Hello everyone, welcome back to the travel couple's tour. In this hot weather, the sea is definitely a must. After going down to the Andaman coast quite a bit, this time we're turning to the Gulf of Thailand. Actually, this trip was planned from the first time we went south to the sea, but we ended up going to Trang-Krabi-Lipe first. It's finally here today. So let's start our budget-friendly trip. This trip was from March 19-22, 2016. We traveled with a total of 4 people in the same Vios with gas. It still works well on every trip. The budget for this trip was as planned, 6,000 baht per person, with a little extra. There is a summary of expenses at the end of the trip.

Daily tour program.

Day 1: Arrive in Koh Samui - The Giant Summit Restaurant - Stay at The Jungle Club, a budget-friendly accommodation with stunning views.
Day 2: Tour to Koh Tao and Nang Yuan - Beautiful views but the underwater world is not very pristine - Second night stay at Chaweng, a cheap accommodation near the beach and entertainment venues.
Day 3: Tour to Koh Wua Ta Lap, climb the viewpoint of Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, an unseen paradise with breathtaking views, and visit the inner sea. Stay at Ibis, Bo Phut at night. Start the night at Ark Bar on Chaweng Beach with great music and fire shows, followed by Green Mango.
Day 4: Before returning, visit Kala See Coffee, a beachfront cafe near the Nathon Pier. Depart.

We started our journey from Bangkok and picked up all the members around 2:30 AM. We drove south as usual, no problem with the familiar route. There is road construction during this period, from just past Pran Buri to Chumphon. We had to take turns driving all the way. We drove almost to Chumphon and started to feel tired. We checked the time and saw that we had time to catch the afternoon ferry, so we stopped at a gas station to take a 45-minute nap. Drowsiness is really dangerous. If you're not up for a long drive, don't push yourself. This trip, we didn't get much rest and weren't as fit as on other trips. We woke up around 8:00 AM, filled up the gas tank, and continued our journey. We stopped for lunch around 10:00 AM near Surat Thani. We stayed there for a while and then checked the time. It was already 11:30 AM, but we just realized that we had booked the 1:00 PM ferry and had to be there 45 minutes in advance. Oh no! It was more than 80 kilometers away. As soon as we realized this, we immediately stepped on the gas. In the end, we made it just in time, arriving at 12:10 PM. We queued up and I checked in with Sea Tran Ferry. I had booked both the outbound and return tickets in advance so that we wouldn't have to wait in line. It's better to book in advance so you don't waste time. The ferry fare was 445 baht for the car and driver, and 120 baht per passenger. We queued up to board the ferry around 12:40 PM and started boarding around 1:00 PM.

Cars with low ground clearance like mine may have some difficulty getting on and off the boat, so it's important to take it slow and tilt the car slightly. Passengers will need to board the boat themselves.

You can park your car and go up to the room, you don't have to stay in the car. The boat seats are both air-conditioned and outside, you can choose to sit as you like. The day I went, the car was full, but there weren't many people, there were plenty of seats left. As for me, I'll take a nap while the boat crosses to Koh Samui. Around 13.05 the boat left immediately. It's a good time.

I woke up at 2:20 pm and saw Koh Samui already. It took about 1.30 hours by boat to get there.

Our first destination on Koh Samui was The Giant Summit, a restaurant located on a hill with stunning views. We set off from the Nathon Pier, following the GPS for about 25 minutes, and were greeted by a magnificent panorama upon arrival.

It's a pity that the day was very foggy. In fact, the sea could be seen in the distance, but the fog made it difficult to see clearly. I couldn't take many pictures. I had to order some food and drinks when I arrived.

The restaurant's recommended menu is stir-fried noodles with fresh shrimp. I ordered it as recommended, along with a coconut shake. My friend also ordered a drink, and we had shrimp tempura.

The food was delicious, but not amazing. The meal cost me 540 baht, which is a bit pricey for my first meal here. 555 The restaurant claims to sell the view, with the food being a bonus. 555 And they're right! The staff was friendly and attentive, always smiling and cracking jokes. After I finished my meal, they came over to ask how I liked it. Great service!

