We just got back to Bangkok after an amazing 3 weeks exploring Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, 2 small islands in the southeast of Thailand.
Here are my travel notes from the trip:
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- We stayed at 4 hotels on Koh Samui and found Anantara Bophut a great option in terms of comfort and location (we really enjoyed staying at Fishermans Village).
- We also stayed at Ritz Carlton and to be honest it was a bit let down (the resort was way too big and needed some TLC). If you visit Koh Samui and want to splurge, I’d check out the Four Seasons instead.
- There are some great restaurants on Koh Samui. Our favourite meal from the whole trip was the set menu at Chez Francois. We also really enjoyed Giulietta e Romeo for amazing seafood pasta dishes.
- Drinks at CoCo Tams is great for chilled vibes in the evening. We found good steaks at The Shack, and good coffee/breakfast items at Bar Baguette. All are located in the Fishermans village.
- Bangrak Minimart is an awesome little shop for wine, cheeses and pastries, and just down the road is KOB (a nice coffee shop) and O’Mart (another great wine/spirit store).
- During our last night before flying out, we stayed at Baan Bophut Beach Hotel which is located just down the road from the Anantara. It was basic, comfortable and was also a 1/4 of the cost of the Anantara; perfect for budgeting or a layover.
- Getting to Koh Phangan was easy by booking tickets with Lomlahkkhirin High Speed Ferries via Facebook messenger. It’s a professional operation and both trips there and back took around 25minutes each way.
- We opted to stay at TropiCoco Beach Resort on Koh Phangan which ended up being an excellent choice. The rooms are basic but clean. What makes this small resort special is its geared for kids; it’s located on one of the best beaches on the island, has a salt water pool, pool table, trampoline and a good on-site restaurant/bar.
- Opposite TropiCoco was Bubba’s which offers great coffee and breakfast. We also enjoyed coffee and food at X Tomorrow and What’s Cup (both have great views).
- I got a great workout in at Xantiva, which is run by super friendly people. They have sauna’s and an ice-bath on certain days of the week (highly recommended if you haven’t done it before!).
- While on Koh Phangan we mostly dinned at the hotel (food is excellent), but 2 spots I would highly recommend checking out are Secret beach bar for fresh grilled fish and nice vibes on the beach, and Namaskar for incredible Indian/Nepalese food.
- We enjoyed both islands but did prefer Koh Phangan as it was way more chilled out and less developed. Check both out, and let me know what you think!
