Koh Samui: Is This The Most Over Touristed Place In Thailand?   Recently updated!

From Ao Nang to Koh Samui: A Journey of Smooth Sailing and Unexpected Disappointment

We boarded our ferry back to Ao Nang, where we had booked a one-night stay before catching a bus to Koh Samui. Once again, the ferry was packed with travelers coming in from other islands, all eager to reach their next destination. The speedboat cut swiftly across the Andaman Sea, making the journey as efficient as possible despite the sheer number of passengers onboard.

The landing at Ao Nang was anything but conventional. Instead of arriving at a structured pier, we found ourselves disembarking directly onto the beach. The process was simple but required a bit of agility—one had to climb to the bow of the boat, carefully descend a steep ladder, and step directly onto the sand. From there, it was a matter of collecting one’s luggage and making the short but cumbersome trek across the beach to the road.

Once again, I was grateful for our choice of backpacks over suitcases. As I maneuvered easily across the sand with my 50L pack, I watched others struggling with enormous rolling suitcases that were utterly impractical for this kind of landing. I couldn’t help but wonder—what on earth did they have packed in those massive cases? For what I assumed was, for most of them, a short two-week holiday, it seemed excessive. Even with my relatively modest 13kg load, I often felt like I had packed too much.

Nevertheless, we made our way quickly through the crowd and hopped into a tuk-tuk, which whisked us off to our hotel for the night: The Blue Ba You. It was a charming little place, and the best part was that our room opened directly onto the pool—just one step from our door, and we could plunge into the water. The hotel also had a decent restaurant with friendly staff, which made our brief stay all the more enjoyable.

After a restful night and a delicious breakfast the next morning, we were promptly collected from the hotel by a minivan, marking the beginning of our journey to Koh Samui. This trip, which I had booked online, turned out to be a flawless example of Thai efficiency when it comes to transport logistics.

The process was seamless. We were picked up directly from the hotel and driven to the main bus terminal in Krabi, where we were handed a series of tickets and directed toward a large, comfortable bus. This bus took us on a three-hour journey to the ferry port at Surat Thani. Upon arrival, we disembarked, walked a short distance to the ferry terminal, and boarded the boat that would take us to Samui.

The ferry ride lasted about an hour and a half, during which I had time to reflect on just how smoothly this entire operation was running. The whole process—from hotel pickup to ferry arrival—had been flawlessly coordinated. It made me think about how, back in France, even the simplest journey from a train station to my home often turned into a logistical nightmare.

Upon arriving in Koh Samui, we were directed to another minivan, which drove us straight to our apartment. The efficiency of this system was remarkable—one ticket covered the entire journey, and everything worked like clockwork.

Our apartment in Koh Samui was lovely, set within a great complex that had a pool and all the amenities one could need. However, its location proved to be a bit of a challenge. It was somewhat out of the way, making transportation tricky. We attempted to book a Grab, but none of the drivers showed up. As a result, when we needed groceries, we resorted to walking the 3km round trip to the nearest supermarket. Most of our meals were cooked in the apartment, though we occasionally dined at a small eatery about half a kilometer away.

Unfortunately, my first impression of Koh Samui was far from positive. It was overcrowded, dominated by mass tourism, and exorbitantly overpriced—all the things we dislike about a destination. Despite its natural beauty, the atmosphere of Samui felt chaotic and commercialized. I quickly realized that this was not a place for us.

Given the circumstances, we mostly kept to ourselves. Our days consisted of working on our projects, preparing our own meals, and spending our afternoons swimming in the pool. It wasn’t the immersive travel experience we usually sought, but it served as a temporary base.

Three weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Before we knew it, we were packing our bags once more, this time for a ferry ride up the coast. Our next destination was Chumphon, a town about four hours away, where I had randomly booked a hotel on the beach.

As we prepared to leave Samui, I felt no sadness or nostalgia. Instead, I was relieved. Some destinations capture your heart and make you long to return; Koh Samui was not one of them. It had been an experience, certainly, but not one I would choose to repeat. I doubted I would ever find myself coming back.