Samet island in Thailand. Ko Samet Island is a great place for a relaxing holiday! Safety. What to watch out for

Samet Island (Koh Samet) is a resort island in the Gulf of Thailand in the eastern part, close to the mainland, belongs to Rayong Province, Thailand. Small beyond the area - 13.1 km. sq. Its distance from the mainland is about 6.5 km, from Bangkok - 200 km, 80 km from Pattaya. Length 7 km, width - from 4 km to 200 meters.

This is a magical place, as most of the island is occupied by the National Park of Thailand, so the water is very clean and the nature is almost untouched. Entrance to the island is free, and no one will take money from you for disembarking at the pier. There is only a fee for visiting the Mu Koh Samet National Park, which is located on 4 islands, including Samet. The cost is 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children.

Samet Island on the map

When planning your vacation, look at where the island is located on the map, so it will be easier for you to figure out how to get to it.

How to get there

There are several options. Since Samet is cut off from the mainland and does not have an airport, it can only be reached by water. You can sail from the village of Ban Phe - mainland Thailand, it will take you about 30 minutes. Ferries run regularly between the mainland and the island, costing about 50 baht, but you can also book a boat, estimated cost of 2,000 baht.

From the capital of Thailand

Buses depart from Bangkok to Ban Phe. The cost is about 160 baht, if you buy in both directions, it will be cheaper, around 280 baht. They run from morning to evening, with an interval of 40-60 minutes. Travel time is 3.5 hours.

The second option is to get from Bangkok to the regional center, and from there to Ban Phe. A bus to Rayong costs 120 baht, takes about 3 hours, from Rayong to Ban Phe you can get by songhthaew, which takes about 30 minutes. Please note that the latter leaves at 8 pm from Ban Phe.

It is always worth checking the time of the last bus, since no type of transport operates 24 hours a day. By car you can take Route No. 3 or Sukhumvit Rd.

By taxi: estimated cost 2000 baht, from the airport approximately 250 baht cheaper.

From Pattaya

From Pattaya to Rayong (district center) you can take a bus in about 50 minutes, it costs 70 baht. A taxi will cost you 850 baht, and the time will be about 1.5-2 hours. Always check the cost as it varies.

Rent a bike and fill the tank with a full tank and get along the Sukhumvit highway to your destination, Ban Phe. You can buy a complete package from any street travel agency, which includes a transfer to Ban Phe and a ferry ticket. It will be more expensive than buying tickets yourself, but it will be more comfortable, because you will be picked up from your hotel and taken right from the pier to the island of Koh Samet. You can also negotiate with them about the return journey.

Transport

There are practically no roads on the island itself. Only the section from the pier to the National Park is paved. You can move around on foot, the distances are short, the entire island can be walked around in about 2 hours.

Options for transportation can be quad bikes (rent 500-1500 baht per day) or local transport - songthaew (departed when fully loaded) from 10 baht, which you can use as a taxi, buying all the seats for 100-600 baht.

There is no good road on the island, which can be dangerous for your life. Songthaew fares are fixed and are indicated on posters on many beaches.

You can rent a motorcycle, but if you have never ridden one, it is not recommended to start on Samet.

Beaches and hotels

There are about 16 beaches on the island. The most famous of them are Khatsaikaeu, Diamond Beach, and Auwongdyan. They were all located on east coast, the length of the largest, Hatsaikeu, is about a kilometer, and the width is 25-30 meters. Au Vong Duan Beach is located in a bay that is almost circular in shape. Smaller beaches are generally quieter and always have fewer tourists. Ao Kyu Nok - an isolated beach of a luxurious and most expensive hotel on Paradee island Resort and Spa.

Auphrao - beach on west coast, away from the noisy life of Samet. There is also a pier nearby from which you can go on a boat trip.

There are a huge number of hotels on the island that differ in cost and comfort of stay. These can be bungalows, separate houses, guesthouses. The cost is approximately 1000 baht per day, but you can find cheaper options, starting from 500 baht. The most important thing is the price-quality ratio.

On any website you can see photos of rooms and areas, which will help you in your choice. If you are going to travel during high season, we recommend booking your accommodation in advance.

Entertainment and attractions

The main attraction is the National Park, walking routes, temples. For history buffs, it is worth visiting Auhin Kok Bay, where the only monument on the island is located.

Incredible interesting place is the Turtle Farm, where rare species of fish and turtles are bred. It is located in the sea, not far from the pier. What is noteworthy is that these fish are then released into the open sea. Water activities:

1. Windsurfing and water skiing.
2. Boat trips are organized every day.
3. Snorkeling and diving.
4. Fishing trips can also be organized for you.

Massage services are often offered on the beaches. You can take advantage of this opportunity and feel it. Shopping consists only of beach accessories, but you can easily find a cafe or restaurant where you will have the opportunity to taste fresh seafood.

Samet Island is a great opportunity to plunge headlong into relaxation, forget about problems and enjoy every minute. This is a way to relax your body and soul, as well as be alone with nature.

Koh Samet in Thailand is so good that the Thais have included all its nature and beaches in the national heritage of the country! Is this really paradise at 500 baht a day?

From Pattaya you need to get to the city of Ban Phe, the easiest way to do this is:

1. With the help of 35 Pattaya Group (this is a company in Pattaya with cheap minibuses (not excursions). Google it, it’s really the most convenient way if you don’t have your own transport. But we went everywhere ourselves and I can’t leave an objective review)
2. By our own transport (the two of us drove a PCX-150, the journey took two hours with a stop for food)
3. If you’re scared to go on your own, you can order organized trip from our partners

Ships depart from small town Ban Phe, most of its residents live off the tourist flow to the island of Samet. At every corner they will try to sell you anything, every taxi driver will catch up with you and tell you that he can buy a ticket, or he has a boat and only he will take you. How things really stand:

There are about 5 different piers in Ban Phe. Each of them has its own ticket office, but some sell tickets only for high-speed boats, and some only sell tickets for regular ferries. Tickets cost the same at different ticket offices: ferry - 50 baht one way, speed boat - 150 baht one way. All berths are 100 meters from each other, so if somewhere I’m trying to charge you double the price, you can easily walk to the next one. Ferries run once an hour (from approximately 8.00 to 17.00), on weekends speedboats run every 10 minutes, and much less frequently on weekdays.

Samet is national park, so at the main pier you will be charged 200 baht per person just for entering the island.

And our Tolya is a fool. As usual, I distinguished myself: I went to look for a pier for speed boats. I saw a group of Thais standing there, so I approached and asked:

Are you waiting for a boat to the island?
-Yes
-Well, we’ll wait with you.
-Okay, wait.

And only after loading into the boat, I found out that these were majors from Bangkok who ordered themselves an individual yacht, and we brazenly climbed into them. They took us straight to the beach, so we didn't have to pay this fee. national park and they flatly refused to take it for the road. I love Thais.

There is a normal pier only in the city, if you take individual transfer to some beach, you will be dropped off in waist-deep water. Keep this in mind if you travel with children and suitcases

Choose best beach on Koh Samet. I read a lot of reviews about the island before the trip, found many stories about a secret beach in a rubber grove, or about a beach of millionaires with huge palm trees. And I’ll tell you honestly: this is all complete nonsense! Don't worry about choosing a location at all! All beaches are excellent, with magnificent azure seas and perfectly white sand.

Sai Kaew Beach

In general, I liked the largest city beach the most and I will recommend it.

Now a little more detail. Not far from the port is the main city beach, Sai Kaeo. This is the largest beach on the island, along which small bungalows, cafes and shops are lined. It is to this beach that tourists from Pattaya are brought and book excursions. The beach is long, and tourists are gregarious creatures, so they cluster in one place, next to their boats. Therefore, most of the beach is empty and you can calmly lie down in silence.

