nkped Posted December 1, 2002 Report Share Posted December 1, 2002 Decided to see some place new and different so spent five nights on Koh Samui. I had spent the week before in Pattaya so I took the Bangkok Airways flight out of Utapao. Definitely to be recommended as opposed to going back to Don Muang. Had a little trouble getting it across to the young lady at reception at the Residence Garden which airport I wanted to go to. To a non-pilot, Bangkok Airways seems to be a first class operation. The trip to Koh Samui was on an ATR. If turbo-props arent't a big deal to you else where, they shouldn't be one with Bangkok Airways. At least you won't have to worry about the wings icing up. Was met by the driver from the Weekender. I had some idea where the airport was so I was a little surprized at first when we drove out of the airport and had water on the right--Lamai is south-southeast of the airport. Actually the entrance to the airport is on its west side, so that's the reason was what seemed to be going the wrong direction. Booked at the Weekender at the recommendation of board members. Doing it via the internet worked just fine. Had booked one of their lowest cost bungalows. After I saw it, it decided to upgrade to one of the motel rooms. The bungalow was a little too basic and well back from the beach. Still the AC worked so if cost is your driving consideration, it might still be a possibility. If I was going with somebody else, I would consider one of the luxury bungalows at the front of the facility. Nice folks at the Weekender--I recommend them highly. Koh Samui is one of those rare places on earth that is every bit as beautiful as advertised. The beaches are wide and with great sand. Great views as well. If you wanted to go upscale for a place that looked directly out on the beach, it would be well worth it if you budget can stand it. Two notes about the weather. --I lucked out and got five days without rain. Although I actually know better, I had completely forgotten that the fall monsoon brings rain when you have several hundred miles of water to the northeast. --Koh Samui is hot and humid! Of course, if you note my normal location that's an opinion to be expected. But it was noticeably warmer than Pattaya. Bangkok was mild by comparison. Lamai is definitely the place if you want to crank back a bit on the hussle and bustle. Most of the conveniences but all within easy walking distance. It definitely does have a nightlife--mostly beer bars. Almost everything is open air (see hot and humid above). The nightlife was noticeably slow--one of the BGs attributed it to the Bali bombing. Rented a Suzuki Caribian for a couple of days. That's enough if you just want to prowl around the island a bit. Driving on the off-side of the ride wasn't as big a deal as I thought it might be. Did make driving a little like scuba for the first time--you are thinking all of the time about something you don't normally have to think about. Saw plenty of farang on motorbikes. First reaction was that it would not be nearly as suicidal as Pattaya. However, also got to see a baht bus hit two motorbikes on the main drag in Lamai--no apparent serious damage. Also, on the flight out saw a young farang guy with an arm in a cast, various other bandaged parts and road rash. If you are very experienced on motorbikes on the left side of the road, maybe, but I wouldn't recommend it. Took a day trip to Ang Thong Marine National Park. Definitely to be recommended. Like any boat trip, a way to be cool and comfortable and still outside. Went into the visitor's center on Koh Wua Ta Lap and one of the first things to be seen was a high school girl sitting on the floor and holding a cat--ah, LOS. Did go up and down Chaweng a couple of times. It is overdeveloped. Location and your hotel would be everything. The heat and the humidity made an iced mocha at the Starbucks one of life's true decadent pleasures--yeh, I know, They paved Paradise, put up a Starbucks and I applaud. On the flight out, caught one of Bangkok Airways new Boeing 717 jets. Still has that new airplane smell. Until I made the reservation, I didn't know there was a Boeing 717--kind of a bob-tail DC-9. Again excellent cabin service--actually managed to serve a passable hot meal on a flight of a little more than an hour. If you are looking for a quiet (but not too quiet) getaway in a truly, beautiful location, Koh Samui definitely rates a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted December 1, 2002 Report Share Posted December 1, 2002 ya well lamai is pretty nice & bkk air from utapau is a great way to go there, but how about the girls there??? could you please provide the URL to book that weekender bungalows? cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatLoS Posted December 1, 2002 Report Share Posted December 1, 2002 Thanks for the post...I really need to get out of the Bangkok, Pattaya rut (not that it's a bad rut to be in). I'll keep this place in mind. The 717 is just a updated DC-9 that Boeing release with it's own designation after taking over Douglas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkped Posted December 2, 2002 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 As to the girls, didn't see any 9s or 10s. There was a sprinkling of 7s and 8s. Believe you could get the link to the Weekender at www.sawadee.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 yes http://samui.sawadee.com/hotels/lamai.htm list includes weekender whose bungalows apparently starts at 850bt, so a bit expensive for my tastes... thanks for sawasdee link anyways agree samui is not a stunner hangout, but still plenty of cuties to entertain ones evenings I suppose? cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Is the beach at Lamai still a potentially lethal minefield of DOG SHIT? Apart from the natural hazards, I always felt the beach at Lamai went too deep too quick and had nothing on the natural beauty of some of the others on Samui, including Chaweng -- vendors and all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Glad you enjoyed your trip, compared to Pattaya I suppose its quiter, however I've always found it lively enough especially late at night. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man at Work Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Exactly: Just the right mixture of play and leisure with minimum pressure for me. After all it si a vaccation that has to last for another 11 month! Only problem in Lamai: If you stay longer (over 1 week), you have to plan your routes through the bars carefully (beginnig at the furthest ams working your way to your ressort). Otherwise you will have the butterfly problem! I always tell them right away, that I am here to butterfly and it works quite well. MaW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Thats very very true, I find more than a week in Lamai is pushing it as literally every body in the place knows your business. and the two main beer bar areas become mine fields. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted December 2, 2002 Report Share Posted December 2, 2002 Hi nkped, good to hear that you liked Samui. I think it has a lot to offer. A nice friendly atmosphere and a good nightlife, both in Chaweng and Lamai. personally I prefer Chaweng, a bit more lifely than Lamai and more convenience. I think it being quiet had also a lot to do with the time of the year, november should be rainy season on Samui, hence not so many people. Guess you did luck out with no rain. To all of you, I think the amount of good lookers has definately increased compared to a few years ago. If you look a bit, you'll find hi quality here! Cheers, Limbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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