Trip from Bangkok to Ko Samet
By: Thomas - December 29, 2020Ko Samet is a nice, small island in the vicinity of Bangkok. It takes couple hours to get there and you can enjoy nice sunny beaches and chilled local people welcoming you. White sandy beach was calling me and if you’re on the same page let’s goo :)
This is a story of my unexpected small weekend journey from Bangkok to this island.
My main goals is to be grateful for what I can do and to be mindful of what I feel. There will be information from my trip and small tips in between since I want you to explore, take the lead and feel the adventure.
How to get there from BKK?
Van cost you 120 baht /person one way. Go to Mo Chit Van Terminal. It takes 2-3 hrs from mo chit to go to Rayong. FYI: They’ll stop in the terminal so you need to go to their pier yourself to cross to the island.
There are 2 ways to reach the pier. You can use van service inside the terminal but it will cost you higher or go outside the terminal and take a Songthew (name for local taxi that looks like a half-open truck).
Tips: just go outside the terminal there is Song thaew waiting for you, it’ll cost you 15 baht/person.
Remember, You need to exchange the songthaew 2 times to go to the pier. So Rayong terminal 1- exchange in Rayong terminal 2 - and stop in Ban Phe pier.
Tips: when you’re not sure. That’s the perfect timing to ask the local. You can say “Ban Phe yuu ti nai”, which is means where is Ban Phe pier? If the local person you will ask will feel not certain but still point you in some direction, ask another one just to be sure. In thai culture it is difficult to refuse help to Farang (that is the thai name for foreigner) so sometime you getting the “best guess” from the person you are asking. They will point out which Song thaew you need to take. Its always work for me. And I am not thai.
Welcome to the pier!
Go straight and there’ll be a small counter selling the ticket. There are 2 ways to go to the island: by ferry 120 baht/person (including return ticket) or speedboat 250 baht/person (just one way!). The ferry will take 40mins and speedboat will take 15 mins. However I took a speedboat once and I have to admit I enjoy the local ferry better
Picture: Beach in front of Avatarna Resort
Welcome to Ko Samet!
When you reached Ko Samet, first thing first you need to pay for the entrance, it will cost you 20 baht. Yes, yes, this fee is just to enter the island. FYI: There is one pier on Ko Samet which is on the south part of the island (close to Rayong). However is you have a hotel on the other side of the island (and I highly recommend this part of the island after exploring every bit of it) you will have to get there. If you will get speed boat they can get you to the other side of the island directly - you just have to go from the boat to the shallow deep water directly on the beach because there is no pier there.
If you will decide to go to the pier, you have options to rent a bike, bicycle or just walk to go around the island but I chose to rent a bike. It costs 300-400 baht/day for rental motorcycle. It will depend on how long you’ll stay, the longer you’ll rent the cheaper it’ll be. I got 350/day with a bit of haggling. If you did not drive motorbike before this is the perfect opportunity to start learning. Ko Samet is a very peaceful island and its absolutely the safest place I know to start to learn. Just check if breaks are woking correctly before you will take your bike (I am not joking, you always should check this before renting a motorbike in Asia, I usually test 2 motorbikes minimum before deciding). Oh, and you can leave your ID in the deposit instead of a Passport (at least I was able to in the rental place at the pier).
When you will pass the main shops and restaurant area (few shops and restaurants), on the junction, they will ask you to pay 200 baht for the fee of the national park since the whole island is a conservative park. This is the fee all visitors pay to support the island natural habitat for the future.
Picture: The S.U.P. bar with organic fruit shakes and the beach you can enjoy if you make a purchase there
What I loved:
S.U.P bar with no alcohol drinks:
The owner concern about environmental friendly using most of the eco-friendly materials. Generally, They are selling smoothies and fresh juices also it’s a rental for surf-boards. Try their coconut ice cream, local produce from Rayong.
Picture: Prao beach
Prao beach:
The location is quite hidden. The wave is more calm than Sai Kaew beach. If you like a serene place like I do, you definitely need to check it.
Picture: Swing at Ao Pakarang - the view point
Ao Pakarang:
The view is quite awesome. And there are 2 wood swings makes it instagrammable for your pictures
FYI: Thou there is a sign for sunset point here but if you’re looking for the better one, you should go to Tay Koh sun set point.
Hotels:
I stayed in Avatara Resort (https://goo.gl/maps/8oF3RyXQXU3xeUPq9) and it was great!
Fun fact: The price of the food in the city has the same price as some hotels.
Picture: Lobby of the Avatarna Resort
