Almaty-Samui-Ko Tao-BKK
Thai baht (B) is almost equal to the Russian ruble, multiply by 5 will be approximately the price in tenge.
Travel time: almaty-samui via BKK took 6 hours + 1.5 hours. At the BKK airport, you need to go to the domestic flight quickly, since the airport is huge and there is little time left to eat after a huge queue of passport control. On Koh Samui we took the hotel Dara Samui. The location of the hotel + the beach with a breakwater are big pluses of the hotel. Located at the beginning of the shopping street in Chaweng, 2 steps to "life" and 2 steps to the beach. The hotel is very small but it is comfortable. Party life 24 hours a day, take a minimum of things, everything is sold: alcohol, food, clothes, hygiene, swimwear, shoes, cosmetics, you don’t need to bring anything. Buy everything new and cheap. Cafes and restaurants on every corner. The breakfast at the hotel is rather poor, but sufficient. The room has everything (kettle, fumigator, slippers, bathrobes, hygiene, hair dryer, TV with 1 Russian channel).
It is practically not necessary to take a taxi (200B), since everything is nearby on foot: exchange offices, shops, restaurants, massage parlors, a fruit market, down right, pharmacies, minimarkets. The pool is small, the beach is gradually deep, the bottom is sandy, there are practically no waves, you can take a canoe (cool), the sea is warm, no dogs have been seen, relatively clean, merchants are not intrusive. In the evening, tables are set up for a candlelit dinner. There is also a restaurant at the entrance to the hotel with a discount for hotel guests. There are mosquitoes - buy a remedy in the minimarket for mosquitoes and after bites (green 30V). Were from 25.12 to 2.01. Celebrated New Year at the hotel. The "White Party" started around 19.00, they presented a photo, a voucher for 1500V to their restaurant, white hats for men, white flowers for women, a show, fireworks, a buffet, all drinks were paid, lunch was paid when buying a tour about 250 dollars. per person , champagne cost 7000B. Everything is unreasonably expensive, but the New Year. They took wine, the buffet was not impressive.
In general, the hotel is convenient to stay with children, lovers of the sea, shopping, food. Shopping: of course, everything is cheaper in the BKK, but it’s really more difficult to find a trifle in a big city. I advise you to buy what you like on Koh Samui and immediately. Then you won't find time. Bargain, smile, be friendly, before lunch there are fewer buyers. Take Koh Samui magnets, leather items in special. shops, shirts from "gauze" are convenient, there are beautiful shales, cream No. 7 made in Thailand in pharmacies. Pharmacies are interesting in cosmetics and hygiene. Food: do not take barbecue beef, tough and with blood, pork is strange. Chicken and seafood are excellent. Try spicy tom yum soup, ask for rice, take spicy - why do you need an imitation. Take watermelon fresh, mango, orange. Restaurants at every turn for every taste and budget. The average price of a meal is 250-350V, drinks 80-120V.
From 2.01 to 5.01 we took a hotel on the island of Koh Tao Koh Tao Coral Grand Resort, a captain suite with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
A whole epic with a transfer there. At 11.00 we left Dara, leaving the suitcases for storage at the hotel for 3 days. The hotel provided the service free of charge. We boarded the ferry around 2:00 pm. At 16.30 we were on Koh Tao. The queues for the catamaran are alive, the places must be taken live. Nemchura impudent to impossibility. All in all, not for the faint of heart. Take only things for 3 days, luggage is very delayed and inconvenient. Try to get up first, take the best places, go boldly forward with the children. Although I do not recommend visiting the islands with children. We traveled with a 3-year-old - according to experience, I’ll say enough Samui with children. If strong waves - motion sickness. Back was calm, more tolerable. With a transfer and queues, it took 5.5 hours to get there, and 4 hours to get back. There is a catamaran quickly about 1.5-2 hours. Recommend for young people. no luggage, no kids. The audience on the catamaran is mostly foreign, impudent, tattooed, scary women, in stale T-shirts, in general, hippie youth. Meet the hotel with a sign.
Hotels on the island are mostly located in steps, on stilts, there is no beach as such, often a bridge into the sea. I chose Sayri and Coral Beach because of the sandy beach. There are many dogs. Strong low tide in the evening. Far from "life". Breakfast is a poor buffet + scrambled eggs on order. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant - they cook normally. The sea is warm, the bottom is sandy, the water in the shower is heated by the atmosphere (normal). Right on the beach boat: overview around the island 2000B. All 3 days we took a boat from the morning to Nang Yuan until 4 pm. Swim 10 min. It costs 200V from the bow, the boatman picks it up either on a call (we had a local SIM card) or by appointment. The pier there, of course, is not for children. There is a single hotel (it would be better if we took 3 days in it), a restaurant, a bar, toilets, sun loungers, umbrellas. The nature there is the most wonderful for the whole trip, while we were there it was raining on Koh Samui.
The sun is very bright, you can easily get burned, the purest water, in the evening the entire isthmus between 3 islands opens, fish, shells, super bathing, super view, super tan. The bar has delicious cheeseburgers, banana shakes. The restaurant has a full meal. I highly recommend taking a hotel there, or spending days there with an overnight stay on Koh Tao. The way back after checking with the hotel by pickup truck to the ferry station, the queue for tickets, the queue for the ferry, since the catamaran is free to find seats. In general, the difficulties of the way to a unique place justify themselves. On Koh Samui, after picking up the luggage, we went to the New Star Hotel. Located between Chaweng and Lamai. The hotel is chic, with a huge territory, with a large deep pool with a jacuzzi and a children's section, a rich breakfast, the restaurant cooks well. Swimming pool with panoramic sea views. The pool compensates for the almost impossible swimming in the sea due to the waves. The minus of the hotel is far from Chaweng location.