After leaving the shop, we originally planned to visit Hin Ta and Hin Yai, but looking at the time, we decided to go to our accommodation first and visit another day. However, we never ended up going to Hin Ta and Hin Yai. 555 Tonight, we are staying at The Jungle Club, located on Chaweng Noi. It is located on a hill, with the entrance on the main road around the island. The entrance is about 2 kilometers up a steep alley. If you are not a confident driver, you can park at the bottom and they will provide a shuttle service for guests.

The rooms have various prices, but the starting price is 800 baht. There are 5 houses in total, which is just the right amount. There is no air conditioning, only fans, but it doesn't get hot at night because it's located on a mountain where the air is cool. The beds are comfortable, but some people might not like them because they have some holes in them, following the pattern of the wood.

The bathroom doesn't have a door, just a curtain. It's classic and looks natural, but it's clean and not dirty.

The surrounding atmosphere is very spacious.

Here is the translation:

The highlight of this place is the high-angle view overlooking the beautiful sea of Koh Samui. The infinity pool is amazing. Let's take a look at the pictures.

After playing in the water to your heart's content, it's time to head to dinner. This is the restaurant area. Anyone who isn't staying overnight can come up and enjoy a meal. The view is beautiful, but mostly foreigners come here because the food prices start at a hundred baht for everything. 555

After looking at the menu for a long time, we decided that we would have to eat instant noodles for this meal. 555 Because the prices were really too much, so we asked for hot water from the accommodation. The service was good that day. We were the only Thai group staying there. They saw that there were empty seats with beautiful views, so they let us sit there and brought us hot water in a mug. It was so good. 55 We watched the view of the city lights.

After finishing eating, we went into the room to have a few drinks. We had bought ice, soda, and liquor before coming up. Then we went to sleep.

This morning I woke up early to watch the sunrise. It was very peaceful here. Let's go see the morning light together.

This morning we have an appointment to go to the island at Koh Tao-Koh Nang Yuan. We bought a tour from Grandsea discovery for 1544 baht per person, including food, island entrance fees, and a speedboat. For this two-day tour, I booked through the page of Mr. Joe, the page name is Sawasdee Samui. He arranged the booking for both days, including booking the Sea Tran boat for me. He also recommended and answered all my questions about Samui. Anyone who wants to go can contact him.

The two-day tour includes transportation, but I chose to drive myself because I changed my accommodation all three nights. I came all the way here, so I had to see everything. Today's pier is at Mae Nam Beach, which is more than 10 kilometers from my accommodation. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. Check in, pay the full amount, and then receive a colored wristband according to your group.

Following Joe's advice, we checked in and had breakfast right away. The breakfast consisted of banana bread and water. I ate two slices of bread and two bananas, which was enough to fill me up for breakfast. You can also take some food on the boat to save money on another meal.

While waiting for the time to take pictures, I played around.

Around 9 am, the guide called us to board the boat. It was time to head out to sea! Yay! As soon as the boat left, the guide gave us an introduction and told us that we could have soft drinks and water throughout the trip. It took about an hour and a half to reach Koh Nang Yuan.

We've arrived, and there are already a lot of people here. We're waiting on the island for the guide to give us our entrance tickets. We have about 2 hours here, so we can either go up to the viewpoint or go snorkeling around the island. As for me, I'm definitely going up to the viewpoint to see the Talay Waek. Let's go!

Let's take a look at the atmosphere while walking to the viewpoint.

However, the sand here is not very fine, I think it's a bit rough, it hurts a bit when you lie down, haha.

The climb is not difficult, it's an easy walk and you won't even get tired. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the top.

The only challenging part is the climb to the top, which requires a bit of scrambling but isn't too scary. It's just a short climb, but it can get crowded, so be prepared to wait in line and move quickly. Once you reach the top, you'll be surrounded by people.

As beautiful as I've seen it, but in reality it's much more magnificent. You really have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. You won't be disappointed.

We didn't stay long because it was hot and crowded.

Before going to play in the water, I walked to the boat to drink water. Here, it is forbidden to bring water bottles or plastic into the island, so I had to drink on the boat. I was thirsty, so I walked back to the boat. This corner was just empty, so I asked for a couple of poses.

We'll be heading to the Japan Garden zone for some swimming. I hear the coral reefs there are beautiful.

