Koh Samui
16 September 2024
Koh Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island, located in the Gulf of Thailand. The island has a mix of beaches, resorts, local markets, and cultural sites. Many visitors to the island move on to visit the nearby Ko Pha Ngan and Koh Tao.
The most important part of our trip to Koh Samui was meeting up with our friends! We had reunited with Brandon in Krabi, but it was on Koh Samui that Ashley and Jocelyn flew out to meet us. Ashley had a very hectic start to her trip by missing her first flight, but everything ended up working out. She and Jocelyn arrived at about the same time.
Día 1
- Maenam Beach
- W Beach
- Chaweng Beach
- Wat Plai Laem
- Chaweng Beach Road
We had mostly rainy days in Thailand, but this day we were lucky enough to have some decent weather. We got up at 8:00 am and rented a scooter to meander around the island. We rented the cheapest model from a shop right next to our hotel for 150 bht/day. I was suspicious because I rely heavily on Google Maps to make decisions about which businesses are trustworthy, and this place has no online presence. That, and the guy gave me a suspicious vibe, so I was a little wary of being scammed. I still went through with it, and luckily, we had no issues. We drove to a craft store in town, where Indi got some crochet equipment to start a project while laying on the beach. We went back to the hotel and got ready for a beach day.
Maenam Beach
We set out intending to beach-hop until we got tired of the beaches or it started raining too hard to continue. To start, we drove 15 minutes north to Maenam Beach. Maenam Beach is a long stretch of calm water lapping on golden sand on Koh Samui’s northern coast. I called my parents. Indi and I chatted with them while we sat in shallow, warm water. It was fairly windy and the beach was mostly empty.
W Beach
Next, we drove to W Beach. To get there, we had to descend a steep road that had me nervous about the quality of our beat-up rental scooter’s brakes. We made it down to sea level and parked outside of the luxurious W Koh Samui resort. We walked down a well-maintained pathway running through the resort from the road to the beach.
W Beach is a narrow stretch of sand that extends into a small, curved peninsula, creating a distinct point where the shoreline converges. The land gradually tapers into a narrow tip, giving it a distinctive “W” shape when viewed from above. The beach was mostly empty, we picked a spot and laid on our towels but didn’t get in the water.
Chaweng Beach
Our last beach of the day was the popular Chaweng Beach, where we met up with Brandon. It was definitely the best beach of the day, but not on the same level as other beaches we had recently seen in Krabi.
Chaweng Beach is the busiest and most developed beach on Koh Samui. It’s a long stretch of white sand along shallow waters. It is a hub for tourism, with numerous resorts, restaurants, and bars lining the shore.
Wat Plai Laem
We drove back to the hotel and did some planning for the next few days while laying by the pool. We showered and drove to a temple complex called Wat Plai Laem. The main temple was built over the water, which was full of turtles, koi, and a species of catfish that appeared to breathe air. At the temple, we walked around the exterior which is surrounded by little cremation grave boxes and looked at who was interred there. It was a sobering experience that made me reflect on my own mortality.
The Buddhist temple complex also features an 18-arm statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, and a large, laughing Buddha statue. The massive statues were eye-catching and the temple appearing to emerge from a giant lotus flower floating on the water was beautiful, but what I most remember about the experience was the memorials to the dead that surround the temple. I think Wat Plai Laem is well worth a visit.
Chaweng Beach Road
Chaweng Beach Road is the main commercial street in Koh Samui’s busiest tourist area, running parallel to Chaweng Beach. Lined with restaurants, bars, shops, and street vendors, it is a hub for dining, nightlife, and shopping.
Indi and I drove the scooter to Chaweng Beach Road to get some food. We had eaten nothing but an apple each and some peanuts all day, so I was pretty hungry. We went to an excellent restaurant called Green Bird. The pad thai was amazing.
We walked around a lot of shops but did not buy anything. Indi was looking for a pair of Keen shoes she had seen around and decided she could not live without. It wasn’t until Japan that she found the color she was looking for. We then went to a 7/11, and I got an Oreo-flavored pack of Coke Zero. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
Next to our hotel was a humble-looking noodle shop that was suprsingly busy. It’s called 4 Men Yellow Noodle and Wonton Soup. We weren’t hungry, but we were very curious. So, we met up with the crew and ordered a bowl to share. It was great!
Next time
On our next adventure, we take a boat to the party island of Koh Pha Ngan, then to her sister island, Koh Tao.
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