November 2, 2017

Island Time in Koh Samui

After over a month in Chiang Mai, where I spent the majority of my time indoors at cafes or in my apartment, my beloved tan was starting to seriously fade. I really wanted to spend some time in Bali but the impending volcano eruption thwarted my travel plans. Instead, I headed to the islands of Thailand for the first time. My first stop: Koh Samui.

Getting to Koh Samui can be a little tricky. If you’re flying in, Koh Samui does have an airport but it usually costs more than flying into Surat Thani Airport. I, being my not-so-rich backpacker self, chose the cheaper method and flew into Surat Thani. From the airport, you’ll find transport services that will include the bus to the ferry terminal, ferry ticket to Koh Samui (or Koh Tao or Koh Phangan), and transport to your hotel. This service cost me 550 bhat (~$17) with Phantip Travel and total travel time was roughly 4.5-5 hours.

Koh Samui is known for being the well-established, touristy island of the triangle (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao). I stayed at OZO Hotel on Chaweng Beach. OZO caters to a younger crowd, so the rooms are on the smaller end, with the largest room accommodating three guests maximum. Their property includes a pool and beachfront seating, though these amenities are at a smaller scale than those at their sister property, Amari. However, this wasn’t an issue for me as all I really wanted to do was tan, relax, and get in the ocean every so often. They offer a complimentary daily breakfast buffet that offers a huge selection of standard breakfast items, Asian options (noodles, curries, rice), fruit, and salad. I love that unlike many other complimentary hotel breakfast buffets, they change up their offerings on a daily basis.

While I did spend the majority of my time at the beach reading, I did partake in a few activities and meals that were located on and off the property. Here’s a look at what I did: