Koh Samet is an island off Thailand’s east coast, about 2.5/3 hours drive from Bangkok. Think powdery white sand, warm sparkling blue sea and palm trees fringing the beach and that’s Koh Samet. It is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand measuring 6.8 kilometres (4.2 miles) from north to south.
We got to Koh Samet via a mini-van transfer from Bangkok which took 2.5 hours followed by a speedboat to the island which was about 30 minutes. You arrive at the beach and have to wade in with your luggage. We saw several people hauling suitcases up onto the beach! Thank goodness for our ruck-sacks.
We stayed at The Samed Villa Resort, in two connecting bungalows overlooking the beach and sea. It was perfect – beautiful bungalows traditionally furnished, located at the back of the beach with stunning views of the sea. The restaurant served a mix of local and western food and featured a dining area right on the beach with a daily dinner BBQ. We loved the fruit shakes and cocktails..! Every evening there was a fire show where local lads twirled and threw fire sticks as you ate.
Our days were spent lying on the beach, swimming and snorkelling in the sea and playing a bit of volleyball and rugby, interspersed with eating and drinking. We managed to keep to our daily lessons and have officially found the best outdoor classroom yet.
We are now heading north in Thailand to the ancient city of Sukhothai.