What about other beaches? Yes, everything is the same! But there are beaches at hotels, so there are advantages: there are no boats there, there are many fewer people and it is much calmer. And on the downside: there is no nightlife, food is only in the restaurant and is expensive.

These are all the photos of the main beach of Sai Kaew Beach:

Sai Kaew Beach Video:

Ao Wong

The beach is located in the bay and at the hotel. It turns out that the beach is well-equipped and very calm, with a nice green area. I liked it so much that we decided to stop here for a few hours. There is also nightlife, and equipped with palm swings, and you can take a boat for a ride. In general, we recommend it.

2) Ao Thian— one of the secret bays and that’s its beauty! Finding this place from the road is very difficult, because... it looks like a small path into the jungle. But it was here that we found inexpensive bungalows for 400 baht. The beach is very small, but there are almost no people. Bartenders generally sleep behind the counters, because... no visitors.

I didn’t notice anything interesting on the other beaches, so I’ll just post a few photos and videos so that you understand what to expect.

Ao Cho

Boats for diving trips, only here I saw such open ones with seats

Prices for hotels and guest houses

If you arrive on Koh Samet from Pattaya to the central port, you will pass through the city. If you are looking for cheap guest rooms, then they are there. Moreover, from the Pier you can go either to the left (to the main beaches) or to the right.

Prices in the city vary greatly, but you can easily find a guest house with a fan for 500 baht. The average price is 800 baht per night. The city is small, literally one street, but it lives off tourists, so every house is a store, cafe or guest house. To the sea from anywhere in the city is 10-15 minutes on foot.

Housing near the sea. Average price 1200 baht per night. These are ordinary 3-star houses: located near the sea, with air conditioning (but usually noisy), hot shower. You can bargain cheaper on the spot (1000 baht). There are also more expensive hotels.

The most expensive accommodation is in hotels with their own territory and which occupy the entire bay. There prices start from 2000 baht per night.

If you are traveling during the high season for a weekend, then be sure to book a hotel in advance, and if it is also a Thai holiday, then book a week in advance, because... The island is very popular with Thais and tourists.

Prices in the cafe.

Prices in the cafe are about 40% more expensive than in Pattaya. You also need to be prepared for the fact that the waiters on the island are very slow. Those. the situation that you wait 15-20 minutes for breakfast or coffee is absolutely normal. This is especially frustrating in small coves, where you are tied to 1-2 restaurants and you have no choice. Be prepared that you will have to spend 1-1.5 hours on lunch, and when leaving the beach for the next fruit shake you will have to wait 20 minutes for it.

A large store of everything was seen only on Sai Kaew Beach and Ao Cho. There are also small family cafes with traditional Thai food. Food prices, as I already said, are about 40% higher than on the mainland. Tom Yam soup - 140 baht.

On other beaches only local restaurants. Prices are valid for most restaurants located on the shore:

• Breakfast (scrambled eggs + fruit + coffee) - 170 baht.
• Pork shish kebab – 250 baht
• Lamb shish kebab – 400 baht
• Shake - 85 baht.

Makashnitsy (seen only on Sai Kaew Beach) - famous Thai pancakes - 50 baht.

You need to understand that there is a large selection of food only on Sai Kaew Beach, and only on this beach you can eat relatively inexpensively due to the large selection of various cafes in the city itself.

Only on weekends in the evening cafes set up tables facing the sea

Transport on Koh Samet

Let's say right away: You are unlikely to get pleasure from driving around the island using any type of transport, because beautiful views no, the road is terrible, the handling of the vehicle is beyond criticism. But if you want to see different bays, or take a ride in the evening to watch different shows, then take the transport safely, but ride very carefully.

Taxi drivers are located absolutely near all bays, i.e. getting from one to the other is not a problem at all. Taxis look like pickup trucks with seats in the back and carry groups of people at once; you can also rent a separate one for yourself.