There is a shuttle to Chaweng every hour until 7 pm at 50B per person. or from the reception they call a taxi 250V. There is really nothing nearby. It is necessary to take cottages, although there are more palm rooms. The first are located by the sea and the pool, have a panoramic view of the sea. Palm rooms in the pampas of the hotel. Hotel for people with pretensions, very good for honeymooners. Not very suitable for families with children. There is a spa with good cosmetics. In general, a hotel for a leisurely, relaxing, luxurious holiday without active swimming in the sea and shopping.
8.01-12.01 were in BKK. I chose the Grand Diamond Hotel because of the location - everything is nearby, a taxi is practically not needed. To Baiyoke Sky walk directly through the shopping arcade for about 10 minutes, the observation deck is 250V without food, it starts moving exactly at 5.00 pm. Siam Paragon with an aquarium and a wax museum is also nearby.
Without a taxi: down from the hotel entrance after the Indonesian embassy to the left on a small street to a post with a stop from where a free electric car (like a golf cart) runs to the entrance of Siam Paragon. Walk 7 min. +3min. on an electric car. Tickets to the oceanarium are about 1000B, if you keep your BKK airlines boarding passes a 20% discount. Be sure to go, take a simple ticket without extra. proposals (4D cinema, boat - wiring). Take a walk around the aquarium, watch sharks feeding at 13 or 16 o'clock, shoot a video. Downstairs in the hotel took an excursion for 1000V Palace + Golden + Reclining Buddha at once. The wiring is complete. They are not allowed to photograph anything, so that people bring more money for "something hidden" there. They let only men in trousers, women in clothes with closed shoulders. I had a tippet, they didn’t let me in, I had to buy a T-shirt in the same place for 180V, with me they deployed an Asian in holey jeans. In general, if you do not go, you will not lose anything.
The Grand Diamond Hotel is located almost in the center of "life", close to shops, shopping streets, cafes. We took a suite on the 26th floor with a huge balcony, kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, total 120 sq. m. An excellent room for a city break. No pool. Service is normal. SPA on the 7th floor. Food massage ordered directly to the room. Food from the hotel restaurant was ordered in the evening in the room, not bad.
Bayok Sky seemed like a passage yard, somehow dirty. I advise you not to take Bayok to BKK.
Shopping: for women, everything is infantile, small, short, ruffled, childish. For children, take only cotton. There is nothing for large men, medium-sized cheap polo shirts from 100B are well-tailored. Lots of bags and jewelry. I bought a set of Bobby Brown brushes for 500V, a bag of stingray for 3000V. Souvenirs from 50V.
Check-in for the flight will begin in 3 hours, the time inside the airport flies by instantly, we were waiting on the plane for about an hour for the lost passengers.
Duties and food as usual. Bag Dior 3000 dollars. Nothing seemed cheap. Again, there is a long queue for passport control, with children, skip the queue, feel free to go - it’s supposed to skip the queue over 70 years old and with children. I hope my story will help people who are planning a holiday on Koh Samui. Briefly important:
1. In stores with worthy purchases over 2000B, take Form P. R. 10 and original tax invoices for tax-free refunds. The return window after check-in is next to passport control. The amount of purchases per person is not less than 5000V. The truth is hard.
2. excursions to Koh Samui sucked from the finger, try to take on the street in a special. kiosks as cheap as possible.
3. transfer agencies carry out exorbitant prices, if you are traveling without children, refuse, a taxi is cheaper and the island is small, no one will get lost. In BKK, take a shuttle to the hotel and to the airport.
4. Go on New Year's Eve if rain is not a problem for you. 31.
On the 12th it rained all day and all night with short breaks and the weather was overcast and rainy until 7.01. Basically very warm. The climate itself is very, very humid. Clothes dried for 3 days. Umbrellas are available in all hotels.
4. Do not carry anything with you, everything from a toothpick to a suitcase (2000V) is for sale. Shopping will clog luggage. Overweight on a domestic flight cost 1000B per 10kg. On Air Astana, in order not to pay $ 14 per kg, I had to buy backpacks for hand luggage. Pharmacies at every step. Plenty of kids clothes. Take an empty suitcase, or even buy a new one there cheaply.
5. If you have children under 10 years old, take a taxi to Koh Samui in Tesco Lotus. Children's clothes with fixed prices, in sizes, well-tailored from natural fabrics, from 80-270V on average, summer assortment, you can pick up well.
6. Do not take long-lasting procedures for 3-4 hours at the SPA. Very tiring. Aroma massage can cause skin irritation. I recommend a gentle scrub.
Everything is oily for the skin. The face is oily too. In a humid climate, pimples are provided. Better 30-45 min. procedures with the means of your choice. Chinese wellness. methods lose unambiguously.
7. Take a 4-5 star hotel in Chaweng if you like outdoor activities, and on other beaches if you like privacy and luxury service.
8. money and bills were not deceived, the bill includes 10% service charge and 7% government tax. I don’t recommend it to a Russian restaurant, it’s a parody, in the Andaman BBQ network, choose your dishes carefully or ask for a menu in Russian.
9. Many write negative reviews about dirt, dogs, food, etc. You are immediately afraid to go. Dirty, of course, but this is the specificity of Asian resorts. Carry wet wipes with you at all times. But after Chinese toilets, even very nothing. Just choose your food carefully, try not to go to public toilets, go to decent cafes and you will be fine.
if you are traveling with young children, do not take island trips, relax only on Koh Samui, it is better on Chaweng - the beach is more convenient for children and food is nearby, the room is nearby.
I wish a pleasant stay to everyone who is going on a trip!