December 29, 2009 – Day 369 – Koh Samet, Thailand

Slept in, ate a big breakfast, and hung out at the beach all day. What more can we say? It was fantastic! For once, Lin and Saben could leave their valuables in safety and go gallyvanting off into the ocean for the sun and sea—without taking turns! Look! There are even pictures to prove it!

Us!

We all got a little too much sun today and wore ourselves out completely with all the splashing and swimming we did. But man, was it fun! Nothing like a little beach vacation to cure whatever ails you. In our case, we’ve regained some zeal for traveling and running high and feeling energized from the last 4-5 months of tough travel.

All of us!

Travel Tip:

Lodging on Koh Samet is best booked when you arrive. You will find better deals and, most importantly, get to look at the place before you pay for it. There are so many beaches on this small island, which is quite walkable or, if you prefer, you can rent a moped for speedy convenience. All the beaches are beautiful white sand and the water is all beautiful clear turquoise. The beaches are all quite developed as well so you can eat, play, and sleep all in one area. Prices are fairly competitive in restaurants and the range of lodging options should pose no problems regardless of your budget. Everyone knows how cheaply we like to travel and we found a place we were very comfortable (even living a bit luxuriously, to tell the truth!) during the highest of the high season—New Year’s!

Beautiful clear water

It’s not exactly fun but if you spend a few extra minutes checking several of the bungalows, you will likely find yourself a better deal. All the more money to spend on drinking beer/snorkeling/eating ice cream on the beach, right?! There are plenty of shops for snacks, drinks, sunscreen and the like, internet cafes (very expensive though, usually 2 baht/minute), beach bars, quiet places, social places—whatever you want, it’s here. There’s even a hospital in town in case you party a little to hard.