Difference between Koh Samui and Koh Phangan

Rasananda, Thong Nai Pan Noi, Koh Phangan

Just a few years ago tourists would instinctively, it seemed, know which island was for them – Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. It is no doubt a matter of expectations. Those who wanted high quality service, family activities, good roads, big shops and the safety of a mainstream tourist location chose Koh Samui. And those who wanted a less developed place with cheap accommodation, parties and more of a free atmosphere chose Koh Phangan.

The difference between the two islands is slowly becoming less clear. Koh Phangan is developing better infrastructure – the roads are being upgraded. The electricity supply has been modernized. There is now a Tesco Lotus in Thongsala. In 2012 a new reservoir was built near Thong Nai Pan that will do a lot to stop water shortages in the dry season. In 2013 they will start laying a telecommunications underwater line so that Koh Phangan will be connected to the mainland rather than going via Samui.

And of course, as most people now know, Koh Phangan Airport is being built. Many of the things you can find on Koh Samui you can now find on Koh Phangan – good hotels, villas with swimming pools, car rental, scuba diving, kiteboarding, ‘Western’ supermarkets etc. The things yet to come are big shopping malls, cinemas and activities such as indoor bowling, go carting, golf and visiting the zoo.

Despite these ‘deficiencies’ Koh Phangan has one ace up its sleeve in the game to attract visitors – its unique partying atmospheres, typified by the Full Moon Party.

Thong Nai Pan Noi in Koh Phangan has become a small beach that resembles a Koh Samui beach in that it is lined with high quality resort accommodation such as Rasananda, Santhiya, Panviman and Buri Rasa.

The two islands have always been intimately linked in their history and culture. Moreover, they both have a similar geography and ecology. Before tourism both Koh Samui and Koh Phangan made their money from coconuts and fishing. They were both inhabited since possibly the Stone Age.

You can very much feel the difference between Koh Samui and Koh Phangan when you visit at present (2013); however, it is likely that this feeling will diminish in time. We should be happy that currently we do have the choice. Enjoy both island paradises!

Fine Eating Options in Chaweng

There are a lot of restaurants to choose from in Chaweng. If you are looking for a fine dining experience rather than a cheap bowl of noodles or a quick burger and fries in Chaweng then the following list might help you decide where to have lunch or dinner.

Noori India

There are 2 Noori India restaurants along the Chaweng Beach Road – one opposite Chaweng Buri Resort and one next to Poppies Restaurant. If you like Indian cuisine these are the places to head for. The menu has favorite Indian and Mughalai dishes as well as some interesting Thai-Indian fusion dishes.

Sample Prices:

Samosas  60 – 180 THB
Tandoori snapper  350 THB
Chicken tikka masala 210 THB
Goan seafood curry  200 THB

Open from 11am to 11.30pm
They also have Indian cooking classes in the afternoon.

Poppies

Poppies is a stylish restaurant in Chaweng on the Chaweng Beach Road. Poppies has a great sea view spot for those who like to take in the natural scenery while eating.

The menu includes such Thai classics as:

Tom yum gong
Yam talay
Som tam with sticky rice
Gaeng phed pet yang (roast duck in red curry with grapes and pineapple)
Poo pad pong karee (sautéed crab in yellow curry)

Price:

Expect to pay about 800 THB a head

Open from 5.30pm to 11.30pm
On Saturday night there is traditional Thai music and dancing

Red Snapper Restaurant and Bar

The Red Snapper Restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Koh Samui. The restaurant is beach front next to Chaweng Resort. It can be accessed from Chaweng Beach Road opposite Starbucks.

The restaurant offers Mediterranean fusion dishes by a French chef. Food is served in relaxed surroundings. The restaurant is quite often full. Every night except Sunday diners are treated to live jazz.

Sample prices:

Grilled chicken on marinated bamboo in Moroccan spices 190 THB
Pan fried Hokkaido scallops and tiger prawns 390 THB
Red snapper fillet in herbs crust 520 THB

Open every day from 5pm to 1am. Free wifi in the restaurant

The Page (part of the Library)

The stylish minimal luxury resort called The Library has an equally stylish restaurant called The Page. It is a beachfront restaurant in Chaweng accessed from the Chaweng Beach Road. The Page offers Thai and Western fusion dishes.

Sample prices:

Ox cheek massaman curry with potatoes 420 THB
Grilled snow fish with 5 Asian flavors 650 THB
Tenderloin of Wagyu beef 2,500 THB
15 petit dinner – set of 15 signature dishes 1,500 THB per person

Open for dinner from 7pm to 11.30pm

Spirit House

Spirit House in Chaweng is often regarded as the place to get the best authentic Thai food in Koh Samui. It is located on the Chaweng Beach Road opposite Banana Fan Sea Hotel. The restaurant has attractive traditional Thai architecture featuring original walls and chedi from a former temple.

