Thailand - Ko Samui, Phangan and Tao.

Railay is pretty, but for a group of lads there's no point.
Ao Nang is a **** hole and doesn't really have much there anyway.

Koh Phi Phi is 90mins by boat and a great laugh. Tonsai (the main area) is built up and very touristy, but there's plenty to see around Phi Phi.

Only briefly did Lanta and just chillaxed in The Houben Hotel for 4 days at the end of the trip so didn't see much else.

There are other smaller islands further south, but likely to be very quiet and just here for chillaxing. They are also a PITA to get to. Koh Lipe is lovely though, but more of a couples place. Serendipity Resort is pure heaven!

You really need more than a week for Thailand, even 2 would be a massive push. I'd spend at least a month or two out there and tour Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Camobia and Burma if I went back there.
 
Make sure you're somewhere decent for songkran (new year). Its mid april (about 15th if i remember rightly). I spent it in chiang mai was great. I can imagine the islands will just be full of drunk tourists.
 
I'm flying into Bangkok on the 7th of May and then on the 10th or 11th getting the train down to Chumphon for the ferry to Ko Tao. The train looks like the best way to travel, much more exciting and comfortable than the bus. Sure, it's a touch slower but I think it'll be more fun.

After a week or so in Ko Tao (PADI diving course), it'll then be the ferry to Ko Samui for some partying. I understand it's all pretty developed and resorty now rather than beautiful, peaceful beaches. It's then onto a ferry back to the mainland to get a bus to the west coast for Krabi & Phi Phi. Then a bus down to Malaysia.

But, I'll be in the region for at least 5 months so plenty of time! As said, when many people 'travel' they try and go to so many places and spend all their time (and money) on transportation rather than enjoying themselves. 7 Days you have? Keep it to one or two islands.
 
I did exactly this in Dec 2013.

I flew to Bangkok. Stayed for 4 days, then took plane/boat to Koh Samui.

Stayed in a hotel near Chaweng Beach. Personally didn’t like it. Dirty, grubby place, FULL of prostitutes.

We left and went to Koh Tao, stayed in a cheap apartment near Sairee-Beach. Smaller... much smaller, maybe 2-3 bars we went to for the full week I was there, but NICE!

The plan was to then go to Koh Phangan for the full moon, but didn’t fancy it so we stayed in Koh Tao and then went back to Bangkok for the flight home.
 
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Depends what you want but personally I hate what has happened to Songkran and the islands. Koh Chang still has unspoiled bits. Koh Kut is near Koh Chang and apparently so newly opened that it is as yet unspoiled. Also very near Cambodia so an easy trip to visit the southern parts of there if you wish.

This is not the best time to be visiting you do realise? It's far too hot, too humid, too wet. Go in December.
 
AdladUK said:
Samui is great, but it depends what you're looking for and where you're staying.

Little things can make a huge difference. When we arrived in Samui we got very lucky with our hotel (Briza). Had practically our own villa close to the beach, within a few seconds to a great restaurant and breakfast.

There were people we met there who had terrible experiences with hotels... Really crappy and I could see how that could very easily ruin a 1 week stay (1 week goes fast).

Also (and not to put you on a downer) but bear in mind August is bang in the middle of the rainy season. We were there in August too and whilst we got lucky and it didn't rain too much, it was hardly clear sunny skies. In fact most days were over cast.

If you're staying at a nice hotel then I can't recommend enough to hire a car through them and explore the island. I was so grateful to be in a nice big SUV when the monsoon rain started. Scooters are no fun in rain.

Depending how much you care about Internet I'd also recommend you pop to Tesco there (yeah they have Tesco) and get yourself a 3G dongle. Internet was out at least 50% of the time we were there (apparently it's common due to the weather) and the dongle saved our ass since we both run online businesses.

Oh and if you have a craving for Western food whilst there check out a restaurant called Coconut Willy's. I cannot recommend it enough
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Thanks for the advice. We are staying in a very nice hotel so should be a great stay. Good idea about renting the car. Not sure you are correct when you say its bang in the middle of the rainy season. From everything I've read, rainy season typically starts in September and even then its not too bad. It gets very rainy in October and November. Maybe you were unlucky with the overcast skies when you went?
 
