The island of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand offers impressive oceanfront resorts with all the amenities and views you could ask for. It’s easy to be bougie, and not on that high of a budget! Still, there are also great affordable options on the island as well. Let’s take a look at where to stay in Koh Samui.
From Krabi to Koh Samui
Now, when I last left you guys, we were on the Andaman Sea in Southern Thailand. So, to get to the Gulf of Thailand, we took an interesting overland bus to Surat Thani and a lovely ferry ride over to the islands. Koh Samui was our first stop on our island hopping adventure through the Gulf of Thailand. We booked our journey on the streets of Ao Nang at a local tourist office for about 800 baht each ($21.50). This was quite the last-minute decision, as I always tend to have a loose itinerary and just wing it in between. The company we went with was Phantip travel. Overall, the trip was ok. The service ran late and the driver of the small minibus that took us to the Surat Thani office would get angry when we opened any windows. Um, sir, there’s still a pandemic going on. I hear booking online through Lomprayah directly is easier, albeit slightly pricier. The ferry was the highlight of the trip—easy, on time, and with some epic views of the sea and small islands off into the distance. However, after seeing how cool it is to fly into Koh Samui airport, I wish we would have flown! More about this amazing airport later in this series when we go sightseeing around Koh Samui!
Bo Phut Beach Koh Samui
We chose to stay around the Bo Phut Beach area. This is a beautiful stretch of soft, white sand beach dotted with high-end resorts and restaurants that eventually leads you all the way to the Fisherman’s Village. On several occasions we walked for hours up and down the beach, stopping for a swim and a drink. The resorts are gorgeous, all with fancy food options that are generally overpriced and mediocre. But you can’t beat the views! We were lucky that our hotel had the best restaurant we tried on the whole beach strip, with buy one get one free beer and cocktail deals all day long.
Samui Palm Beach Resort
Speaking of our hotel, Samui Palm Beach Resort is at the far end of the Bo Phut Beach area. It is an impressive hotel with amenities that shocked us, given the price tag! The restaurant and bar were impressive, with super kind staff and great views of the ocean and Koh Pha Ngan off in the distance. The pool was insane—it was right at the beach, with manicured palms and sleepy anchored yachts framing our view. The hotel actually had a ton of great amenities free for guests as well, including morning yoga, painting classes, and my favorite—muy thai lessons on the green right next to the beach. Overall, I would definitely go back to Koh Samui just to stay there a few more nights! 10 out 10—definitely recommend!
Online, we booked our detached garden villa for only around $65, including breakfast every morning. When we extended our stay a few nights during the middle of the week, we negotiated even better rates, one night for $42! For a villa with a quaint little patio, an amazing rain shower, and even bathtub.
Tips to Save While Traveling
Word to the wize, that’s actually one of my best tips for traveling bougie on a budget. While it is good to book ahead, when I like a spot I try to negotiate a better rate in cash to extend the stay. Works like a charm on securing great deals! Staying over five nights actually scored us a free dinner at the restaurant too, which was a great way to spend our last night on the island! Another crucial tip for bougie on a budget—7-11. To my American readers, this may sound ridiculous, but trust me the 7-11s in Asia offer unique and exotic food options that will satisfy your hunger for a few bucks. They will heat up anything for you for free, which helps ease the burden on the budget in a fancy neighborhood filled with expensive mediocre food like Bo Phut. I personally love the bun baos, which come to around $0.70 or so! So, while planning accommodations throughout Thailand, I always made sure there was a 7-11 in easy walking distance for quick and easy meals after a long afternoon on the beach or a drunken night out.
I’m sure some of you are thinking, why spend so much in Southeast Asia when the region is known for dirt cheap accommodations? Well, first, I learned my lesson in Athens when my budget Air BnB was broken into, so I’m always on the hunt for a 24-hour front desk service and in-room safe. Plus, I work on the road. Unlike the typical digital nomad stereotype, I’m not one to sit around in coffee shops all day worried about unreliable WiFi and a growing caffeine addiction. I tend to enjoy working most at my accommodations, so the better the view, the more productive I am.
In Southeast Asia, you can also live like a king on what you normally spend on rent in a city like my hometown of Los Angeles or the most budget accommodations in Europe. So, if you’re used to it in your budget, why not go all out? Throughout our trip, we got some great deals on beach bungalows where we could sit out in the fresh air, work, smoke, and just enjoy the silence of being. Not to mention, I am quite vain and the ambiance of a good bougie hotel makes for a great photoshoot backdrop. I mean, come on—these thirst traps are epic.
Mae Nam Beach
Still, if you really want to go a more budget route, there are a ton of options, just down the beach at Mae Nam. This area is a much more local, chill vibe than the resort feel of Bo Phut. With the same soft sand and warm water, you get all of the same views with a much better budget. We took a long stroll down the beach, stopping for a drink every once and a while at quaint little beach bars, and eventually got a super cheap massage right on the water for like a quarter of what even our hotel was offering. The area is actually a much better option in terms of the neighborhood. While Bo Phut is flanked by a busy street with empty businesses. Mae Nam area has much more bustling blocks with restaurants, shops, and even a night market at Mae Nam Walking Street. The area has a little Chinatown, with a colorful Chinese temple and grounds as well.
If this is more your vibe, we found a super cute little beachside bed and breakfast with budget hotel options! Seedaeng Bungalows is steps away from the ocean, has a great kitchen, and offers cheap bungalows starting at around $20 a night. The owners are super sweet and LGBTQ friendly, making it a lovely spot that feels welcoming and genuinely inclusive of all travelers and locals. While I was happy with our hotel, this would have been my more budget option in the area for sure!
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