Maureen1

Looking for suggestions for reasonable accomodation on Koh Samet the middle of August for a family of three. We will be travelling with our 17 year old.
Thanks

JamesA

Well you can get anything from $20 to 140, depends really how much you want to pay. I am not a Koh Samet expert, several years since I went there, you should be able to find a 2 connecting room accommodation instead of having to pay for 2 totally separte rooms.
I have to ask this (sorry), just wondering the choice of Samet? It is very quiet except at weekends when it gets very busy usually with youngsters down from Bangkok, not that much to do, Koh Chang has more to see and do. It's a fair choice weatherwise as long as you realise it is 'very' quiet, totally different from say Koh Samui where there is lots to do and plenty for your teenage son etc etc.
Several of my staff go to Samet for w/ends and I am glad to ask them where they suggest if you can give some idea of budget.
Orgy7 might have been there more recently than I.

Maureen1

Hi James,
Ko Samet was chosen primarily due to rainy season and I understand Ko Samet tends to be drier than others. If you have any other suggestions I would appreciate them. I also thought we might need some beach time as we will have just spent a week in Cambodia before heading off to Hong Kong.

KimJapan

Koh Samui would be nice, like James said. We've been twice in August and not had trouble with rain. It's an easy flight from Bangkok, and has accommodation to suit any style and budget. Kim

JamesA

Not knocking Koh Samet as it has a lot going for it, however, I am guessing your rough age group with a 17 year old and I think that unless you are really looking for 'quiet' then Koh Samui but be much more interesting e.g if you like going out for meals in the evening, doing some shopping, maybe taking some trips etc, I think Samui would have more activities.

If you are going to Angkor you will be flying on Bangkok Airways, and as they are the one and only carrier flying into Koh Samui you could probably get a good deal on their 'Discovery Pass', a lot cheaper than just buying separate tickets.

So to summarize: Samet is ok if you are aiming for 'quiet and solitude', Koh Samui if you are looking for more lively plus restaurants/shopping etc.

Weatherwise they will be similar, you might get a shower or 2 on Samui but it is certainly nothing like the weather 'down south' that time of year, in fact August is a 'Peak time' for Koh Samui because of the fine weather.
If you wanted however to keep the costs down and avoid the air fare to Koh Samui you could considor Koh Chang which you can get to by road/ferry or shorter flight/ferry or maybe even somewhere like the Pinnacle Club or Sunset Village which are just beyond Jomtien Beach which is about 1 hr 45 from BKK Airport by taxi(expressway), those places are about 30 minutes south of Pattaya, so you can get reasonable beach places/bungalows etc (3-star range) but close enough to get to Jomtien and Pattaya for dining out and shopping.

http://www.freewebs.com/koh_samui_hotels/

for Koh Samet ( with reviews)

http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/rayong/hotels/

Jomtien: http://www.jomtien-beach.travelreporter.com