In my opinion, the only decent solution to avoid the overcrowded areas and capture a slice of the old island serenity of Samui’s past would be to rent a villa (with your own pool) inland or in the quieter southern part of the island. Of course, the other alternative is to get pampered in one of the overpriced high end luxury resorts but chances are you will not get that local Thai experience.
We were hearing rumors while we were on Samui that the next installment of the popular HBO series, White Lotus, was going to be filmed at the luxe Four Seasons hotel. Barbie and I seem to travel in the same circle as the filming locations of the White Lotus. The previous two seasons of the White Lotus were filmed in both Maui (where we live when not traveling) and Sicily which we had just recently spent a month road tripping around the island.
Even though Koh Samui is no longer on our ‘favorite tropical island’ list, an alternative solution to recapture the old, unique relaxed Thai island experience is just a 30 minute ferry away from Samui, to the nearby island of Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is so much more laid back and still retains the gritty look and feel of the old Samui. The island is rough around the edges but that is the charm of Koh Phangan.
Our last visit to Koh Phangan in 1996 was at the tail end of our 1st year flashpacking throughout SE Asia. At that point, we were a bit tired from all our extended Asian travels, and in addition, we were both physically worn out from nasty flu like symptoms. Consequently, when we arrived onto Koh Phangan, we elected to just hunker down, rest and recover during our week long stay. We opted for a nice resort on Ao Thong Nai Pan, arguably one of the prettiest beaches on the island. This village and beach cove is on an isolated part of the island, far away from crowds of the west coast. Because we never left the village where our resort was located, we really did not properly got a sense of life on the island.
This time around, in order to get a true feel of the entire island, we elected to stay on Koh Phangan for one entire month. We rented a beautifully newly built open air villa with a swimming pool, located directly in the jungle interior of the island. Surrounded by coconut palm trees and alongside a family of roosters and all the other unique jungle sounds.
The one tip this seasoned traveler can offer, as an older adult no longer willing to live the less expensive, sweaty and gritty Thai island life experience as those in their 20’s/30’s, is to get the most comfortable accommodation possible. Splurging on one of the many newly built, sealed air conditioned villas makes the island comfort level way more acceptable.
We rented a car for the month which was an absolute necessity to properly navigate around the entire island. There is no chance Big Doug & Barbie are getting on a motorbike, which is currently the most popular mode of transport to explore the island. Back in my late 20’s and 30’s, I would not think twice about renting a motorbike and being a free spirit like all the other young travelers. Flash forward to me now approaching 60 years old having the knowledge of all the risks involved getting on a motorbike/scooter. We took a big pass and opted for four wheels on the ground.
With our rental car, we were able to properly explore every single village and beach on the island. During our first few days, I was not crazy about the Koh Phangan but as time passed and we got out to explore the complete island, away from the gritty and not so pretty main port town of Thong Sala, my appreciation for this super laid back island really grew on me.
Koh Phangan is known for its Full Moon party raves at Haad Rin beach, but this beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand has so much more to offer. The island attracts a young crowd and is becoming a popular place for digital nomad community with numerous co-working spaces around the island. Koh Phangan also caters the the spiritual/ yoga/granola crowd seeking a hippie lifestyle retreat. Cannabis shops are everywhere and that certainly adds to the relaxed vibe. In time, with continued development, I could see Koh Phangan eventually becoming a very popular alternative to Bali & Chiang Mai, the other top digital nomad island hotspots.
The Covid years clearly had set Koh Phangan back and prevented the rise of all the hipster places that had already sprung up on Bali. However, I did notice many of the islands once old/rundown wooden shacks are making way for more artsy, hip western restaurants and coffeshops. Many new places are sprouting up all around the island catering to western tastes. I am not vegan but we visited and really enjoyed the freshness and unique culinary twists at many of the popular vegan spots.
Top Restaurants/ Coffeeshops / Beach Cafes –
Nira’s Home Bakery
As previously mentioned, in my opinion Koh Samui’s old beauty has been ruined by over development and unfortunately, no longer has the same laid back vibe of years past.
However, Koh Phangan still retains a cool Thai island feel with a lush green jungle like atmosphere that Samui was once blessed with. So, reaching Koh Phangan is as easy as hopping on a 30 minute ferry from Samui.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 