How big is Koh Samui? You’ll be surprised!

Apr 272012
 

You know Koh Samui is a tiny island paradise – and yet you’re spoilt for choice in terms of beaches, restaurants and things to do. You might be weighing up the pros and cons of Koh Samui versus Phuket, or just have a general interest in a science we’ll call ‘Nerd’s Google Mapping’. So! How big is Koh Samui? Long ago, teachers told us to show, not tell. As such, we’ll leave it to the magic powers of Google Maps and our new favourite site MAPfrappe to divulge every inch of Koh Samui’s comparative size.

Here’s what we came up with:

How big is Koh Samui?

Exactly the answer you wanted? Actually, Koh Samui is bigger than a lot of places! (Even ones you’ve heard of…). Continue reading »

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Samui versus the world – 5 reasons to choose Samui

Apr 112012
 

Long sandy beaches, beautiful hot weather, excellent food. It’s true – you can tick all of these boxes in many tropical holiday destinations around the world. Even within Thailand, Samui competes with Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Khao Lak, Krabi and a number of other hotspots for travellers’ attention.

Choeng Mon Sunset

So why choose Koh Samui?

1. Convenience versus seclusion

In our experience, Samui offers the best balance of convenience and seclusion. Within the course of the same day, you can feel like you’re the last person left on the planet one minute, and easily search out the buzz of crowds and nightlife the next. How does Samui achieve this? Unlike Phuket, Khao Lak, and Krabi, Samui is an island. The scheduled ferry and flight services mean that there is a finite number of people who can visit, and the tap of travellers is turned off overnight. Since Samui cannot be reached by bus, there are fewer casual visitors, and people tend to stay for longer.

Continue reading »

Koh Samui statistics: painting the island by number

Apr 102012
 

Guess what! Come on… guess what?! If you like treating your family and friends to facts, tidbits and information (whether they like it or not) – here are a few Koh Samui statistics and island facts to tuck in your back pocket. Of course, if you’d really like to drive everyone crazy with the non-stop delivery of fascinating facts – pack Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything in your carry-on. You won’t be able to help yourself with the ‘guess whats’. (But you can blame us). Right! Samui by the numbers…

Koh Samui statistics Continue reading »

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Visiting Koh Samui in April? You’ll like it hot!

Apr 032012
 

Counting down the days until your trip to Samui this month? We’ll fuel that fire! In fact, hurry up! It’s about to get great. Whether through sheer luck or a cunning plan, it’s likely your April visit will coincide with Songkran (Thai New Year, celebrated as a water festival). In our books, Songkran on Samui tops the last day of school for spontaneous expressions of joy.

What’s on in April

  • April 6: This Friday is the Thai holiday Chakri Day (learn more about it at Wikipedia).
  • April 7-8: Coming up this weekend  – Easter. Expect larger hotels and resorts to offer great brunch options, and possibly easter egg hunts for children. Many expat restaurants also offer a Sunday roast dinner if your holidays are as food-focused as ours! Continue reading »
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Our Koh Samui Guide – downloadable eBook launch

Feb 112012
 

It’s ready! We’re really excited to let you know about our Koh Samui Guide, now available for download as a PDF eBook. It features all our own photos and over 200 tips to read before your Samui holiday – here’s the cover shot:

View some sample pages before you buy, or directly download your copy. The guide book is 75 pages and will be a great help to you at any point in your Samui trip-planning – an easy, lazy way to answer all your questions at once.

 

Get all the details: our 2012 Koh Samui Guide.

What’s that little island? Get to know Kom Som.

Feb 112012
 

Sitting just across the water from the house are the little islands of Koh Som and Koh Lum Mu Noi. In the photos both above and below, Koh Som is the larger island on the far right and Lum Mu Noi is slightly to the left.

Koh Som – ‘Koh’ – as in ‘Koh Samui’, ‘Koh Phangan’ – means ‘island’. So Koh Som means “Orange Island” (or “Orange Tree Island”). Though uninhabitated, its big stretches of white sand beach are very tempting. Just 700m from shore to shore, it looks close enough to swim to. However, scary, strong undercurrents mean the journey is better made by boat. Continue reading »

Koh Samui airport – when to check in?

Jan 222012
 

You’ll be glad to know that departing from Koh Samui Airport is almost as stress-free as arriving. A common question we get asked is, when should I arrive at Samui airport for check-in? For pretty boring legal reasons, we’re obliged to tell you that you should make sure you arrive at USM in enough time to check in 2 hours before your departure. But, with a heaping dose of caveat emptor, we’ve found this can be flexible.

An early start? Many flights returning to Europe from Bangkok leave in the late morning or early afternoon, so, depending on where you’re heading, there’s a chance you’ll be on an early hop from Samui. The earliest flight out of Samui departs at 6 am, and the next, depending on the day of the week, tends to leave around 7.45 am. If you’re on the 6 am flight, you’ll find the streets of Samui more or less empty. Continue reading »

SIM City: Koh Samui and your mobile phone

Jan 182012
 

Lonely Planet says that 80% of you bring your (unlocked) mobile phones on holiday. Add an iPad here and there – you need to be connected. So how to make your mobile work once you land on Koh Samui? Easy as possible – just buy a local SIM card as you would a newspaper.

Koh Samui mobile phones

On arrival, easily get connected with a local Samui phone number and pay-as-you-go SIM card. Two options to get a Samui SIM for your mobile: Continue reading »

Koh Samui Songkran 2012: what to expect?

Jan 142012
 

Songkran is the Thai new year, celebrated annually with a water festival between 13 and 15 April. A true highlight of Samui’s event calendar, Koh Samui takes Songkran as “seriously” as the rest of Thailand – a deluge of good-spirited fun, best experienced up close, in person and without reservation.

koh samui songkran 2012

Songkran on Koh Samui: what to know?

1. Songkran is wet, wild and ridiculous. As with most things, Thais celebrate their new year in a “go big or go home” fashion. Farangs (foreigners) might know Songkran as the water festival, as water is believed to wash away bad luck. What began as a gentle pouring of water over family and friends’ hands or shoulders is now a country-wide free for all. Many Thais opt for full bucket measurements.

Ladies, beware of white shirts. Continue reading »

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