Budget Travelers Guide To Koh Samui

Growing in popularity Koh Samui is becoming a hot spot for tourists! Depending on the season you can either expect a relaxing time or a sea of tourists. I went a month before peak season (November is peak) which was perfect! Plenty to see/do but without the insane amount of people. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be stuck in traffic on an island I’d rather enjoy my time.

Where To Stay

I stayed in Nathon Town on the Harbor Side of the island. It wasn’t close to any of the beautiful beaches but it was a local area. That can have it’s perks with cheaper shops and restaurants! If you want to be close to the action then stay in Bo Put, Chaweng Beach, or Lamai Beach. Bo Put and Chaweng are more touristy but have plenty of shops, restaurants, and activities to do.

My Air Bnb in Nathon Town was great, the hosts were helpful and gave us lots of FREE water! Which if you’ve ever travelled in SEA you know how excited you get by free water haha. It’s really about the little things when you’re traveling. (Free water, kettle to boil your own, and extra towels)

How To Get Around

Drive a motorbike around the island if you have experience. Big emphasis on driving experience!! The Police WILL pull you over if you don’t know what you’re doing and you need to wear a helmet otherwise you could get a fine of 500-1,000 Baht.

Take a Taxi, Motorbike Taxi, or Tuk Tuk around the island. I do have to warn you transportation prices on the island are INSANE! Taxi’s are the worst and wanted 1,500 Baht to go from Nathon Town to Chaweng Beach. Um NO Thanks! So if you can’t drive yourself I’d advise taking a motorbike taxi they will still be expensive but your cheapest option.

Beaches

Chaweng Beach was my favorite and it’s huge so people can spread out! There are a ton of resorts that are on the beach and some are more strict that others about people being on their section but usually in between each resort there is a place for the public. Lamai Beach, Bo Put Beach, and Maenam Beach are also great options!

There will be a lot of vendors trying to sell you something but that’s all over Thailand really. They’ll leave you alone and I didn’t feel uncomfortable leaving my bag on the beach. It was mostly families and couples when I went alone. I felt safe on the island the entire time. Even going up in the mountains for extra sights my motor taxi wanted to show me haha. Sometimes if you get a good taxi they’ll offer to take you to more locations no extra cost because they want you to use them the next day too.

Waterfalls & Viewpoints

Like I said my taxi was AWESOME! He took me to this local waterfall and viewpoint up in the mountains. Khun Si Waterfall is beautiful and you can actually climb down and swim at the bottom! Be careful because it’s pretty slippery but worth it.

I’m not sure what the name of the viewpoint he took me to is but it’s on the way to the waterfall. You can see Koh Phangan from up there!

Night Markets

I came across two different night markets. One local and the other more for tourists. The Chaweng Walking Street Market is more touristy and sit down restaurant style, pricier items, and not as authentic. My favorite was the night market in Nathon Town by the Pier. Local vendors, amazing food, community, and plenty of places to sit and people watch haha.

Koh Samui had my favorite Thai beaches with the white sand and blue/clear water. I had a blast and had time to do all of this in just two days! Cost can vary if you want to spend on a resort, transportation, but food is cheap if you know where to look. Think local and that’s the cheapest option, tourist locations will be more.

 

Hope you enjoy your stay in Koh Samui as much as I did. Don’t forget to follow my blog for updates and new destinations!! Don’t wanna miss a thing!