Travelling Around Koh Samui

Hi all,

I was wondering how easy it was to travel around Koh Samui by car or bike.

I was looking at hoping over to Koh Phangan for the %26#39;full moon party%26#39; and if transport time is an issue then I%26#39;ll try stay near the ferry terminal but if its quick and easy then I might try and find something around Chaweng Beach.

Is it easy to hire a car?

Is it true you can drive around the Island in ~90 minutes?

Thanks in advance.

Travelling Around Koh Samui

No problem to travel by bike or car.

Chaweng is 15 mins by car (around 200-300 baht in a taxi)from the ferry terminal in Bangrak.

There is car hire everywhere but would recommend you use a reputable company and do not give your passport to anybody as security.

And yes you can drive round in around 90 minutes but there is lots to stop and see so it would be a shame :-)

Enjoy !

Travelling Around Koh Samui

It used to be 90 minutes, now it%26#39;s more like 2 -2.5 hours especially if you drive around 5-6 pm when everybody comes back from work. You can stay in traffic jam for ages...Anywhere from Maenam to end of Chaweng is very busy, and we often find ourself moving with a speed around 10 miles per hour...Rich island - too many cars...

Too many cars,not many paid for!!

Great!! thanks for your help guys.

Getting to and back from koh Phangnan for the Full Moon Party is not a problem. There are boats going back and forth trough the night, prices vary by the type of boat. You can buy round-trip tickets from Samui in many places, just look for the advertisement signs!

Driving can be tricky in Samui, the local driving habits are a bit wild. That said, the not-so-rare accidents are NOT caused by locals usually but by farangs who get carried away with the liberal traffic regulations. So, when driving there, be careful. :)

I wouldn%26#39;t recommed cycling in Samui. The island isn%26#39;t exactly flat and the heat and humidity makes even walking feel like a work out. Unless of course you%26#39;re in excellent shape! But, I wouldn%26#39;t do it and I work out hard 4-6 times a week...

You can also use the local transport, sawngthaew (or close to that, sorry for the spelling). It runs from Nathon to Chaweng/Lamai on the main ring road. It%26#39;s a very pleasant and efficient way of transport. Example price, from Nathon to Maenam 50THB (1 year ago). The price for locals is less, last year we managed to pay it a couple of times but the drivers were extremely pissed off by this - obviously they%26#39;ve made a deal that everyone charges tourists extra. So you can try and fight the price down. Some of them also like to charge you very much extra, do check the current prices beforehand.

They are charging people who arrive on the small boats an entrance fee to the beach of Bht.100.This is to help clean up afterwards.

Nathon to Chaweng now costs Bht.60.The fare to Maenam should be Bht.30.