For the second half of our Thailand trip, Catrin and I traveled by ferry to Koh Samui. The journey took four hours with a transfer through Koh Phangan and cost $16. Once on the new island, we did learn there was a taxi mafia and apps like Grab and Gojek (similar to Uber) were expensive or unavailable. We got a taxi for 40 minutes to our new hotel for 200 Baht each ($6).

We stayed at Samui First House Hotel for $15/night each, for four nights. Located right next to the beach (Chaweng) it was clean and simple, a bit outside the center but a 30-minute walk to the busiest part of the area, a 7-minute walk to the nearest 7-11, and easy roads to learn and drive on. The center had a lot of shops, mainly with souvenirs or cafes/restaurants. 

A few places to note in the area:
-Chaweng Beach: beautiful clear water and white sand, long 7km beach, could rent jet skis and other water activities, and had many resorts and restaurants along the strip- we went almost every day after getting simple coffee/breakfasts from 7-Eleven 
-Allegro: pizza and pasta restaurant, homemade bread (right next to the hotel)
-Central Samui: huge outdoor mall, next to a large lake where you can watch the sunset and another outdoor tents market 
-Dog and Cat Rescue: locally owned, helped rescue strays 
-Fisherman’s Village: Popular night market 15 minutes from the hotel by bike, more expensive than our area, and more brand-name shops and restaurants (overall very different from expectations)

We also rented motorbikes for two days, for 200 Baht/$6 per day, paid extra for a full tank of gas ($3), and required a 3,000 Baht deposit (from a small shop up the road from our hotel). Again this was an easy area to learn, as there was a lot less traffic and smoother roads, and we were able to practice in the lot prior to renting. Just to note, they did not ask to see our driver’s licenses (only passports for identification).

After Chaweng, we moved to Lamai for the remaining four nights and stayed at C House Samui ($8/night each, to share a private room). It is a few minutes walk down the street to the Beach of Lamai, which, still pretty, was not as clear as Chaweng and was overall less busy as well. This area was more in the hills, and the entire area had a gorgeous few of the hilly, tropical terrain. 

We again took the next few days to go to the beach and relax, renting scooters for a day at Découverte, a four-minute walk from the hotel, and again $6/24-hours but only a 2,000 Baht deposit. The employees here were extremely kind, helpful, and informative. They had a variety of bikes available and we chose the smallest options they had. 

We wanted to do a bit of sightseeing too, but as transportation to sights is expensive, we booked the Top Sights of Samui City Tour through Viator for $26. It took around 4 hours with pickup and drop off and included 7 stops: 
-Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai); the most famous Samui landmark, a large golden Buddha on a viewpoint 
-Wat Plai Laem: huge multi-part temple, three main walkways to the temples and Buddha statues 
-Lad Koh View Point: view of the 7 km beach (longest on the island) 
-Hin Ta & Hin Yai Rocks: two famous granite rocks shaped like female and male genitalia
-Guan-Yu Koh Samui Shrine: a bronze statue of Guan Yu, at 16 meters is the biggest in Thailand
-Wat Khunaram (Mummified Monk): the preserved body of Samui’s most famous mummified monk “Loung Pordaeng” in another temple 
-Na Muang Waterfall: surrounded by jungle and other hiking areas, a beautiful natural spot 
All of the sights were pretty touristy and many had a lot of smaller souvenirs and food stands, but I enjoyed it as it was a good way to learn a bit more about the culture and important spots on the island. The waterfall was stunning, and although it is a bit dryer right now, during other times of the year there is a second waterfall at the top, creating smaller pools where you can sit and look over the forest. 

Other spots in the area to note that we enjoyed: 
-Lamai Night Market: souvenirs and food stands, much cheaper with dude handmade stands and a lot of options (we went twice and would recommend it, it was what we were looking for at the other market)
-Lamai Food Market: more tent stands but mainly with meat, we walked by (both vegetarian) but seemed lovely for someone who enjoys more meat dishes 
-Clothing Market: although unnamed, we came across a vintage clothing market that had a lot of cool older shirts and pants (mainly menswear) but was super cheap and next to the Lotus by our hotel (another shopping center) 
-Crystal Cove: another more private beach area, next to resorts but had more water activities (we rented a paddle board for an hour for $6) and had nice water but a lot of rocks, and large rock formations to the side as well (lots of crabs spotted) 

The island is definitely bigger than it seems, but I enjoyed driving around and seeing the beautiful sights. It felt very vacation-like, as I was with Catrin the whole time and we mainly spent our days at the beach, but I enjoyed exploring the cultural spots as well. 

To return to Bangkok for a few days, we took the ferry and overnight bus from Lipa Noi Pier for $28. When Catrin left for the airport, I remained in Bangkok for three nights, at Matini Hostel for $10/night. It was very clean and had a kind staff, but not much to do in the direct area. You have to walk at least 10 minutes to the nearest 7-11, but was only about a 15-minute walk to some of the outdoor and vintage markets. It is also about the same distance to the metro and bus stations. 

For the first day, I went to Wintage, an 8-story building filled with vintage clothing and antiques, open all week. Although some stands were expensive I did find some really cool pieces for $3-$10. There was also a food court and other shops with jewelry, cameras, and even a tattoo shop. It was a bit overwhelming at first and easy to get lost even within all the booths on a single floor. I believe this area has other vintage and specific weekend markets but this was the only one I explored, but would definitely recommend it if you have the time. 

On the day before my flight, I just had to go visit Moo Deng at the Khao Kheow Zoo. I paid $11 round trip for my bus tickets to Siracha and then had to take an additional taxi to the zoo each way (30 minutes, $6 each way). The zoo ticket for tourists is typically $11 but I found it for $8.75 on trip.com when I booked the day in advance. The buses also took a few hours and I would recommend planning at least a day in advance for longer buses as they can sell out or not appear on the website correctly on the day of. I used 12goasia for the buses and Grab for the additional taxis. I went solely to see the newest internet sensation, and although she was sleeping the whole time she was very cute! 

That’s all for now in Thailand! I have enjoyed my time in this country immensely and it remains my favorite so far out of the 14 countries I have visited! For now, onto Japan! 

xoxo,

Ang around the World 🙂