Koh Samui

JennyC · #1 26-04-2006, 18:54

My boyfriend and I are planniing to come to koh samui for the first time 0n 23rd May for 2 weeks. Being the typical virgo I am, I have spent the last week researching the island (and getting a huge headache at the same time!!) As im determined not to travel all that way and end up on some ITV holidays from hell program!

I am so confused as to which area is best to stay in? Originally we settled on bophut beach (samui palm resort) but have heard horrible things about the beach (dog poo, brown foam on water etc etc) so are now considering chaweng beach, but the supposedly quiet northern end (chaba cabana resort). People have also written similar things about the beach being dissapointing here too!!

The most frequent comment seems to be that chaweng is now a bit of a torremelinos style tacky resort with loud music and not the relaxing resort we were after!But at the same time we wanted to be able to access day trips to the waterfalls, marine park etc so bophut didnt seem as good for this.
Another thing is the weather....originally i was told it is quite rainy in may, which i dont mind as long as its not constant, but now i have read that it gets really hot...40 degrees plus!! Is may-early june classed as the busy time or will it be a little bit quieter??

If anyone has any comments/tips/advice I would be really grateful!!
Many thanks Jen

marc26 · #2 26-04-2006, 19:14

what are you guys looking for? what type of holiday?
party, relax, whats your budget?
let me know and ill give you a few suggestions

barfly · #3 28-04-2006, 13:46

"chaweng is now a bit of a torremelinos style tacky resort"

Yes!! Horrible place IMHO.
Lamai has a better beach(north Chaweng is very shallow and rocky for swimming) but is still "lively" though not on the scale of Chaweng which is just a 2 mile long beach road of bars, restaurants, Irish bars...

Bukowski · #4 29-04-2006, 07:01

Chaweng is the better beach for both aesthetics and diversity imo. You can have loud music and peace and quiet. Its 2miles long. Good beach restaurants/bars and chill out. It is incomparable to Torremelinos. That comparism is harsh and prbably comes from someone who didnt like the area around the ark bar/baraccuda bar. Lamai beach is dull and quiet and peacefull and when i've been there its not as clean a water as Chaweng... maybe its a tidal thing.

My advice would be to pick a room/hotel south of central Chaweng and dont worry too much.... Samui is a lovely place. Or go to Bophut ahead of Llamai.

In may/june the rain comes and goes... and after the rain there is sunshine. You will get a suntan Jen. Its quieter then until late July... its a good time to go.

JayBee · #5 01-05-2006, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bukowski

Chaweng is the better beach for both aesthetics and diversity imo. You can have loud music and peace and quiet. Its 2miles long. Good beach restaurants/bars and chill out. It is incomparable to Torremelinos. That comparism is harsh and prbably comes from someone who didnt like the area around the ark bar/baraccuda bar. Lamai beach is dull and quiet and peacefull and when i've been there its not as clean a water as Chaweng... maybe its a tidal thing.

My advice would be to pick a room/hotel south of central Chaweng and dont worry too much.... Samui is a lovely place. Or go to Bophut ahead of Llamai.

In may/june the rain comes and goes... and after the rain there is sunshine. You will get a suntan Jen. Its quieter then until late July... its a good time to go.

Hi Chuck!!

Sorry to say, I am with Barfly on this one. Lamai is quieter than Chaweng and the beaches are very nice there! There are some very nice resort type places in Lamai, but if you really want the all-inclusive type of classy resort, there are some very nice ones on the road from Lamai to Chaweng. Wish I could remember the name of the one I was at, really beautiful. Actually, it was south of Chaweng and north of Lamai, but at the very northern end of the Lamai stretch of beach. You could see Lamai over a mile in the distance, but a bit far for walking to town.

Not too rainy in May. Wouldn't worry about it. An occasional downpour is fun and refreshing, cools things off a bit as it is quite hot in May, but not as bad as April!

sledge038 · #6 01-05-2006, 14:54

me and my partner stayed at chaweng regent resort 4 years ago and found it excellent. the rooms and everything were really good. the breakfast was tops.
i cant say it was noisy there. takes about 5-10 miutes to walk down the road to where the clubs,bars and resturants are.

JennyC · #7 04-05-2006, 19:05

Blimey! thanks for all the help....wasn't expecting such a response! Computer has gone wacky for last few days so haven't had internet access.
Had to bite the bullet and book it over the weekend. Went for northern chaweng, chaba cabana resort. Has a bit of a weird aboriginal theme going on, but reviews seem ok. Thompsons had an absolute bargain on...14 nights for the price of 7! So we have decided to use the free 7 nights at chaweng as a base and go to koh tao for a few nights and explore around...any of you guys been there? any recommendations?
Three weeks to go!....fingers crossed for some sunshine!

Thanks for all the advice
Jen x

barfly · #8 05-05-2006, 04:22

Haven't been to Koh Tao but I think it's very small and mainly for divers.

Bukowski · #9 11-05-2006, 07:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayBee

Hi Chuck!!

