Single travelling, koh samui/koh phangan advice?!

[summers357]

I am a single female travelling to Koh Samui for a few weeks at the beginning of July...i'm after any advice anyone can give me really! Where is best to stay? Somewhere cheap (with hot water!), friendly (possibly to meet some like-minded people!) and by the beach. A lot of places seem to be set up for familes/couples and i'd rather meet other groups/single travellers.

I would love to take a dive course out there however have been told Koh Phangan may be best for this...there is a full moon party on the 9th July which i could combine for a few days before heading back to Koh Samui (is there a ferry??). What are people thoughts??!

I'm open to any suggestions.

Thank you

[gary09]

Hi Summers357,
the full moon party , u get a speed boat across to koh phangan, everywhere u will see tickets to full moon party, u can buy them at yr hotel or bars etc,

accommodation -the 2 main beaches are Chaweng & Lamai beach- its been about 2\3 yrs since last time i was there in samui, & always stayed at Lamai beach,

Chaweng beach is a lot bigger than Lamai beach,
i think u will find more Chaweng beach mght suit yr needs as i think a lot more younger travellers\backpackers stay there ,there are loads of places to stay on the beach,
lots of good bars\restauants right on the beach

there are many dive centres around samui, not sure wats best?
maybe other bm's may have more accurate info for u

or just look on this koh samui thread in this forum u may get some info there,
but lots of other info about samui on internet

enjoy yr trip
cheers gary

[MisterT]

I am in Samui now and its quite quiet... how i like it. Lots of single guys/gals around and plenty of cheap places to stay. You can find places on the web or just wander into a few hotels/apts when you're here.

I am staying in Lamai, which has a good vibe. Chaweng is busier with lots of bars/restaurants that are good and inexpensive. Lots of clubs open late till 6am.

Plenty of diving here. Koh Tao is close and is where most of the dive companies will take you. Seems that there are whale shark sightings there quite regularly.

[nelsonone]

koh Tao is definitely the best place to do a Dive Certification in that neighbourhood...its a small charming island which has been basically taken over by the Thai dive industry and a place where you wil find many like minded folks

Chaweng Beach on Samui caters to the backpack crowd...just walk along the beach or the main road and you will find loads of hostel and hotel accommodation.....lots of nightlife about as well

KP is wher you will find the full moon parties (and sometimes black moon parties)...its a mecca for backpackers...as already advised you can get a speedboat across from Samui

[JayBee]

Perfect place for you! No Name bungalows in Lamai Beach. Leaving Lamai Beach on the road to Chaweng, you turn right onto the Chaweng Raod, and go down about little over a 1/4 mile. Then you will see a very large restaurant on the right side of the road with a big parking lot, and a massive sign high up in the air, that says BUDDY BAR. Odd name, but actually a very nice restaurant with bar, that is right on the beach.

Anyhow, next to Buddy Bar is Suzie Pub, which is a disco with bar, and next to that is No Name Bungalows. There is a sign out front, but small and easy to miss, as you actually went past it before you got to Buddy Bar.

No Name Bungalows is a group of small bungalows. Some have hot water, and some don't. There is a great cabana/cafe on the grounds, right on the beach, with good food and drinks, and next to that, also on the same grounds, is a diving school. I think it was called Hello Divers!, but not sure about that. It is run by some Korean and Canadian guys, who are really nice, and they get a lot of nice people who come there for the diving school. And it's cheap!!

[nickels]

Originally Posted by nelsonone

koh Tao is definitely the best place to do a Dive Certification in that neighbourhood...its a small charming island which has been basically taken over by the Thai dive industry and a place where you wil find many like minded folks

Chaweng Beach on Samui caters to the backpack crowd...just walk along the beach or the main road and you will find loads of hostel and hotel accommodation.....lots of nightlife about as well

KP is wher you will find the full moon parties (and sometimes black moon parties)...its a mecca for backpackers...as already advised you can get a speedboat across from Samui

I second this advice. You'll definitely run into single people on dive trips on Koh Tao who are in a similar situation as you.

[Q8Diver]

Hi Summers357,

I've been traveling solo too, and spent xmas and nye in samui and met loads of friends in there..being a single traveler chaseng is the best place yo stay in an the best place I would say is Ark-bar Garden Beach Resort where you'll def meet many couples and singles travelers, and by the beach you'll be in the famous ARK bar beach party each Wednesday (check it out in youtube)...the price is 1500 baht in July (check for more in Chaweng Beach Hotels in Koh Samui) ..

Diving, there's no such place like Koh Tao for diving..Dive centers, theres many in chaweng, just walk along the beach and ask for Fareed, he is half German half Algerian..

Going to Koh Phangan is by ferry (costs just 200 baht) and you can find cheap bungalows there for around 800 baht/night...

I'll be in Phuket is July so you might drop by if you wanna discover Phuket or dive in Phi Phi island..

cheers

[Benjy]

Koh Tao is (or at least was) very beautiful, great place to dive. Practice safe sex whilst there, the Samui expats call it leper isle.