At any taxi stand there is a sign with prices to each bay (the first price if you wait until the car is full, the second if you start right now).

Motorbike rental.

Cost: 100 baht per hour, or 300 baht per day. Payment for gasoline varies, but is usually included in the rental bill. Ordinary motorbikes (Clicks and Fino).

The roads on the island are very bad - it’s either just dusty ground with sand, or concrete slabs + a large number of slides + a large number of turns into one lane with no visibility. But nevertheless, for a person with driving experience in Thailand, moving around the island will not be a big problem; you won’t be able to drive, but it’s easy to ride.

On a motorbike you can move around the island of Samet quite comfortably only up to Ao Wai Bay, then there are 2 very steep hills that are covered with sand, 90% of accidents happen there. Those. when you read that someone gets ripped off and falls - it’s most likely there, the motorbike will skid in any case and the only question is whether you can brake it with your heels. The ATV on these slides also skids, but the only task is to prevent it from turning sideways.

At the southernmost point is observation deck, but she’s completely uninterested (it’s on the video), so there’s no point in climbing these slides.

Quad bike rental.

An ATV, or as everyone here calls it an ATV, can also be rented at any bay.
Cost of renting an ATV on Samet:

Small quad bike:(2 thin people drove the entire island more or less comfortably)
250 baht per hour
1200 baht per day

Large quad bike (family)
400 baht per hour
1600 baht per day.

Regarding gasoline: everything in the tank is yours, everything you need to fill up from above is yours. You won't be able to drive it either, because... The roads are still bad, and the ATVs are very worn, but the chance of falling on them is much less than on a motorbike. But it will be difficult to park it in the city, because... There are very few free parking spaces there.

Excursions and entertainment.

On all beaches and in all hotels you will be offered the same excursions, but the prices for them will differ by 100-200 baht. In some places they are fixed, and in others street sellers set the price themselves. One of these agents in front of us erased the price of 1200 baht and wrote 1300. Simply because he decided so.

Where to get a kayak: at a hotel on Wai Beach - 250/300 baht per hour, or 1500/1800 per day. Also, kayaks can be removed directly last beach AO Pakarang (prices for a hotel on this beach are higher, the name is Nimmanoradee resort, the hotel is luxurious, but the restaurant is one of the longest, 2 necks waited 20 minutes.)

Prices are shown in the photos below. and the main excursions sold on the island.

Located twenty kilometers southeast of the city of Rayong, located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand. This is a narrow piece of land seven kilometers long. From a bird's eye view, it looks like a heron's beak, stretching from north to south. You can get there by booking a combined route on.

It is part of a national park Khao Laem, That's why holiday on Samet island It will definitely appeal to lovers of tranquility and those seeking to communicate with almost virgin nature. The entertainment industry there is practically undeveloped. Residents love to spend weekends on this island.

Most famous beaches of Koh Samet are located on its eastern coast. The largest of them is Hat Sai Kaew, in European style called Diamond Beach . The sandy strip of this beach is 25 to 30 meters wide. Tourists can get windsurfing lessons (read more about) and rent a boat for water skiing. The majority of restaurants and bars are concentrated on this beach.

Very beautiful beach Ao Wong Deuan. It is located on the shore of a bay that almost closes in a circle. There you can also find interesting night entertainment and a full range of beach services. The main diving centers are located on this beach, but excursions to nearby islands, where you can go snorkeling, are organized everywhere.

Beach where you can find expensive hotels offering the most peaceful holiday is called Ao Phrao. It is located on the western coast of the island, it is the only one there, and therefore unique.

Shopping on Koh Samet limited to the sale of beach accessories. Baht are worth spending in the island's restaurants for the most delicious and fresh seafood that Thailand has to offer.

