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For passing tourists, the island of Koh Samet might
seem like a small-scale version of its southern neighbours,
Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao. However, this bustling
beachy island should not be overlooked. Any Thai long
weekend will mark a boom in Samet's tourism. Students,
young professionals, and urban-weary Bangkok residents
make pilgrimages out to the island in search of sand,
sun and fun. For Western travelers, this means an
opportunity to holiday like Thais, with Thais, sharing
SangSom buckets and bungalow accommodation with Thailand's
most diverse mix of beachgoers.
Unlike other Thailand beaches, where your interactions
with natives may be limited to bargirls and tuk-tuk
drivers, Samet is a place to meet peers looking for
tranquility by day and parties by night. If you're
keen for a beach holiday, but still hoping to take
a few steps off the Western tourist path, Samet might
be your Eden.
From Bangkok, the beaches of Koh Samet can be reached
by an easy 4-hour bus-ferry-taxi trip. While travel
agencies throughout Bangkok will easily coordinate
a package trip, the journey is a simple one. From
Ekamai Station, travelers will be dropped directly
at the pier in the coastal town of Bang Phe. From
here, the island is an easy 30-minute boat ride away.
The beaches of Koh Samet vary from bustling to secluded,
and its narrow, 2-road layout provides easy navigation.
However, motorbike enthusiasts should note that outside
the busy northern part of the island, the roads start
to resemble motorcross courses in their uneven rockiness.
Novice bikers might be better off traveling by taxi,
or else choosing one beach and parking their rucksacks
there.
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Those looking for quieter beaches are
best heading south, where coral reefs populate the secluded
sands of Ao Kiu and Ao Wai. More social-minded travellers
are best off staying in the north. On the northeastern
tip, Hat Sai Keaw and Ao Phai are Samet's most popular
beaches. Here, the scene is clean beaches crowded with
a great mix of people; university students, young families,
and intrepid backpackers swim and sun among vendors
selling sarongs or fruit, henna tattoo artists, or masseuses
patrolling the beach. |
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Here, beachside restaurants compete with
extensive Western-friendly menus and nightly movie screenings.
Come nightfall, parties ignite along the beach. Share
cocktails in buckets at Naga Bungalows' bar, or dance
til all hours at the ever-popular White Sands Resort
bar. Day or night, people-watchers will delight in the
mix of Thai and foreign vacationers, traveling families
and backpackers, couples and singles. This variety makes
Koh Samet a unique Thai travelspot; diverse crowds are
proof of the island's diverse attractions. Divers, snorkellers,
campers, partyers, relaxation-seekers, scenery buffs
can all leave Samet satisfied. |
