Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand around 700km from Bangkok. The closet major city to Koh Samui is Surat Thani. Although Koh Samui now has an international airport, it is very expensive to fly to the island so the majority of visitors take a bus/boat combo from either Donsak or Chumpon.
How to Get to Koh Samui
The cheapest way to get to Koh Samui is by a combination of bus and ferry. We took the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Surat Thani. Our train tickets included a combo ticket for the bus from Surat Thani to Donsak Pier, and then the boat from the Pier to Nathon in Koh Samui.
There are several different companies that do the journey. We took the Lomprayah fast ferry across to the island and it took 45 minutes to get to Koh Samui from Donsak Pier. However on our return we took the Seatran Ferry from Nathon to Donsak and much preferred this.
The Seatran is a big ferry that also transports vehicles. It has a large air-conditioned seating area and several outdoor areas. We loved sitting outside and got the best views of the neighboring islands. The prices of the Seatran Ferry are about 1/3 of the cost of other Ferry services and most locals take this mode of transport to and from the island. There is also a small store. We were pleasantly surprised with the prices of the store as they were the same as 7/11 type stores.
If you have the money however flying to the island is the easiest way to get to Koh Samui.
Even though we were travelling up to 18 hours from Bangkok to Koh Samui the children were fine. They all enjoyed the sleeper train and woke refreshed for the rest of the journey the next day. The ferry ride is picturesque and there were no complaints as there are many things to see out the window.
Where to Stay on Koh Samui?
There are many options for staying on the island and it all depends on what kind of holiday you are looking for. If travelling with kids it is recommended to go to quieter parts of the island to stay.
We stayed in Lamai, and though it can get busy and noisy in Lamai we found it was fine for what we needed. It was a quick walk to the beach, and there were many restaurants and transport options around. It was also close a Tesco Lotus, so we could stock up on groceries.
What we most enjoyed about Lamai however was the Sunday night market. We had a private apartment on the same street as the Sunday market and enjoyed buying the street food and people watching out the window.
Chaweng is a big noisy place and even though the beach is lovely you can do better with a family.
Mae Nam is lovely and there are several accommodation options available including beachfront bungalows. As Koh Samui is only 25km wide by 20 km long it is not a big deal getting around the island so you can visit many attractions on the island in one day.
We also loved the look of Lipa Noi. It is not close to many facilities though so if you are planning on staying make sure you have a car.
What To Do on Koh Samui with Kids
Apart from the amazing beaches in Koh Samui there are several things to do with kids on the island. There is a waterpark called Coco Splash, which is fun to visit if you have a spare day although my lot enjoyed the beaches more as we have been to several waterparks while travelling and this did not compare.
There is a Tiger Kingdom located south of the island as well as Elephant Trekking, a Snake farm and Butterfly farm.
There are also some beautiful waterfalls on the island however they are best visited just after the rainy season to ensure you actually have something to look at.
My kids enjoyed simple activities like finding new beaches everyday, having picnics in the natural beauty, training at Muay Thai Kickboxing camp and visiting Tesco Lotus. (The boys asked to go everyday.)
Inside Tesco Lotus they have little arcades that have a small indoor playground. The playground has a height restriction of 120cm and the prices are very reasonable. We paid $1.50 USD for 1 hour of play. The arcade also has video games that are .30 cents a game.
They also enjoyed just driving around the island on the back of the jeep. One day we drove up to the highest peak of the island and took some aerial shots of the island.
There are many different food choices and when the kids were sick of rice we were happy that there are few familiar and easy foods like KFC. There is also an array of different restaurants including Mexican, Japanese, Italian and Indian.
The prices of food are also very reasonable and we enjoyed many fresh fruit shakes for only $1. The night markets also have an array of different street foods. We enjoyed rice cupcakes and chicken on sticks and also waffles for only $1 each.
Overall Koh Samui is an excellent place to visit with kids. Our children enjoyed island living immensely and J thinks he could live there.