Koh samui

 We  spent 5 nights  in BoPhut in December. BoPhut seemed sleepier then other areas of the island - though admittedly, we stayed mostly close to the resort as we recovered from flu and jet lag.

We booked 5 nights at the SeaDance Resort in a 2 bedroom villa with private plunge pool.  

SeaDance Resort is a beautiful, tropical, and privately owned boutique hotel. The owner, Poy and his partner, have done an incredible job providing a relaxed and intimate resort experience. Poy is onsite daily ensuring guests every need is tended too. The staff are exceptional, especially Lek and Nic, who went above and beyond. The resort consists of thatched roofed bungalows and 2 storey villas. A perfect spot to relax and decompress from jet lag. Authentic Thai messages are offered for a reasonable rate, which both boys booked and loved. While private, the location of the resort was also an easy 10 minute walk to the main street to visit the 7 Eleven or grocery store.  

The main floor of our villa had a king bed, living room, kitchenette, a very large, well appointed bathroom and walkout to a private plunge pool. The secondary bedroom was much smaller, with twin beds (convertible to a king), a small but clean bathroom and terrace with a partial ocean view. While the perfect scenario for our family, this villa may be less so for a younger family. The second floor bedroom is an entirely separate room accessible by a stairwell on the outside of the building.

Sea Salt Restaurant, for onsite dining served excellent meals, with incredibly friendly and helpful staff. Serving primarily Thai, an extensive Western menu was also offered. Certainly there was something for everyone. One special dining evening was a seafood bbq on the beach. Fresh fish and pre-ordered lobster, salad and traditional bbq accompaniments. Wonderful.  The breakfast buffet had many options and fantastic coffee (not guaranteed in all locations!)   We all agreed 5 nights was a perfect stay and ideal to start the holiday. 

We recommend that you book directly with the resort. The benefit is complimentary airport shuttle, we were also offered a discounted rate if we booked directly rather than the travel site I originally booked through.   

NOTABLE KOH SAMUI RESTAURANTS 

BANANA FAN RESORT

The resort’s grounds feel like a tropical garden, with dense palm trees lining walkways that lead you on a meandering walk from guest rooms to the sandy beach.  The restaurant is a long walk from the lobby through the hotel grounds to the beach. We were guided by a staff member  - we are not sure we would have found it otherwise!  Baitong Restaurant offers open air beachfront dining. On the night we visited, a buffet dinner was set up right on the beach, and dining just steps from the ocean waves made it a truly memorable evening.

THE FISH HOUSE RESTAURANT AT THE KIMPTON KITALAY SAMUI

 Kimpton Kitaly is a luxury resort set along Choeng Mon Beach. It has a more contemporary feel than our resort, and with 138 rooms and villas amid lush, tropical grounds, it is much larger. 

The FishHouse is a Michelin-recommended fine dining restaurant perched above the beach and absolutely beautiful. We booked for New Year’s Eve with a five course fixed price menu that was outstanding. Our pre-order also included a bottle of Bollinger Champagne and a terrace seat. While pricey, it was a wonderful NYE celebration.

• If possible, request table T94 on the terrace for an unobstructed view of the beach. We had T93, which was also lovely. I’m unsure if terrace seating incurs an extra charge outside NYE.

We enjoyed clear views of the ocean and beachfront festivities. After dinner, the hotel hosted a spectacular fire show on the beach, followed with fireworks from various hotels at midnight. A truly magical NYE.

A GREAT DAY EXCURSION

 Mr Tu Day Trip to Thong National Marine Park by Speedboat 

An excellent, well-reviewed tour on TripAdvisor, but we feel it’s worth comparing with smaller boat tours to find the best fit and budget.  

Early morning hotel pick up and drop off after the tour included.

The speedboat held about 40 people with high windows that made viewing the amazing landscapes difficult, which was unfortunate. 

Tablets were available at the pier for those who suffer seasickness. We felt that the high windows may have contributed to the seasickness we experienced,  so wished we had grabbed some tablets! 