I didn't see any coral while diving, I don't know if I have to go far or not, so I didn't go. I just tried throwing it like everyone else.

In summary, I threw a hundred times and only managed to use two of the shapes. It's really difficult, as once you throw it, it spins like a top.

Then we took a boat to Koh Tao for lunch. It's not far from Koh Nang Yuan, and we arrived in no time. The food was buffet-style with 4 dishes, and it tasted good. We ate until we were full, took a few photos, and then got ready to go diving around Koh Tao.

Let's go! Jump!

Let's go see the underwater pictures.

Personally, I think the coral here is not very complete. The underwater is not very beautiful, or maybe there are beautiful spots elsewhere, but the tour didn't take us there. There are no sea anemones and few fish. Compared to Ko Taloo in the Gulf of Thailand, it's still more beautiful. We must help to conserve nature.

Around 3 pm, it was time to go back. This was the peak of the tour because the wind was very strong. The speedboat was running at high speed and hitting the water. It was so bumpy that everyone on board screamed. To make things worse, I suddenly had to pee. I didn't feel like peeing when I was in the water, but when the boat was bumping, I couldn't hold it anymore. It took an hour to get to the bathroom under the boat, and that's when the disaster happened. Anyone who has seen Note Udom's story about diarrhea on a speedboat will understand. I'm not kidding. Luckily, I just had to pee. The bathroom was small and had a low ceiling. I couldn't stand up straight and had to bend over. Just as I was about to pee, the boat bounced up. When it bounced up, I had to tense up my body. When I tensed up, I couldn't pee. It was like this the whole time. I could only pee a little bit, then I had to tense up again. It was so painful. It was just pee, but it felt like my life was on the line. It took forever to finish peeing. It was a terrible experience. 555 Remember, before you get on a speedboat, make sure you take care of business.

We arrived at the shore around 4 pm and headed straight to our accommodation. Tonight, I'm staying at Take a rest, which costs 800 baht per night and is located right in Chaweng, close to the walking street. The accommodation doesn't have any views, but it's close to entertainment venues and has easy access to food. I have a friend who lives in Koh Samui, so I asked him to make the reservation for me.

I forgot to take a picture at first, so I took one at night. It's a bit messy, but the room is big and clean. The air conditioner is cool, but it takes a while to cool down. The room is big, so it's very cold at night.

After showering, it was time for dinner. Today, my friend will take me to Ranong Tor Ruang restaurant, which is located near Central. It's easy to find and, most importantly, it's affordable and delicious. The total bill came to around 1,100 baht, and we were all stuffed. We were originally planning to go out tonight, but my friend wasn't feeling well and had a headache, so he decided to rest. I dropped him off at his room, and we'll make plans for tomorrow.

Since we were already out, my friend took me to a bar near our accommodation, a place his friend knew, Lipsmacker Koh Samui. If you're passing by, you can chill there. But tonight, we ended up going to another bar, but not for long. My friend took me to Ask bar and then to Green Mango. But I'll show you the pictures of tonight tomorrow because tomorrow we'll be doing the same program again, but with a friend who wasn't feeling well but is now recovered and wants to join in the fun. So tonight, I'm going to bed to prepare for another tour tomorrow.

I woke up early and feeling energetic today because I was going on a tour of the Ang Thong Islands and Chumphon Sea. I had to wake up early because I had to catch the boat at the Na Thon Pier. As usual, I drove my car and parked it at the pier. There was no problem parking, and it was safe. I arrived at the pier around 8:20 am and paid for the boat trip. Today, I went with the Highsea Tour. It was a big boat, and it cost 890 baht per person, including breakfast, entrance fees to the islands, and as usual, Joe recommended that we eat breakfast on the boat. It was a croissant and a banana. It was filling, and I saved another meal. Haha. But really, it was noon in no time. No problem.

The boat has two floors. I arrived late and the top floor was full, so I came to the bottom floor, but there were few people and it was comfortable. I could lie down and sleep as much as I wanted. The boat took about 1.30 hours to reach Koh Wua Talap.

Before reaching the island, we need to transfer to a smaller boat to get to the pier of Koh Wua Talap.