Samet Island is less than 10 km from the Thai mainland. For this reason, it is very easy to get to when compared to the others. But, despite the relative proximity to major cities the country of smiles, Samet is not crowded, nature is preserved almost in its original form (almost 80% of the territory is virgin tropical forests), and local beaches serve as a standard of cleanliness throughout the world. Why did this happen? Yes, because the island is included in the national park, the nature of which is protected by law. Those who are looking for “eco-friendly” places will be in seventh heaven here.

Travelers choose Samet Island in Thailand for their holidays because of its magnificent beaches, small number of holidaymakers and sufficient low prices, That's why this place similar to . The best of them are located on the eastern side of Koh Samet. The most popular beaches are Hat Sai Kaew and Ao Hin Khok; most hotels, restaurants and bars are built next to them. Those who like solitude should better go to the southern part of Samet. There, even at the peak of the season, you can find a quiet, peaceful place and think about something intimate alone with yourself, and the beaches here are in no way inferior to the beaches in the northern part, only there are fewer hotels and restaurants.

The southern and northern parts of the island are strikingly different from each other. The northern part is an example of life in these parts. Here you will see a small village, whose inhabitants are mainly engaged in fishing, buddhist temple, a fish farm where exotic fish, turtles and even sharks are born. Southern part- this is a real impenetrable jungle in which a variety of “indigenous animals” live.

There are hotels in different price categories on Koh Samet. If you have a limited budget or simply don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on a room that you will only need at night for a comfortable sleep, then you can rent a bungalow for 400-500 rubles a day. And for lovers of high-level comfort, luxury five-star hotels offer their services on the island, where you need to pay more than 5,000 rubles for a night’s stay. But hotels on Samet are still cheaper than on or.

For lovers of calm and quiet rest on sea ​​coast excellent option may become the island of Samet, which is located 7 kilometers from the mainland. Geographically, the island is 200 kilometers from Bangkok, and 100 kilometers from Pattaya. The name Samet comes from the tree of the same name, which is widespread throughout the island and is one of the medicinal plants of the world.

First on the list of things to do on Samet Island is visiting national parks, which occupy more than 3/4 of the entire resort area. Here is the beautiful and pristine My Koh Samet Park, which is part of a larger Thai nature reserve - Khao Laem Ya. That is why entry into the resort is paid for all citizens. The cost of an adult ticket is 200 baht, a child entrance will cost 2 times less.

The most long distance The island is only 8 kilometers away. Around Samet there are several small islands, which are administratively part of it. Samet itself belongs to the province of Rayong and is located in the heart of the Gulf of Thailand.

On the island of Samet, in addition to enjoying the tropical forests, you can have a great time on the snow-white and clean beaches of the Siamese coast. Over the past 10 years, the number of tourist infrastructure facilities on the island has noticeably increased, and the level of service has also improved.

On the island of Samet you can not only soak up the snow-white beaches, but also do other exciting things, including:

• aquatic species entertainment, which includes diving, snorkeling, sea fishing;
• ecotourism, which consists of visiting a national park, riding ATVs, bicycles and motorcycles;
• photo shoot in lush tropical forests or on beaches;
• thematic excursions for tourists, which are based on legends about hidden treasures on the island of Samet;
• The northern part of the island resembles a traditional fishing village, where you can see a pier, a temple and a monastery.

Best beaches

Beaches on Samet are located in the west and east of the island. But the eastern beaches are the longest and widest. The sand on the island is so pure that it is used in the production of high quality glass. Some of the most popular and tourist-inhabited beaches on Samet Island include the following:

Hat Sai Kaew is the most popular, crowded and party place on the island. Its length is more than a kilometer, and its width reaches almost 30 meters. There are many restaurants, bars and other resort entertainment.

Ao Phutsa (Tubtim) has completely sandy coast and a smooth entry into the sea. This beach is perfect for families with children; the place here is quite calm and secluded.

