Koh Samed (Samet Island in Thai language) extends to about 30 minutes of navigation off the coast in the province of Rayong and can be reached from the port of Ban Phe. The main port pier of the island is ‘Nadan’ which located near Sai Kaew beach.
Known as the island with some of the country’s whitest beaches, Samet was known primarily as an ideal destination for short term vacation due the short distance from the capital Bangkok. In recent years it has established itself as a suitable place to carry out an entire holiday. Of small extension and elongated from north to south, Koh Samet is characterized on the eastern side by a continuous succession of beaches and bays, all of with breathtaking beauty.
How to get to Samet Island
- There are different ways to get there from the most popular departure spots:
- From Bangkok about 190 km and from Pattaya about 80 km (By Car)
- The closest airport to Koh Samet is U-Tapao, about 45 kilometers from Ban Phe. The airport is served by Bangkok Airways flights to and from Koh Samui and Phuket.
- Buses to Ban Phe pier in Rayong depart daily from Ekkamai the terminal bus terminal in Bangkok, there are departures every day and it takes about 3 hours to arrive.
Rayong is located about 200 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, the roads that connect the two cities are different. From Rayong, to reach Koh Samet then you need to take the ferry to the Ban Phe marina. The ferry from Ban Phe to Koh Samet takes about 30/45 minutes to arrive. In Ban Phe there are currently several piers from which boats arrive and depart: Nam Thip pier, Phe pier and Sri Ban Phe pier. Each pier has boats that stop on different beaches on the island.
Around Samet Island
Around Samet there are numerous islets that can be ideal places for day trips. All offer extremely beautiful coral reefs for diving or snorkeling.
Typical attractions and activities of the island are boat excursions. Those are usually organized by hotels and resorts.
The destinations of these tours are to the nearby islands and the surrounding cliffs, another ideal place for snorkeling and diving.
Along the beach, you will have the opportunity to relax or rent windsurfing, hobiecat (small sailing catamarans) and kayaks.
Koh Samet Beaches
The most precious pearl is kept on the western side: the bay of Ao Prao. Remote and hidden, Ao Prao is like an island within an island. Here, surrounded by thick and luxuriant vegetation, a beach of fine white sand winds. In Ao Prao (Ao means bay in Thai) there are some of the highest category hotels on the island.
In the evening the bay is quiet and offers typical restaurants where you can enjoy fresh fish.
The place is perfect for relaxing in intimacy and in harmony with nature. Sai Kaew beach is the northernmost, largest, busiest and easiest beach to reach on the island.
If Sai Kaew is would be the an ideal place for young people to spend a fun holiday in an informal, unusual and typically tropical flavor environment,
Ao Prao is instead more suitable for honeymooners or middle-aged couples, families and anyone who seeks peace and calm. The structures located on the beach of Ao Prao are able to satisfy a highly demanding clientele while on the beach of Sai Kaew the standards are more basic and in economy.
From North to South, after the main beach of Sai Kaew, a series of beautiful bays follow one another uninterruptedly separated by rocky isthmuses rich in corals and tropical aquatic fauna.
A pearl in the reception for holidays seems to be the Sai Kaew beach resort; definitely a resort deserves to be considered, with much to offer to its guests.