We have arrived at Koh Wua Talap. To enjoy the view of the 42 islands of Ang Thong National Marine Park, you will need to climb up Koh Wua Talap. You will be given 1.30 hours to do so. If you don't want to climb, you can swim or climb to the 100, 200, or 350 meter points. However, the last 100 meters are very steep, so be careful. If you're ready, let's go! Don't forget to bring a bottle of water.

500 meters may seem easy, but it's 500 meters on a mountain, you know.

The first 100 steps are very chill, just regular concrete stairs. Then you'll be rewarded with this view. If you're still feeling up to it, keep going!

Walk a little further, sweat starts to come out but not tired yet. We're here, 200 meters. How are you guys doing? If you can, let's continue.

After that, we started climbing and roping. When we reached point 350, I didn't stop because I didn't have enough time, but I just sat down and rested.

Where are you going?

And then the peak came. The steepness of the cliff and its sharpness made both foreigners and Thais start to tremble.

But when I turned back to look, oh wow, it was so beautiful. I wanted to hurry to the top.

And we finally made it! It's so beautiful. Unseen Thailand indeed. It's truly magnificent. It was definitely worth the 45-minute climb.

We arrived and had to strike our signature pose, haha. We stayed at the top until we were exhausted, then descended. The descent took about 20 minutes.

As I descended, I was greeted by a multitude of gibbons.

This left one is definitely male.

Taking pictures while waiting for the boat to pick me up. That's our big boat over there.

After boarding the ship, it was almost 1 pm. Lunch was delicious chicken massaman curry and clear soup. There was also dessert. Then the ship sailed to see the Ang Thong Islands, heading towards the inner sea.

That high peak over there, the one we climbed earlier, is truly impressive. This trip has been amazing.

After a satisfying meal, we started to feel sleepy, but we had just arrived at Koh Mae Koh, another destination on our tour. The next activity was to explore the underwater world. So, we headed there. This time, it wasn't a difficult climb; we just had to walk up some stairs for about 10 minutes.

We're here! The water is a beautiful emerald green, similar to the Blue Lagoon in Krabi. But there are a lot of people here. Let's take some photos!

Here's another angle.

The colors are really vibrant.

We've arrived. Those who purchased the kayaking tour went off to paddle, while those of us who didn't, like myself, went for a swim and waited. There wasn't much to do, so I ended up digging holes in the ground to pass the time until it was time to leave.

As soon as I got on the boat, I passed out because I was exhausted. The boat moved slowly, and it took almost 5 pm to arrive. This time, it was a bit slow. Then, we will go to sleep at the Ibis Bo Phut Hotel.

Before we reached our accommodation, we had to inflate the whale shark we brought from Bangkok. It was hilarious!

As soon as I finished blowing it up, the problem immediately followed. It was so big that it couldn't fit in the car. But with our efforts, we did as shown in the picture. Luckily, it was only about a kilometer to the accommodation. 555

Upon arrival, I checked in. I booked through Agoda, including tax, at 1600 baht per room. I was a bit disappointed that during the recent TAT event, there was a promotion for 1300 baht with meals included, but I had booked a long time in advance.

After putting the stuff in the room, I rushed to play in the water. Then the whale shark returned to the water. I only played for a short time before it got dark.

The evening atmosphere that day was the day before the full moon. The moon was very big and beautiful.

It's beautiful with the lights at night. After playing in the water, we went to take a shower and get ready to find dinner.

After thinking about what to eat, we decided that the best option would be to get a pizza because it was buy one get one free. Since we were going out clubbing tonight, we figured this would be the most cost-effective option. We ended up spending around 400 baht and were completely satisfied.

Let's take a look at the room. It comes fully equipped with a balcony, refrigerator, wardrobe, TV, and Wi-Fi.

The bathroom is not big, but it is well-proportioned and not cluttered. The air conditioning is very cold, and the soundproofing is good.

After finishing the pizza, we continued drinking to kill time. That's because going out at night means going out late, and there are shops that let you party until morning. Rushing there would be a waste of money. Besides, if you want to save money, eat until you're full and a little drunk at your room before going out to enjoy the atmosphere. Because a small bottle of beer, Singha or Leo, costs 120 baht, which is ridiculously expensive. I went for 2 days and I drank 2 bottles per shop, just sipping to enjoy the atmosphere.

