Thailand Family Trip to Koh Samui

On your first day in Koh Samui, you might can’t wait to go sailing with your family. If the weather is fine, it is highly recommended that you first visit the Ang Thong National Marine Park, a collection of 42 limestone islands, large and small, located in the sea west of Koh Samui. There are towering limestone hills, karst caves, dense jungles, white sand beaches, clear seawaters and lagoons.
► How to Get There: First you need to take a taxi from your hotel to the Nathon Pier on the west coast of Koh Samui. It takes about half an hour by taxi from the Chaweng Beach and the airport area, costing THB 800 to 1,000. Taking a songthaew would be a little cheaper. There is a daily ferryboat departing at 8:30 from the Nathon Pier to the Ang Thong Marine Park. The ferry ticket is THB 550 per person and it takes about 2 hours to arrive.
► What to Do: Here you can relax lying on the tranquil white beaches, kayak along the coast to explore the natural caves, and snorkel to admire the coral reefs in the remote lagoons. You can also climb up to the mountaintop of the Ko Mae Island and enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding islands from the observation deck.
► Opening Hours: All day long
► Telephone Number: +66 81 538 2939
► Recommended Time for a Visit: one day
► Ticket Price: THB 300

► Note: The ferryboat from the Ang Thong Marine Park back to Koh Samui leaves at 15:00 in the afternoon. If you are traveling by yourselves, please do not miss the ferry. If you don’t want the hassle of planning your own transportation, you can also sign up for a local day tour, which is cheap and convenient. The travel agency will arrange the itinerary for you, including the round-trip ground transportation from your hotel, speedboat transfers, and a Thai-style buffet lunch on the island.

Recommended Activities for Nightlife in Koh Samui
1. Dinner: When you get back to the hotel, you can shower, rest for a while, and then head out for dinner. Koh Samui is a lively place at night. The Chaweng Night Market is one of the most popular night markets. Its short street is lined with restaurants and mobile food stalls. Samui Seafood and Mit Samui Restaurant are the more popular seafood restaurants in the area, with must-try dishes such as curry crab, lobster and pineapple rice.
2. Nightclub: There are plenty of bars in the area of Chaweng Beach and Walking Street, and the most popular is the ARKbar Beach Club, where you can enjoy a drink while watching featured shows. On Wednesday and Friday, there is a spectacular fire show at 21:00.
3. Every month on the day of the full moon, the famous Full Moon Party will be held on the Ko Pha Ngan. If you happen to go at that time, you can join the party if you like. You can book a boat ticket or package from your hotel front desk to take a speedboat from the pier to the Ko Pha Ngan. Tourists from all over the world would gather at the Haad Rin Beach, drink beer and cocktail on tap, and dance all night long to the loud rock music.

Morning Activities:

In addition to its coastal scenery, Koh Samui has plenty of wildlife to explore, especially the elephant, Thailand’s national treasure. The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary offers a great experience, allowing you to spend half a day with elephants in their natural habitat and create unique memories. The sanctuary has freed many elephants that were forced to perform or mistreated to live freely.

► How to Get There: Make an appointment on the official website in advance, or book a half-day tour with a travel agent or your hotel front desk. Choose the morning visit and you will be picked up by a driver between 8:00 and 8:30 for a half-hour drive to the sanctuary.
► What to Do: You can learn about the elephants’ life habits, prepare nutritious meals for them, and feed them bananas and watermelons. Also, you can accompany the elephants on jungle walks, take pictures with them, play and swim with them in the river, and help them do mud spa, which is their favorite. If you want to get in the water, put on your bathing suit ahead of time and relax without worrying about getting dirty. The sanctuary provides showers where you can wash up and change into the clean clothes you brought. In addition, there is a delicious Thai lunch buffet. You can get replenished, and then say goodbye to the cute elephants.
► Opening Hours: 8:00 – 17:00
► Telephone Number: +66 99 295 4551
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 hours

► Ticket Price: THB 3,000 for adults; THB 1,900 for children aged 4 to 10; free for infants aged 0 to 3.

