Destination Guide
Rayong
The Beaches on Koh Samet
The Beaches on Koh Samet
By Richard Barrow
I recently spent some time exploring the beaches along the coastline of Rayong. This area is only two-three hours from Bangkok and counts as some of the most beautiful and exotic locations in Thailand. I spent the first two days on the mainland and you will find that the beautiful beaches there are often deserted during the week. However, if you want the white sand and crystal clear water then you need to take a boat to nearby Koh Samet. The island is only 40 minutes away and is a popular tourist destination for both Thais and foreigners.
We caught a ferry from Ban Phe on the mainland to the main pier on the island at Na Darn Pier. The pier is at the top of the northeast corner. Most of the beaches are then situated down the east coast. From the pier you can either catch a songtaew for about 10 baht to the nearest beach or walk. The walking option will take you only 10 minutes and is worth it to stretch your legs and to see what some of the facilities are on offer.
The first beach we reached was Hat Sai Kaew. It is about 800 metres long and is the most popular. The top of the beach has white powdery sand that was so bright that you had to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. It was already hot by the time we arrived so that the only people in the water were foreigners and other sunbathers.
Hat Sai Kaew has the advantage of everything you would need and better prices for food and water. However, it suffers from over-population. To get some more peace and quiet you only have to walk 10 minutes or so to neighbouring beaches such as Ao Hin Kok and Ao Phai. The border between these beaches is an outcrop of rocks. We clambered over the first group of rocks and that was when we spotted a group of topless ladies walking up the beach after a swim in the sea. There are a few bungalows here which are closer to the beach. On our beach, the hotel rooms are behind the restaurants.
A short walk up this beach and we soon found us at Ao Phai. This is as good as Hat Sai Kaew but doesn’t have so many people only a couple of boats in the water. If you don’t want to use jet skis and don’t need a wide choice of restaurants then I would suggest that you should choose one of these quiter beaches
By the time we had walked back, we had a quick lunch and then planned what we would do for the next two days. Our options included boat rides, trips into the interior and of course swimming. I will tell you about activities you can do on the island in the final part of this series.
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