The first place you should visit is ASK Bar. It has a beachside atmosphere with loud music and fire shows. The atmosphere is similar to a full moon party. It's full of foreigners.

There is a fire show until midnight. They are very skilled.

The highlight was amazing! I don't know what it's called, but it looked like a giant bubble from my childhood. It was beautiful but only lasted for a few seconds. I missed it yesterday because I wasn't able to take a picture in time, but today I got a chance to capture it on film at the beach cinema.

Amazing!

After drinking a couple of bottles each around midnight, they changed bars.

Then we moved on to Green Mango. As you can see from the video, it's an alley lined with bars on both sides. It's located across the street from ASK bar. Green Mango gets crowded after 2am. It's a big place with good music, but we didn't stay long. We just wanted to soak up the atmosphere. If you're up for it, you can stay and party. Or, if you want to dance until dawn, there's another bar you can go to after Green Mango closes. It's in the same alley, so just follow the crowd. Then, head back to your accommodation and get some sleep. Tomorrow is the last day, so you can relax and sleep in.

We checked out around 10 am today. Our last destination was W Hotel, which has a beautiful view. We wanted to buy some tea, coffee, or food and take some pictures, as we had read in the reviews. However, it didn't turn out as we expected. When we arrived, we parked the car and someone came to greet us. They asked if we were there to eat at the restaurant and told us that we had to buy a minimum of 600 baht per person, which could be exchanged for drinks. We were surprised, as this was not what we had expected. If anyone has been there recently, please let me know what your experience was like. We ended up not going in and just got back in the car.

After a heartbreak from W, we decided to find a 7-11 sandwich to comfort ourselves for breakfast before heading to a coffee shop near the front pier of Thanon, which is the Kalasee shop.

The atmosphere by the sea is cool and comfortable, with few people. It's okay here. Then I ordered a drink to drink while waiting for the 13.00 boat.

The beautiful glass is free with wi-fi.

I saw the way of life of the villagers and the Chao Lay people.

It was time to board the boat and head home. Four days had passed so quickly. As soon as we got on the boat, we fell asleep. We arrived at Donsak Pier around 2:40 PM and immediately set off on our return journey. The final destination of this trip was the majestic Sri Surat Thani Bridge. We successfully completed the trip, achieving almost all of our goals. All members arrived home safely around midnight.

Here is a summary of the expenses.

I ran about 1800 kilometers. I have enough fuel and gas to run for another day.

Gas correction fee 280 200 200 300 450 300------------------------- = 1730/4

Oil 800 -------------------------------------------------------= 800/4

Roundtrip ferry fare 795*2 -----------------------------------= 1590/4

First night's accommodation fee The jungle club 800*2--------------------- = 1600/4

Accommodation cost for two nights: Take a rest 800*2-------------------------- = 1600/4

Accommodation cost for 3 nights at Ibis Bo Phut 1600*2 -------------------------- = 3200/4

Tour fee for Koh Tao-Nang Yuan 1544*4------------------------------ = 6176/4

The tour price for Ang Thong National Marine Park is 890*4--------------------------------- = 3560/4

The cost of breakfast on the first day at the gas station before crossing Samui--------------------------- = 220/4

The Giant Summit coffee shop bill ----------------------------- = 540/4

Dinner cost on the 2nd night at Ranong Tor Ruang Restaurant ---------------------------- = 1100/6 (with 2 friends from Samui joining us)

The cost of the pizza dinner on the 3rd night------------------------------------------ = 450/4

The cost of drinks and snacks from the first day to the third day ----------------------------------- = 850/4

The rest will be for water on the island, some miscellaneous expenses, some people eat snacks or buy extra food, and then the cost of beer that goes out to drink at night.

Night
This part is calculated separately, about 5-600 per person. In total, we spent a little over 6,000 baht per person, which is almost exactly what we budgeted for this trip. We went a little over budget, but it was worth it for the experience.

Another happy trip, even though it was tiring, but getting out and about is a happiness that cannot be realized unless you go out and find it for yourself. Everyone's preferences are different. If you like something, do it so you don't have to regret not doing it. See you again with the next trip of the traveling couple. Where will we go? Follow the story at "Leam Travels". Please like us. You can ask for more information about travel at any time.

Good morning for today.