What to do in Ko Samui?

DH and I will be in Ko Samui on the Ocean Princess on April 15 from 9AM-4PM. I can't find a port review on cruisecritic.

What would you all suggest we do with our time in port?

Try Trip Advisor...lots of info there. Also you could try on your roll call.

Barbara

I highly recommend the cooking classes at SITCA: http://www.sitca.net/booking_thai_cooking_classes.htm

There is a class from 11-2, which should allow you to travel and do a little sightseeing.

I also very much enjoyed a beachside massage (but again, I stayed in Chaweng, not Nathon).

There are great snorkel trips, but I'm not sure you'll have the time.

Enjoy your cruise!

Will

We'd most like to go to Angthong Marine National Park or Chaweng Beach, but I haven't been able to find transportation (other than a Princess tour to the beach) that could get us there and back within our port times (9AM-4PM tendering). Does anyone know how to get around Ko Samui on your own?

There is a tour company, Tours Koh Samui TKS tours you could check out.

We are using them for a day tour earlier in April.

Sherry

There are taxis which will take you around, especially if you know where you want to go. Be prepared to haggle.

There is a tour company, Tours Koh Samui TKS tours you could check out.

We are using them for a day tour earlier in April.

Sherry

Do you know where they pick up? Their website says "the TK Tour pier at Thong Krut." But when I search for Thong Krut, google maps shows me a place on the mainland.

Further research on the Tour Koh Samui website led me to their Tours for Cruise Ship Visitors that pick up right at our dock. After checking their rating on tripadvisor (excellent), we booked the "Semi-private Island Hopping and Snorkeling tour to Koh Taen for cruise ship visitors". Thank you so much for your recommendation, Sherry :D

Further research on the Tour Koh Samui website led me to their Tours for Cruise Ship Visitors that pick up right at our dock. After checking their rating on tripadvisor (excellent), we booked the "Semi-private Island Hopping and Snorkeling tour to Koh Taen for cruise ship visitors". Thank you so much for your recommendation, Sherry :D

Hi Sherry,

Wondering how your day tour wnet with Tours Kpohn Samui???

we are thinking of doing the sam tour with them in Jan 2015.

Hope to hear back from you. Karen

Further research on the Tour Koh Samui website led me to their Tours for Cruise Ship Visitors that pick up right at our dock. After checking their rating on tripadvisor (excellent), we booked the "Semi-private Island Hopping and Snorkeling tour to Koh Taen for cruise ship visitors". Thank you so much for your recommendation, Sherry :D

Sorry my typing is really bad, hope you understood. Karen

We have a very short stop here from 8 am till 1 not a lot of time what beach is there not far from where they tender as I do not think there will be time for snorkel tour.

How far is it from the ship to chaeweng beach?

We had a very good tour with Tours Koh Samui. We did have all day and it went well. I would suggest that you ask to do the elephant ride first as there was a wait when we got there, if you plan to ride the elephants! They did have a nice place for elephant rides and the elephants were treated very nicely! Lots to see there and a very pretty little island! Great lunch along the ocean and seeing the monekys was fun! Scenery is gorgeous. We did not go to the beach as we did not want to.

They did a good day trip...I am sure that they could also do something for the half day people..like the waterfall, monkeys and some pretty sights! The ship was right at a little town.Maybe even a stop for a coke and/or beer at the little restaurant on the water!

Enjoy..Sherry

Our stop is so short all we would have time for is one thing so I think we will just beach it. Do not want to go to the packed beach so maybe we can just get a cab to a nearby one. If anyone knows one please fill me in.

How far is it from the ship to chaeweng beach?

It's actually quite a distance. I think it was around 40 minutes from memory. We were there in April this year and took a ship's 'tour' - Chaweng Beach on your own, so in other words it was a minibus there, drop off and then a pick up later. I think the ship was sailing at 2pm so it wasn't a long stop but it was long enough for a swim and a bite to eat at a nice cafe right on the beach front.

We didn't find the beach crowded, in fact it was surprisingly quiet although there is lots of traffic on the road to Chaweng.

Ko Samui is a tender port and as we had such a short stay we thought it best to take the ship's 'tour' to ensure we got picked up in time to get back to the ship.

Sounds like our timing so I thought there might be a beach close by that we can cab to?

We've been there twice but we have travelled away from the port area both times so I'm not really sure but I think there is a beach a shortish distance away. I don't know what it would be like as we just passed through and i really didn't get a good look at it. Hopefully someone else can help.

I hope you enjoy your stay In Ko Samui :)

Maybe someone else has been to a beach near the port?

It's actually quite a distance. I think it was around 40 minutes from memory. We were there in April this year and took a ship's 'tour' - Chaweng Beach on your own, so in other words it was a minibus there, drop off and then a pick up later. I think the ship was sailing at 2pm so it wasn't a long stop but it was long enough for a swim and a bite to eat at a nice cafe right on the beach front.

 

We didn't find the beach crowded, in fact it was surprisingly quiet although there is lots of traffic on the road to Chaweng.

Ko Samui is a tender port and as we had such a short stay we thought it best to take the ship's 'tour' to ensure we got picked up in time to get back to the ship.

Thanks - we have decide to book the ship tour

As you would not doubt realise, the ship berths on the western side of the island at a place called Nathon. From there I would opt for a day swimming, eating out, shopping on the eastern side of the island at Chaweng Beach.

Its very rare to get a large ship berthing near a pristine beach.

DW & I are doing a Sapphire Princess cruise in February 2015, and it stops at Koh Samui, and we are going to go across to Chaweng Beach (we are beach people)

We are on the Quest and they stop from 8 till 2 not very long. We thought we could take a cab to one of the quieter beaches in the north. I thought this would be closer to the tender.

Checked out a boat tour but it is a private boat and the cost scared me since we are there such a short time. Any help of snorkelling or beach spots other than where the cruise line takes you (Chewang).