nicer….. (She was shocked that she had to pay 50 baht for the same noodles that cost 25 baht in Pattaya so that says it all…..)

I did relax a bit which was the intention of the trip and I’ll probably go back in another 5 years to see how it’s changed even more for the worse….

Samui was OK but Samet was better….

**klongmaster** · 04-03-2008, 04:06 PM

Good stuff Rawlins: I first went to Samui in 1974...six hours by ferry which was so rough the French on the boat were singing the Marseillaise (they thought they were going to die)...

however, back then it was heaven...unfortunately money has altered the people there and it's hard to hear a good report of the place now...

5000 a night for a beach hut...well I'll just have to settle for vicarious travel while you pay all the bills...thanks for that...

**sabang** · 04-03-2008, 04:19 PM

It was 1982 for me in Samui, stayed at the Magic Mushroom bungalows in Lamai. I doubt I'll go back again- paradise lost.

Nice TR rawlins.

**Marmite the Dog** · 04-03-2008, 04:28 PM

I stayed there during Songkran about 6 years ago. They've redecorated since.

**Loombucket** · 04-03-2008, 04:41 PM

Good report Rawlins, I think you captured the best spots. Green Mango is crap but there are some nicer, small places behind the lake. Did you notice how bad the roads are? I think it was the big difference in the dual pricing that turned me away. That and the bar prices. Nice beaches though.

**rawlins** · 04-03-2008, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by klongmaster

however, back then it was heaven...unfortunately money has altered the people there and it's hard to hear a good report of the place now...

I agree with you... It's still a nice place to go but there are nicer places.. If I had more time I would have ventured out to Koh Tao to see what it's like..

Originally Posted by sabang

It was 1982 for me in Samui, stayed at the Magic Mushroom bungalows in Lamai. I doubt I'll go back again- paradise lost.

Nice TR rawlins.

Thanks sabang... I will go back again sometiome but I'll try a different beach... There are still plenty of quiet, idyllic spots on the island... Found a small private cove when we went exploring on the bike....

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I stayed there during Songkran about 6 years ago. They've redecorated since.

It was a very nice hut/house... But I think the price is too high for it... It's western prices they are charging really...

Originally Posted by Loombucket

Green Mango is crap but there are some nicer, small places behind the lake. Did you notice how bad the roads are?

I didn't bother going the one behind the lake ('Reggae Bar' disco?)... Green mango was fairly empty when we looked but that was before midnight... Some of the roads were crap, even around the main Chaweng area...

**dirtydog** · 04-03-2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by rawlins

Everything seemed more expensive on Samui compared to Pattaya and this cost 5000 baht per night

Have they got anything in the, erm, like, 200 to 400baht per night range?

**rawlins** · 04-03-2008, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Originally Posted by rawlins

Everything seemed more expensive on Samui compared to Pattaya and this cost 5000 baht per night

Have they got anything in the, erm, like, 200 to 400baht per night range?

I think they have got some mosquito and cockroach ridden dorms for the backpacker scum somewhere.... I'll ask the girls on the beach next time I'm there....

**Mid** · 04-03-2008, 05:37 PM

^

300 to 500 , rare

extinct in another couple of years .

**dirtydog** · 04-03-2008, 05:40 PM

Ahh, I don't do dorms, I like to sleep naked and occasionaly wander off to the toilet with my knob in my hand, now you can get away with that down Soi Yodsak when your upstairs, don't think the backpackers would appreciate it though, aint noway I would pay that sort of money though unless the resort had a real lot of good facilities, and being a Thai resort I doubt it did, damn, stuff is getting expensive here

**BosseO** · 04-03-2008, 05:45 PM

Went there 10 years ago, we rented a house at Coconut village (I think, was Coconut something anyway). Was then 1200b. a day.

**terry57** · 04-03-2008, 05:45 PM

I was there in 87 and they opened the airport in 88.

Fat fly in fly out package tourists took over the place, the rest is history and give koh Tao a crack next time.

**terry57** · 04-03-2008, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

" stuff is getting expensive here "

After traveling Isaan, I now realize this is the best value in the whole foking country and its no wonder the lads choose to live up country.

