We are meeting friends in Ko Samui in late August 2013 and are researching places to stay. We have 3 kids aged 1,4 and 6 and are looking for a 4-5 star resort which is family friendly (baby sitting, kids club, pool etc).
Has anyone holidayed lately in Ko Samui in a nice place that they can recommend?
Also any general advice on the different beaches of Ko Samui / places to see / activities would be greatly appreciated?
cheers, Cheap Steve
Yes, overwhelming. Hoping for an ozbargainer personal opinion.
Stay near Chaweng beach which is near the airport- its more happening then the rest of the island a (unless you want seclusion)
Koh Samui sounded like a great destination, till I discovered Bangkok Airways have a monopoly at the airport (flights to), rorting the tourists which is unacceptable to an OzB'er. Though could,ve taken the bus and ferry (to get to a resort there?) - Blah
Ended up staying 6 star at Bang Tao beach, Phuket (Dusit Thani Laguna) - bliss. My 2c worth
Trip Advisor will get you the info you're after. Post same question there.
The bus ferry combo is a long journey. May not be suitable for all kids. Also some spewing on board indicates that due to seasickness, that method may not be suitable for some adults either.
This is not quite accurate - Thai Airways fly to KS as well (from Bangkok), as does Silk Air and Singapore Airlines (from Singapore). Good cheap place to stay on Chaweng is Evergreen Resort - around 500 baht, 3-ish star with great location
woops, I meant 1500 baht for Evergreen - sorry!!
Yes, others fly to Koh Samui, but Bangkok Airways owns KS airport and controls the landing fees and so monoplise the airport.
Therefore all airlines charge high fares to KS in comparison to other SE island destinations. You'll never get a discount fare to KS.
Not sure of OP's departure point, but a quick Kayak search late August 2013 return 2A 2C 1infant Kuala Lumpur to KS = Bangkok Airways was the cheapest @ approx $1500, next was Malaysian @ $2100.
Whereas KL to Phuket = Air Asia @ $500.
Hence we spent our AUpesos in 6 star Bang Tao beach.
In a nutshell, KS not the cheapest place to fly to - a shame for local tourist operators.
Though probably going off topic as OP was after accom help.
firefly also fly in and out of samui.
Tell your friends you'll meet them in Chiang Mai. Koh samui is a hole. I was there in April. It was the only place in Thailand where I felt hostility. Hostility everywhere. If you research it, you'll see that ks and that nearby full moon party place are the only places outside the terrorist zones where you need to worry about violence.
I put it down to the fact that they don't get enough king worship shoved down their throats. The more photos and paintings of the king that you see, the happier the people seem to be.
I would bypass Koh Samui all together. It's a seedy, gross place, especially around the touristy areas. I wouldn't take my kids there if I had any. There are far better island options in SE Asia.
Rather than all the negative comments, We have stayed at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, twice in the last few years and love it. Not right in the main part of Chewang, so it's a bit quieter. Hotel has recently been renovated, so all the rooms are in good condition. The hotel has a kids club and spa, right on the beach and a great pool. We always take the room and breakfast deal. Better value.
To keep expenses down there are many good affordable restaurants just outside the hotel complex.
A good resource, as well as good prices, get a Thai Royal Orchid Holidays book from a travel agent listing all of the hotels in Koh Samui.
Thanks gett181. I am relieved to read a positive experience!
In my googling I noticed that Viva Holidays were running a deal on this hotel at the moment. I will take a closer look.
ps - Sorry to read of other posters poor experiences in Ko Samui. I find it confusing what to believe as the tripadvisor reviews are mainly glowing of Ko Samui.
its easy to island hop from koh samui to koh phangan and to koh tao, about a 1hour ferry ride. its worth going to koh samui so you can visit other islands. i had fun om koh samui but it is very developed and there are nicer places.
Have you tried trip advisor?