Getting on and off the boat proved difficult for those with mobility issues. We disembarked at each visit. 

Water and soft drinks were included throughout the tour. Beer was also available though we noticed there were no takers.  

There was no movement on the boat—the last five people who boarded sat in the bow (premium seats) and remained there for the entire tour. 

Be sure to bring water shoes (possible to buy on the boat) and watertight phones cases  for snorkelling (available for purchase at the pier). Also, bring a towel! We noticed that the hotels were very good about providing towels and water prior to all of our tours. Most left beach bags as well. 

Bring cash to cover the cost for Park Admission (THB300/person) upon check in.

There were multiple stops at stunning locations on this highly recommended tour. A few notes to help you prepare:

Phu Yai Non Pier:
Expect a bit of chaos on arrival, though it ultimately comes together without too much difficulty. Breakfast is offered at the pier, but we recommend eating beforehand. It looked tasty, but the portions were small and not particularly nutritious.

Ko Mae Ko:
Magical. The “Blue Lagoon” is an emerald lake reached by climbing approximately 100 metres up steep, laddered stairs. Not for the faint of heart — or anyone with mobility concerns — but absolutely worth it for the view. Bring cash for a small kiosk selling coffee, cold drinks, and ice cream.

Ko Sam Sao:
This stop includes kayaking and lunch. The advertised “paddle through caves” is somewhat overstated — you pass beneath an overhang and along limestone cliffs rather than through enclosed caves. Still scenic, though we found the time allotted for kayaking quite short. Lunch followed and was very basic; admittedly, preparing food for 40 people on a remote island is no small feat.

Ko Wua Ta Lap:
Remarkable soft sand and the main visitor hub. There is a sit-down restaurant with food and cold (non-alcoholic) drinks, plus bathrooms — bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. For those inclined, a 500-metre climb (200+ steep stairs) leads to panoramic views over Ang Thong Marine Park. We opted to turn back partway; the final section becomes quite challenging, especially in water shoes. The kids continued and confirmed the upper stretch is steep and technical in places — proper footwear is recommended. Staying below had its reward: a family of Dusky Leaf Monkeys provided an unexpected show.

A FUN NIGHT OUT ON KOH SAMUI

Muay Thai Boxing at the Samui International Muay Thai Stadium

This form of boxing is huge in the Thai culture and an absolute must to experience.   The preamble leans heavily into tradition and custom, with plenty of dramatics before the fights begin. The stadium was extremely crowded and incredibly hot. Dress very lightly and bring plenty of water. Unless you have purchased VIP seats, be sure to arrive early to get a good seat.

TRANSPORTATION ON AND OFF KOH SAMUI

We flew AirBangkok from the capital to Koh Samui. This is a small, regional airline and a short one hour flight - however, we were still fed a full meal!

12Go is a commonly referenced site that I used to reference much travel around the country. I did book our transport off Koh Samui with this site. I booked seats on the Seatran Ferry from Na Thon Ferry Pier, followed by Van to our next stop: AoNang Beach. This car ferry is a pleasurable 90 minutes to main land. 

We arrived an hour ahead of our ferry - just in time to hop on an earlier ferry. Unfortunately, there was no assistance on the far side with moving to an earlier van, however, that allowed us to have a quick meal in the ferry terminal on the far side.

• We arrived an hour ahead of our ferry - just in time to hop on an earlier ferry. Unfortunately, there was no assistance on the far side with moving to an earlier van, however, that did allow us to have a quick meal in the ferry terminal on the far side.
• We were loaded onto a passenger van with 12 additional guests. The van was unfortunately populated with passengers from ferries arriving at different times or another location. We waited approximately one hour before all guests arrived and we could depart. 
• Guests were delivered to their individual hotels.  While helpful, this could add significant travel time depending on your placement. 

TIP: Definitely worth upgrading to a private van if budget permits.