Wong Duean is located in the eastern part of Koh Samet, where most of the maritime transport from the neighboring continent. The beach offers numerous walking and boating options, including the popular offshore fishing.

Ao Wai attracts guests with its daily fire shows, which take place in the evenings at beach restaurants. The coast combines sandy areas with stone ones. There are bars, restaurants and massage parlors on the beach.

Ao Kio is a beach located on the territory of the most expensive resort area of ​​Samet Island. Here are the best conditions for recreation, since it is less crowded, the cleanest and is not affected by the chaotic development of the coast.

Hotels

There should be no problems with choosing accommodation on the island, since the hotels here are located in large quantities, as well as many offers of accommodation in guest houses. Hotels in most cases are made in the form of bungalows and small houses, which are located in close proximity to the sea - at a distance of 20 to 50 meters.

Starting from the third coastline The island is built up with guest houses, which have two- and three-story layouts. You can book accommodation here inexpensively, especially if you do it in advance. Guesthouses offer rooms from 500 baht per night with many amenities including TVs and air conditioning.

It is best to book the hotel in advance if your trip is planned at high tourist season- from the end of November to March. The most profitable way to do this is on the Hotelluk website, as you can find excellent discounts there. There are several on Koh Samet good hotels, which correspond to price and quality:

• Paradee Resort 5* is located just 1 minute walk from central beach, surrounded by numerous tropical palm trees. Its rooms offer stunning views of the Gulf of Thailand and the nature of Samet Island. The hotel has several villas, each of which has its own swimming pool, minibar, terrace and relaxation area.
• Samed Pavilion Resort 4* is located a 2-minute walk from Ao Phai beach. The hotel has a few rooms; in the common area, guests have access to a large outdoor swimming pool with a terrace, a bar and a restaurant, as well as free internet. This is an excellent alternative to the first option for those who want to get a high level of comfort for less money.
• Barbados Terrace 2* is an excellent option for those looking for inexpensive holiday accommodation. The hotel's level of decoration, guest service and comfort can be compared with our 4-star hotels Black Sea coast. Each hotel room has a TV, refrigerator and air conditioning.

Transport

Since the territory is almost completely included in the list of specially protected parks in the world, you can only move around the island of Samet on bicycles, motorbikes and motorcycles. Several resort hotels offer motorbike rentals starting from 400 baht per day. Before the asphalt road was paved on the island, transport in the form of ATVs was popular, now it is more of an entertainment in the jungle.

In 2015, a large asphalt highway was built across the entire territory of the island, from which sandy trails already go to the beaches of Samet. Traveling on a songthaew is becoming popular, with which you can move from one beach to another. The price is most often fixed and depends on the distance. On average, the cost of a songthaew ranges from 15 to 65 baht per person per trip.

This songthaew is a route, the schedule of which can be seen on the posters of each beach on Koh Samet. If you want to travel alone or with your group, you can call a songthaew as a taxi. Then the cost will be calculated for the entire car and will range from 100 to 700 baht, depending on the route.

How to get there?

Samet Island has become favorite place for those tourists who vacation in Pattaya. You can get to Samet from the capital of Thailand, as well as from Pattaya in the following ways:

1. There is a daily bus service from Bangkok. A minibus will take you to Bang Phe pier, where the travel time will be about 2 hours. Next you need to get to Samet Island by speedboat or ferry. The cost of the trip and its duration differ. In 15 minutes the boat will take you to the central pier of Samet.
2. It takes only 1 hour from the center of Pattaya to the Bang Phe pier, which is located in the very south of the mainland Rayong district. After arrival, you can transfer to a double-deck ferry, which will take you to the pier of Samet Island for a small cost. The travel time will take about 40 minutes, during which time you can enjoy the magnificent scenery.

Samet Island on the map

On this map you can see the exact location of Samet Island in Thailand.

Samet Island is perfect for tourists who want to combine a pleasant beach holiday with active entertainment. You can enjoy on the island beach holiday and see its main attractions.