Recommended dishes include:

Phad Thai goonk
Laab salad
Tamarind prawn
Red duck curry

Open from 12pm to 10.30pm
They also have Thai cooking lessons

Wat Samret

Wat Samret is one of the lesser known gems of Koh Samui. It is located near Hua Thanon Village on the 4169 road between Lamai and Laem Set beaches on the east coast. Wat Samret is a fairly small and unassuming temple from the inside. It, however, has a small chapel, that the monks will open up on request. If not you can see inside from window slats.

Inside this chapel there is a large collection of stone Buddha statues all crowded together in a small space. As is tradition in Thailand these statues are draped in saffron robes in similar style to Thai monks.

The most prominent statues are a large seated Buddha and a large reclining Buddha. All the Buddha statues are guardians for the ancient White Marble Buddha in the chapel that is meant to have come all the way from India.

Other things worthy of note about Wat Samret is that it has one of the largest trees on the island behind. In the grounds there is a packed grave yard that is worth a look. It contains the grave of one foreigner.

As with Wat Khunaram a trip to Wat Samret offers something different for the visitor. For those bored of gold wats with tall roofs both these places will be of interest.

Taxis in Koh Samui

There is a certain knack to catching taxis in Thailand. The trick is to know the correct way to proceed. In Bangkok there are of course taxis around Khao San Road that refuse to use the meter. From the street around the corner this is not the case. Knowing these types of things in Thailand saves you both money and stress.

It is not always the case that the taxi driver is being greedy or obstinate. Some journeys require toll fees to be paid. Some passengers will complain that are being cheated if this additional fee is added on to the meter price. Other times it is because the traffic is very bad or there is a one-way street that means a driver would have to go several miles out of his way.

In Koh Samui all the taxis say meter taxi but to a car none of them will do so. There is very little room to negotiate prices. The main advice is to know what the price should be for a journey and make sure you pay a similar amount. You can ask any number of people about this. It is always worth checking if you come back a year later as the prices change frequently. On Koh Samui many ex-pat residents use their own transport or the songthaew system which is like a ‘bus’ system.

For short journeys an alternative form of public transport is ‘mototaxis’. These are men with yellow vests that often mill around in groups on road corners. You negotiate in advance a fee and jump on the back of a small motorbike. If you have little baggage and find a friendly motorbike taxi driver this can be a relatively cheap way to make short trips.

At the airport there is a taxi limousine service. That is pre-paid. It isn’t any cheaper than the normal price, but it is a stress free system. Cheaper is a mini bus system that is also pre-paid at the airport. However, if there are more than three people traveling together taxis can be a better option than paying per person.

Many resorts will offer a transfer service. This is a convenient way to get picked up the airport but is usually a 100 Thai Baht more expensive than regular yellow taxis in Koh Samui.

The best advice about taxis in Koh Samui is not to get angry. Your frustration will not bring about change. Complaining on the help line numbers will also bear no fruit. Just accept the situation and always remain polite. Shouting and swearing is regarded as serious escalation in Thailand and is sometimes met with similar or greater emotion.

Tongsai Bay

There are not many resorts in Koh Samui or even in the Samui archipelago that can boast that it has its own private beach. Off the top of my head, there is the Santhiya  Resort and Spa that has a small (and mostly unused) beach next to Thong Nai Pan Noi’s main stretch of sand. And there is Charm Churee Village in Koh Tao that has a private beach just south of Sairee beach. Add to this list the Tongsai Bay. It is a resort that names itself after the beach where it is placed. The hotel is eponymous.

However, both the Tongsai BayResort and the beach at Tongsai are of an equally high standard thus the two deserve to be treated together. The beach is fine white sand flanked by rocks at both sides. Behind the beach the land gently inclines and is covered in coconut palms and tropical vegetation. It is one of the most picturesque beaches in Koh Samui.

One of the major attractions of the beach is that it is very peaceful. There is no traffic noise; there are not hundreds of sun loungers lining the beach. There aren’t any beach vendors patrolling the sands; there isn’t a row of bars competing with each other by turning up their sound systems. It is just tranquil.

The Tongsai Bay is set in 25 acres of tropical land. At the front of the resort, next to the beach is a large free form swimming pool with little islands of shade. Behind is a hotel accommodation block and spread out to either side are individual villas.

In total there are 83 rooms in the resort all with sea views. Each room features air-con, hot water, satellite TV, mini bar and private balcony. There are cottage suites and beachfront suites with baths with views over the bay. At the top end are private pool villas.

