Ko Samet Travel Package Tours, Thailand Tour Information Hotel Guide

KO SAMET OVERVIEW

The small island of Ko Samet is ostensibly part of the larger 131 sq km Khao Laem Ya - Ko Samet National Park encompassing Khao Laem Ya on the mainland, as well as various islands throughout the region. Being so close to Bangkok, Ko Samet gets extremely crowded on weekends and holidays, and the prices do rise accordingly , sometimes by as much as 60%! If bungalows are full when you arrive, it is possible to camp on the beach. Ko Samet is popular with Thais (especially students) as well as with foreign travellers and expats in Rayong, so there is a good mix, but there is little peace to be had unless you arrive mid-week. With the crowds comes a lively nightlife, with good deals on drinks late in the evening, including the popular coin toss, which gives you a 50/50 chance at a free drink. All bungalows have their own restaurant with nightly movies and usually a beach barbecue. The island is famous amongst Thais for the story written by their most famous poet, Sunthorn Phu, which was based here. Travellers will notice on Haad Sai Kaew the decaying statue of Phra Arpaimanee -- who travelled with his flute around Thailand until one day he was captured by a ravenous giantess. After seeing her chomp the head off a buffalo, he managed to lull her to sleep with his music and run away. Upon escaping he met and fell in love with a beautiful mermaid. They married and lived happily ever after with a son, Husakorn, who had the body of a horse with the head of a dragon. The beaches, though completely overdeveloped and lacking any style or originality as a whole, still manage to be beautiful, with sparkling white sand and generally clear water. The island is considered a "dry" island, as it misses most of the heavy monsoon rains that plague other islands. The weather is guaranteed to be pleasant at almost any time of year. The tides however, manage to pull a couple of people to their deaths every year, so be wary when swimming. Despite its national park status, the island has been well and truly trashed by developers, who, through a variety of dubious tactics have got their way with the National Park officials, the only real way of knowing you're on a national park now is the rip-off entry fee charged to all non-Thais. The eastern coast of the island is the most popular, dotted with sandy beaches, coves and accommodation, but all parts are easy to visit as the island is only 6km long and 3km wide. Most of the accommodation is on the eastern side, but it is well worth a visit to Ao Phrao to watch the sunset. Jet-skiing is permitted off Haad Sai Kaew and Ao Wong Duan, but unfortunately the rangers do not prosecute offenders that ski out of these areas, the result being that the noisy beasts tend to scream up and down the east coast interrupting your quiet time. In the past Ko Samet had a bit of a bad rap for malaria, but it hasn't been a serious problem in over a decade. Dengue fever however is still an issue, so take all the usual precautions to avoid being biten by mosquitos. In the past there have been rumors of disease ridden dogs roaming free in packs , the truth is there are lots of strays, but they are well taken care of by the locals and are used to tourists, so they will be no bother. Just be sure not to leave your half-full Sangsom buckets on the beach after a night's partying , the dogs have been known to imbibe.