Sorry to say, I am with Barfly on this one. Lamai is quieter than Chaweng and the beaches are very nice there! There are some very nice resort type places in Lamai, but if you really want the all-inclusive type of classy resort, there are some very nice ones on the road from Lamai to Chaweng. Wish I could remember the name of the one I was at, really beautiful. Actually, it was south of Chaweng and north of Lamai, but at the very northern end of the Lamai stretch of beach. You could see Lamai over a mile in the distance, but a bit far for walking to town.

Not too rainy in May. Wouldn't worry about it. An occasional downpour is fun and refreshing, cools things off a bit as it is quite hot in May, but not as bad as April!

Hmmm, you have quoted me but don’t really say anything that’s relevant to my post.. except Lamai beach perhaps has more than one beach. Somehow. And that you're with Barfly on this one. And the beaches are nice there. Its not very succinct really. But no need to apologise.

Allybabba22 · #10 11-05-2006, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bukowski

Hmmm, you have quoted me but don’t really say anything that’s relevant to my post.. except Lamai beach perhaps has more than one beach. Somehow. And that you're with Barfly on this one. And the beaches are nice there. Its not very succinct really. But no need to apologise.

He disagree's with your recommendation of Cheweng, He and Barfly both think Lamai is better?

Thats the relevence it has with your post, But just for the record I agree with you about Cheweng, I love it there and would pick it over Lamai anytime, And I agree, Its absolutly nothing like Torremelinos in the slightest...

Bukowski · #11 13-05-2006, 07:13

Ok Ally.

Llamai is dull imo. Even for me, and i'm not looking for action.... so to speak. I see a fair amount of time in Samui and i've never understood the lure of Lamai unless you walk down the beach and away from it. The sea is relatively dirty for some reason.... (global progress sadly). Threre are far better alternatives to the bustle of Chaweng if that is what you seek.

barfly · #12 14-05-2006, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allybabba22

He disagree's with your recommendation of Cheweng, He and Barfly both think Lamai is better?

Thats the relevence it has with your post, But just for the record I agree with you about Cheweng, I love it there and would pick it over Lamai anytime, And I agree, Its absolutly nothing like Torremelinos in the slightest...

Perhaps the wrong example was used. I've been to both and Torremolinos is much more up-market and clean. Perhaps it should have said Blackpool.

Allybabba22 · #13 14-05-2006, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by barfly

Perhaps the wrong example was used. I've been to both and Torremolinos is much more up-market and clean. Perhaps it should have said Blackpool.

Yes your right, Lamai is a lot like Blackpool

barfly · #14 14-05-2006, 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allybabba22

Yes your right, Lamai is a lot like Blackpool

no..no... I meant....doh!

Bukowski · #15 18-05-2006, 05:58

Kiss me quick girls.

nelsonone · #16 19-05-2006, 10:52

Well for me none of Samui has a decent beach..........they are all really shallow and pretty dirty by compared to Phuket's beaches ...........having said that I think that North Chaweng for which you have opted Jen is pretty much the pick of the whole east coast........

I generally stay down in the south near the butterfly farm or in the hills in a hotel with a great pool............but mostly on Tao

Theres plenty of pretty ordinary nightlife like the green mango etc but I have never connected with any nightspot on samui.........too many drunk backpackers..........

Toa is a paradise for divers and the main reason I spend anytime in these parts.....you can get there very easily by speedboat in a bout 40 mins and is well worth it if it is a quiet and relaxing time you are after ............. even if only for a day trip..........

eagle · #17 19-05-2006, 18:15

Hi guys,
I didn't open a new thread because my questions are more or less the same. I'm going to Samui as well but only in September. After some reading I found 2 Resorts in 2 different areas:

Banana Fan Sea Resort - Chaweng (South)
Zazen Boutique Resort and Spa - Bophut Beach

Anyone could tell me which one is better. Which beach is nicer? I don't want to stay in the middle of the crowd, but I want a nice beach.
Thanks

Mai Chob · #18 22-05-2006, 07:53

I think youd prefer Lamai.Bhoput is a quaint village but the beach aint much.Chaweng has a nice beach and while it isnt yet the costa brava it is fairly commercial.Lamai (middle to south sectionis lower key more a backpacker type loction and the beach is nice and clean>Not too much rain yet and a cheap Songtheaw (open sided bus/truck) ride away.I found Samui accom prices a bit higher than the average island prices tho....

Mai Chob · #19 22-05-2006, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by eagle

Hi guys,
I didn't open a new thread because my questions are more or less the same. I'm going to Samui as well but only in September. After some reading I found 2 Resorts in 2 different areas:

Banana Fan Sea Resort - Chaweng (South)
Zazen Boutique Resort and Spa - Bophut Beach

Anyone could tell me which one is better. Which beach is nicer? I don't want to stay in the middle of the crowd, but I want a nice beach.
Thanks

Hi Eagle, I would give te same advice as above for u as the beach at Bophut is simply very skinny and the water still.The villiage is quaint and worth a visit.You have a lot more nightlife at Chaweng and a better beach.Ive seen Banana sea fan and it looked fine.Most of the hotels on Chaweng are on large land holdings with tropical gardens like Bali so noise from the strip is not a prob and you can get a motocycle taxi up and down for 20 baht