Koh Samui is the island in the Gulf of Thailand that is considered to be the most beautiful and luxurious. Fair enough – most of the major hotel brands are present here and there are numerous resorts and beaches to choose from.
On the island there are 3 main beach towns, each offering different experiences. From the hustle and bustle of Chaweng Beach to the lively yet relaxed atmosphere of Lamai Beach and the timeless feel of Bophut’s Fisherman’s Village,
Koh Samui is unique among Thailand’s islands in maintaining a broad appeal for many types of visitors and beach lovers.
Getting to Koh Samui
Coming in to Koh Samui, we flew on Air Bangkok from Phuket. It was a very quick transition lasting only 55 minutes. However, most flights come in through Bangkok. From there it is a 60-90 minute flight.
Grabs are readily available and we took one from the airport to our hotel – the Sheraton Samui.
Sheraton Koh Samui
Rob booked a basic room knowing that with our Platinum SPG status we would get a nice upgrade – and we did!
We paid for the stay with the Citi Prestige card which automatically deducts the 4th nights stay cost. All in we were only paying $135/night for this incredible hotel. The ocean view suite was amazing. It consisted of a living room, reading room, small kitchen and huge bedroom and bathroom along with a double deck overlooking the ocean.
With the status we also received a free breakfast every morning which was spectacular – more like a Sunday brunch at a 5 star restaurant than a regular breakfast. All the amenities were well thought through – 2 large pools, a great beach and a well stocked fitness room.
The prices for food in the hotel were the typical high hotel prices so we took advantage of the nearby restaurants and dined like kings for pauper prices. Our favorite place was just outside of the hotel and is called Mamas – great flavorful food at very good prices. We could have stayed for weeks!
Intercontinental Samui
After a week at the Sheraton, we transitioned to the Intercontinental Samui . We did this by using our 2 free nights (that we receive annually) by each having a Chase IHG Mastercard.
The cost of the card is $49 annually and the hotel that we stayed in starts at $250 a night. Because we have Ambassador status with the IHG chain we receive an automatic upgrade and late check out as just some of the many perks available to Ambassadors.
This 5 star hotel is spectacular. My jaw dropped when the Grab dropped us off and we walked onto the reception deck overlooking the ocean. There are not enough words to describe the beauty of this view!
What can we say? We loved this hotel and our stay here. But as in most resorts, the cost for food and drinks in these types of resorts are pretty high. Therefore, we found a small restaurant on the beach just a 2 minute walk away from the Intercontinental restaurant which was local and fabulous.
Therefore we found ourselves eating here most lunches and dinners, It had a hip beach vibe, freshly baked pizzas, tasty Thai food and great Happy Hour prices for drinks. They even have bungalows with private bath, air conditioner and television ( a few meters from the beach) for $23/night.
The Intercontinental also had free bicycles which we used to ride to the nearby 7-11 to pick up beer and other staples.
Wrap Up
Koh Samui is a gorgeous island to enjoy and explore. Many people come here for honeymoon celebrations or just to kick back and swim on these white sand, crystal clear beaches.
However, for us, our favorite island in Thailand is still Koh Tao. It is just smaller and less congested than it’s bigger neighbor.
What about you? Have you been to any of these beach destinations in Thailand? We would love to hear from you!