Afternoon Activities:
After lunch, the driver will take you back to your hotel, arriving at about 12:30. You can take a break and get ready for the afternoon. A thrilling ride through the dense canopy of Koh Samui’s rainforests is something you’ll never forget. If you want a quick adrenaline rush, the Samui Zipline is the one. Although exciting, their equipment is perfect and safe, and the staff are very professional and will guide and encourage you very well.

Note: Available for adults and children aged 6 to 60. People weighing more than 120 kg (264 lb) are not allowed to participate. Wear comfortable shoes and light comfortable clothing. Flip-flops are not allowed.
► How to Get There: Book a Samui Zipline adventure online or at your hotel front desk in advance, choose an afternoon session, and there will be a driver picking you up from your hotel at around 13:00. It takes about 40 minutes to arrive at the venue.
► Opening Hours: 9:00 – 16:00
► Telephone Number: +66 83 278 5058
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: THB 2,250 for all platforms, including all the ziplines, abseiling, sky bridges, and spiral staircases; THB 1,600 for less items.

If you've already tried the zipline jumping in Pattaya or Phuket and are looking for a change, the ATV driving is a good choice. You can follow a guide on a quad motorbike for a fun off-road experience along the remote dirt trails. No matter which program you choose, usually the service providers will offer hotel pick-up and drop-off. In the evening, you will be transferred back to your hotel. After a short break, head out to the night market to continue tasting the Thai food.

It is recommended that you book an evening flight to Bangkok so that you’ll have another full day in Koh Samui. Today, you are advised to explore the Ko Tao and Nang Yuan Island.
► How to Get There: You can book the Koh Samui to Ko Tao ferry tickets in advance on Lomprayah’s official website. Or you can ask the hotel staff at the front desk to make a reservation for you. There is only one boat from the Nathon Pier departing at 12:15, so it is not recommended. You are suggested to buy a ticket for the boat departing from the Pralarn Pier, which has two sailings to Ko Tao a day, leaving at 8:00 and 13:30 respectively. You can book the boat leaving at 8:00 in the morning. After 1.5 hours at sea, the boat will arrive at the pier of Ko Tao at 9:30. It costs THB 700 for a single journey, including the pick-up service from your hotel on Koh Samui to the Pralarn Pier.
► What to See: The Ko Tao is located in the sea north of Koh Samui. It is also called the Turtle Island because it looks like a turtle from above. With its coral reefs and rich marine life, it provides an excellent environment for diving, making it one of Thailand’s most famous diving and snorkeling destinations. You can spend up to 2 hours here snorkeling, canoeing, parasailing, jet skiing, and trying the flyboard. After lunch, take a taxi boat for 10 to 15 minutes from the Sairee Beach to the Nang Yuan Island, which is best for beginner divers. Have fun there for about one hour, and then you can get back to the Ko Tao. A round-trip by taxi boat costs THB 600. The Nang Yuan Island is made up of three small islands. Its most distinctive feature is the Y-shaped beach, which connects the three islands together.
► Opening Hours: All day long
► Telephone Number: +66 81 970 9580
► Recommended Time for a Visit: one day
► Ticket Price: Free for Ko Tao; THB 100 for Nang Yuan Island.

If you are traveling by yourselves, make sure to return to the Ko Tao from the Nang Yuan Island by 14:30, as the boat from Ko Tao to Koh Samui leaves at 15:00. The sailing time is 2 hours, and you’ll arrive at about 17:00. A return ticket costs THB 700. You can also book a day trip package, saving you the trouble of arranging your itinerary and transportation. A local day tour usually costs THB 1,500 to 2,000.

Return to Bangkok by Flight:
The time to return to Koh Samui will be around 17:00. Gather your personal belongings and leave for the airport. Pralarn Pier, where you would get off the boat, is close to the Maenam Beach. The price of taking a minibus to the airport from here is THB 200, while the price of taking a taxi is about THB 700. It will take half an hour to arrive. Please confirm your plan and book a flight at a suitable time in advance. There are more than a dozen daily flights from Koh Samui to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, with four flights available after 18:00 and the latest departing at 20:20. The flight time is 75 to 90 minutes.

► If you book a late flight, you may have time to walk around the Samui Airport. This airport, though small, is a world famous gardenlike airport open to the air. With various flowers and plants, it is like a rainforest park or a fancy resort. Complimentary refreshments will be served while waiting for the flight.