Lima said:
Thanks for the advice. We are staying in a very nice hotel so should be a great stay. Good idea about renting the car. Not sure you are correct when you say its bang in the middle of the rainy season. From everything I've read, rainy season typically starts in September and even then its not too bad. It gets very rainy in October and November. Maybe you were unlucky with the overcast skies when you went?
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Sorry you're right. August is the end of the hot season, then in September it begins the rainy season. I don't why I had in my head August was rain, probably because a bunch of people told me that before I went.

Maybe we were just unlucky with the overcast then... August is a good time to go. I even heard people going in November and December and still having a great time.

I love heavy rain anyway :o
 
Thailand has two different weather systems depending on where you are.

If you are in the North, Centre or East, the rains start in our Spring and last through to our Autumn. Then it gets dry and clear.

If you are in the South-West - Phuket, Krabi, etc. - the rains come later and stay a little longer.

Plan accordingly!
 
opethdisciple said:
I did exactly this in Dec 2013.

I flew to Bangkok. Stayed for 4 days, then took plane/boat to Koh Samui.

Stayed in a hotel near Chaweng Beach. Personally didn’t like it. Dirty, grubby place, FULL of prostitutes.

We left and went to Koh Tao, stayed in a cheap apartment near Sairee-Beach. Smaller... much smaller, maybe 2-3 bars we went to for the full week I was there, but NICE!

The plan was to then go to Koh Phangan for the full moon, but didn’t fancy it so we stayed in Koh Tao and then went back to Bangkok for the flight home.
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2/3 bars??? which Koh Tao is that. i remember loadsssss of bars.

I hated Koh Sumui, LOVED Tao, and Phangyan was great to.

Tao and Koh Lipe are my fav islands. i want to go back now :(
 
MikeTimbers said:
Depends what you want but personally I hate what has happened to Songkran and the islands. Koh Chang still has unspoiled bits. Koh Kut is near Koh Chang and apparently so newly opened that it is as yet unspoiled. Also very near Cambodia so an easy trip to visit the southern parts of there if you wish.

This is not the best time to be visiting you do realise? It's far too hot, too humid, too wet. Go in December.
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this is the best time to visit!!!! Songkaran Khao san road!! EPIC FUN! i went march / april last year and loved it, it was hot but just meant more excuses to get in the pool or the sea!! I love the heat though :)
 
Yes, it is "EPIC FUN" if it's kept to the people who want to be involved. Where it ceases to be fun is when people are drenched when on their way to work, when motorcyclists are drenched while in motion, when the water isn't clean and causes eye damage. I've seen farang open the doors of a taxi and soak the occupants. How is that fun?
 
I went to Thailand for 2 weeks a couple of years ago.

Koh Samui, it was ok. I'd expected a lot more as we'd loved Bali. We did a day trip to Koh Tao and absolutely loved it, wishing we'd spent 2 weeks there, and a day in Koh Samui.

One tip, we went during rainy season (it rained on 2 days of the 14, for about an hour each day and that was it) and were told 'be careful if you do the transfer to Koh Tao by boat on a day with clouds in the sky.

We booked the day before, believing the weather forecast of 'clear skies' ... we had clouds.

The transfer was as close to death as I've been in my life. Seriously crap.

If it wasn't for the epically clear water for snorkelling when we got there, I'd have been devastated.
 
I haven't been to Koh Samui, but I spent about 2 weeks in Koh Tao over a year ago, plus about 5 days in Koh Phangan.

In Koh Tao, I'd recommend having dinner at a restaurant called Fizz, it's right on the main beach with big coloured beanbags outside. For bars then there's some good ones all along the beach, the best seemed to be opposite a diving place called Bans. For accommodation, I'd recommend staying at Spicytao, it's for backpackers but it's a good place to stay. For activities, you can pay a man with a boat to take you on a lap of the island to different snorkeling spots and see the fish. It might be worth walking to the top of the mountain to see the whole island too, it took me and a couple of people about an hour to get to the top. At the top there's a small bar with a man who's probably high.

I didn't find Koh Phangan that great, most of it seems to be about scamming drunk white people. The full moon party is worth a go, and there's all kinds of other parties that are probably worth going to while you're there. There was one bar that had a pool party every night, where at the end the swimming pool is mostly just beer.

If you're in Bangkok for Songkran then the best place to go is either Silom or Khao San road. I heard Silom is good fun so I'll be going there for it next month.
 
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