The Tongsai Bay has 3 restaurants, 2 bars, a fitness center and a spa. There is also a tennis court. Guests are given unlimited free drinking water and have access to babysitting services. The resort is very much self-contained. There is even free golf buggy transport within the resort.

One of the secrets of the Tongsai Bay is that the management are also the owners. In this way they keep their eyes firmly on the ball and try to ensure customer satisfaction. They even host a free cocktail party twice a week.

Tongsai Bay and the Tongsai Bay Resort are located just north of Choeng Mon beach in the north east corner of Koh Samui.

Thong Tanote and Phangka

These are two of the least visited beaches in Koh Samui. They are situated on the south-west peninsula in an area that has escaped the uncontrolled development that has marred the beauty of places such as Chaweng and Lamai. Both Thong Tanote and Phangka are in a region where you can still see the traditional wooden houses of fishermen used as such not turned into expensive boutique shops (as is the case in Bophut).

There are few bars in this area. The restaurants are small local affairs where you can sample authentic island food at prices far below those on the menus in other parts of the island.

Thong Tanote

Thong Tanote is a small secluded beach with palm trees leaning towards the water. It is a narrow beach behind which is plenty of open space. The sea here recedes quite far at low tide. At high tide it is suitable for swimming. The sand is not the finest on Koh Samui, however this is made up for the fact that if you stay at Thong Tanote there is a good chance that you will be the only person around when you venture down to the beach. Thong Tanote offers idyllic seclusion.

There are few accommodation choices at Thong Tanote. At the cheaper end of the accommodation spectrum is Jinta Beach Bungalows that offers fan or air-con huts that start at 600 THB in the low season. Jinta Beach Bungalows is run by a local family. The resort includes a small pool and a restaurant.

The best place to stay in Thong Tanote is Coconut Villa Resort and Spa. It has hotel style rooms and has a pool with swim up bar, free wifi access, a restaurant and a spa.

Phangka

Just around the headland and facing west is Phangka beach. It is also called the Emerald Bay. It is without doubt one of the most remote spots on the island. At Phangka there is a small fishing village where you can still witness traditional island life. Here you can hire a longtail boat to take you out to the two small islands just off the coast called Koh Mutsum and Koh Tan. These deserted islands are surrounded by coral reefs that are great for snorkeling.

The resorts at Phangka are fairly well self-contained as there are few facilities in the area. The stand out place is Elements Boutique Resort and Spa. It features private pool villas with direct access to the beach. It is a very stylish place where the staff pampers the guests with luxury. Check out their promo video below.

Finally, it should be mentioned that Phangka has probably the best sunset on Koh Samui. It is an ideal spot for honeymooners who want privacy and a beach to themselves.

Coral Cove Bay

Coral Cove Bay is interesting in that it is sandwiched between the very popular beaches of Chaweng and Lamai and yet it is a quiet and peaceful beach that gets very few visitors. Many of the people who do book a resort in Coral Cove Bay are slightly mislead. They read the address of the resort as ‘Chaweng Road’ and erroneously conclude that the resort must be on the edge of Chaweng.

These people should not be disappointed. Coral Cove Bay is a gem of a beach. It is the perfect spot to relax and escape the crowds of Chaweng to the north and Lamai to the south. The beach at Coral Cove Bay has just as good sand as its more famous neighbors. It is also just as good for swimming.

The one advantage that Coral Cove Bay has over its bigger and more famous neighbors is that it is better for snorkeling. There are numerous giant boulders in the sea that form a haven for corals to form. It is a very short swim out from the beach to find great snorkeling spots which hold a colorful profusion of fish and corals.

The beach at Coral Cove Bay is only 200 meters long so there are only a few beachfront places to stay at. More accommodation can be found at the edges of the beach set on dramatic cliff locations. One such example is the Kamala Samui. It is a luxury resort that boasts private pool villas with stunning sea views. The Kamala Samui has boutique interior design, a communal pool that features imported Balinese stone and a restaurant that serves fusion cuisine. The resort also has a private pier. They offer guests free fishing equipment, snorkeling equipment and kayak use. Guests at The Kamala Samui might initially be disappointed that they are not staying in Chaweng but on the Chaweng Road, but will soon come to appreciate the gorgeous scenery and luxury atmosphere of the Kamala Samui.

At the other end of the accommodation spectrum are Coral Cove Resort and Hi Coral Cove. These two resorts are also on hills. They have communal pools and offer both air-con and fan bungalows; the latter for as little as 500 Thai Baht a night.

If you are in Koh Samui and looking for something near the action of Chaweng but don’t really fancy staying on a beach with thousands of other people then Coral Cove Bay is a great option.

Coral Cove Bay is reached via the main ring road on the island. The turning for the beach is very easy to miss so drive slowly when you get south of Chaweng Noi.