The islands are foked now because of the 2 week millionaires spending like theres no tomorrow and I'm glad I was there all those years ago before the tourist explosion.

**dirtydog** · 04-03-2008, 05:59 PM

This is how a beach should look.

Although this would be alright for an afternoon if you got bored

**rawlins** · 04-03-2008, 06:05 PM

^ If you take out all the blokes and the drug deal going on in the background that second picture would constitute a nice beach...

I vote for the one on the left too....

**CB79** · 04-03-2008, 06:27 PM

Have to admit I found Samui an over expensive tourist trap. The beach was alright but the nightlife was shite (although the Reggae Bar weren't bad) and the only decent-ish nightclub had the reputation for people getting shot, although we found it fine after a few dozen Singha's!!

As the previous poster said give me Samet over Samui anyday. In fact give me Phuket over Samui!!!!

**Spin** · 04-03-2008, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I stayed there during Songkran about 6 years ago. They've redecorated since.

I also stayed there for 4 weeks in 2004, used to have their very nice chicken penang curry with a beer for breakfast each day. Great way to start the day, gazing bleary eyed out to sea

Was about 2300 per night, way cheaper to book on internet in advance. It looks like Rawlins got the walk-in rate which is normally akin to daylight robbery.

**rawlins** · 04-03-2008, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Spin

Great way to start the day, gazing bleary eyed out to sea

Was about 2300 per night, way cheaper to book on internet in advance. It looks like Rawlins got the walk-in rate which is normally akin to daylight robbery.

Yeah... could have got cheaper but it was only planned one day before... Did browse a few places on the internet the night before and similar rooms were still about 4 to 5 k and most places were booked up....

They actually offered some suite there which was just bigger with jacuzzi and think it had a 2nd small bedroom at the price of 12,500 baht.... I politely declined that room..

**Bexar County Stud** · 05-03-2008, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by rawlins

Yeah... could have got cheaper but it was only planned one day before... Did browse a few places on the internet the night before and similar rooms were still about 4 to 5 k and most places were booked up....

I took a look on hotelscombined.com just for kicks and found a lot of hotels under 5 grand.

5 grand, damn there's better deals to be found in Hawaii for FFS.

**NickA** · 05-03-2008, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Have they got anything in the, erm, like, 200 to 400baht per night range?

4-5 years ago I stayed next to the beach in Lamai for 150 a night, pretty crappy room though. Can't remeber the name, but just go from Bauhaus towards the beach and it's on the left. They had some semi-decent rooms for 500 baht a night. Suppose they have gone up a bit since then.

**rawlins** · 05-03-2008, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Bexar County Stud

I took a look on hotelscombined.com just for kicks and found a lot of hotels under 5 grand.

5 grand, damn there's better deals to be found in Hawaii for FFS.

I agree that it's well overpriced and well done to you for finding a lot of hotels under 5 grand.... But as I said, it was only planned the day before, at the height of high season and a few days before a 'full moon party'....

What I got was the walk-in rate.... If I planned it well in advance I'm sure I could have paid less for a similar room somewhere...

NickA... That avatar is the sacred Roger Mellie.... Be careful how you represent the great man...

**John** · 05-03-2008, 01:29 PM

Koh Samui was my paradise for many years - it is a nightmare now. But anyhow - it is so muggy that you can only stay there between December and February - if you do not care about the rain (and in the meantime the prices) so much. In any case this paradise is lost. Alternatives???

**Propagator** · 06-03-2008, 12:55 AM

Nice thread Rawlins - got some photos myself of Samui in 2004. Will dig them out and post em later

**mystery1051** · 06-03-2008, 11:00 AM

She does have a nice set of magombos...

Mystery

**rawlins** · 06-03-2008, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by John

In any case this paradise is lost. Alternatives???

Alternatives?... I have only seen Koh Samet recently and that was better... I would think anywhere else apart from Phuket would be closer to 'paradise' but all good places end up getting developed as tourist numbers increase...

Koh Chang, Krabi, Koh Tao...?

Magombos... I like that word.

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