Fun and Sun in Samet

Two weekends ago, I went with some friends to Koh Samet, an island destination about 3.5 hours outside of Bangkok. We took an early morning bus (6AM) and then a typical Thai ferry (think fumes, old wood and cracking paint, and a precarious boarding dock) to the island, where we finally arrived at around 10AM. All 7 of us piled into a Song-tau, a large truck with an open back for seating, to get to the beach where we planned to stay for the next four days.\

Boats at the dock by the ferry

We arrived at Ao Pudsa (Pudsa Beach) and, seeing that we didn't book accomodation ahead of time, set out to find rooms so that we weren't stuck to fend for ourselves in a tent on the beach (Kate was very concerned that this would happen). Thankfully, we found a few little bungalows to call our own for our time there; each bungalow was a bargain at only $20 per night. Kate and I got a the only blue bungalow in a complex of wood-only bungalows; we fondly called ours "little blue," since "big blue" wasn't the most fitting name. Our bungalow consisted of a bed that took up 90% of the space in the room, and then a bathroom which was both our shower and toilet. There was no drain, water just seeped out of a hold on the floor, and we used a water bucket to flush our toilet since there was no flush. As rustic as this may seem, it worked well for our time there and we really came to appreciate our little cabin. Needless to say, we were ready to leave once the time came.

Kate and Big/little Blue

The beach itself was lovely--gorgeous white sand, pretty greenery, not too touristy--everything you'd want for a weekend getaway. There was also a great nightlife--a Reggae Bob-Marley inspired Karaoke bar; a big, sweaty gay club that definitely played the YMCA more than once; and a few empty bars that we could just take over and dance in--and we also saw a fire-dancing show on our last night (2 men dancing with fire-lit poles). The beach also had a nice range of restaurants with very good food, including American breakfasts, which are rare in Thailand. However, I did get sick on our last night there from something I ate; it was the first time I got sick from food since moving to Asia.

The beach at sunset

The beach at night

Fire dancing show

The sun, however, was devastatingly strong. We got back about 8 days ago and my feeling JUST ended yesterday. However, I did get a nice tan after the burn went away; thankfully, my face wasn't burnt at all, just my stomach and a bit of my chest. And then there was my under-arm burn--I fell asleep with my arms above my head so my under-arms, which never see the light of day, turned a lovely pinkish red.

Chris, Kate and me--sunburned as hell (minus chris)

Overall, a great trip!