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    • All Balot Bohol Boracay Cebu city El Nido Malapascua Manila Palawan Panglao Port Barton San Fernando
      El Nido

      El Nido and the Bacuit Bay

      March 26, 2009

      Port Barton

      Port Barton and the Pagdanan Bay

      November 8, 2008

      Palawan

      Coco Loco island and resort

      October 9, 2008

      Malapascua

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      Boracay

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      November 8, 2007

      Cebu city

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      El Nido and the Bacuit Bay

      March 26, 2009

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      July 11, 2008

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      Arriving in Manila

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      Palawan

      El Nido and the Bacuit Bay

      March 26, 2009

      Palawan

      Coco Loco island and resort

      October 9, 2008

      Panglao

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      December 23, 2007

      Port Barton

      Port Barton and the Pagdanan Bay

      November 8, 2008

      San Fernando

      San Fernando Crucifixions 2008

      May 31, 2008

  • Thailand
    • All Ao Nang Ko Phi Phi Ko Samet Koh Chang Koh Lanta Koh Lipe Koh Maak Koh Ngai Koh Phangan
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      Revisiting Koh Samed: The easy island destination from…

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      Revisiting Koh Samed: The easy island destination from…

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      Koh Chang on the eastern Gulf coast of…

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Vincent Vanderveken.com

Take some time to see the world a bit before you leave it

Ko Samet

Week-end in Ko Samet

by Vincent May 16, 2010
by Vincent May 16, 2010 0 comment

Strategically located only half a day by bus from Bangkok, the little 6 by3 KM dagger shaped island of Ko Samet is known as the perfect Week-end escape route for Bangkokians, expats and tourists alike looking to chill out with friends and family for a few days. Pattaya? Definitely out of the question if you want some relaxation… Ko Chang? Too much distance to travel on such a short trip, so Ko Samet is just right. The island is mostly famous for its coastline made up of fourteen beautiful powdery white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear waters. Not to forget the perfect all year long weather since statistically wise, it offers more days of sunshine than any other island of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Beach at Koh Samet

Ko Samet’s east coast is by far the most popular among visitors since it has the vast majority of the island’s beaches, all the nightlife and most of the bars, restaurants and accommodations. The west coast features only a minuscule tucked away beach surrounded by a few expensive resorts. The north is the calmest of all with just a few guesthouses built along the rocky shoreline that you can notice as you approach the island by ferry.

A walk on the beach

Be aware that as things get packed and while the nightlife is without any doubt fun on weekends and public holidays the rates can accordingly skyrocket by 60%. If you are lucky you might still be able to find some basics bungalows in high season at 500-600 baht but since this is on a 1st arrived, 1st served basis those are the ones who tend to go the fastest.

While Ko Samet probably can’t compare with places in the south such as Ko Phi Phi in pure beauty, I found the overall experience to be more pleasant and authentic.  The balance was just perfect and I didn’t feel like in some tourist ghetto surrounded by 85%+ of other Caucasians. I know some people have absolutely no problem with this but in my case you definitely need to be around Thais to feel like being on vacation in Thailand and not like some beach in Spain back in the Europe. Since Ko Samet is part of the Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park  you will have to fork out an entry fee of 200 baht per person for foreigners and 40 baht for Thais.  One wonders where the money really is invested since like so many other Parks in the rest of Thailand the typical ban on buildings has been brushed off and you’ll find over 30 resorts operating here. Anyhow the good news is the Royal Forest Department actually very recently cut the price of entry in half from the outrageous 400 baht they used to charge. Who knows maybe they had a bad conscience…

More Pictures of Koh Samet

[Show as slideshow]
Ko Samet Ferry
Approaching Ko Samet
Saikaeo beach
Playing in the sand
The poet and the mermaid
Ko Samet beach life
Ko Samet beach bars
Beach at Koh Samet
Awaiting customers
Sidestreet food
Asian Trio of Choice!
P1040102
Mobile BBQ vendor
Bar and restaurants along the beach
Daytime-Saikaeo-beach
Cheap ways to get drunk
June glazing at the sunset
Vodka Bucket Thailand

Asiabeachbeach near BangkokIslandIsland near BangkokKo SametKoh SametSoutheast AsiaThailand
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Make sure to take some time to see the world a bit before you leave it

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