A vacation staying in the hotels of Koh Samui in Thailand, a slow, relaxing rejuvenation. Where most of our days are spent relaxing in our rooms, by the beach, beside the pool, and eating, see how we chose to relax on the island, a simple yet special holiday.
*This post is not sponsored in any form; it was purely our own choice and plan.
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Dear Travellers,
Let us bring you along with us to Samui Island for a 5-day and 4-night stay with minimal effort. Feel the breeze of the ocean, relax in the hotel’s rooms, and wake up to a breakfast of your choice. Join us on a short read of our story on Koh Samui (Samui Island).
How Our trip to Koh Samui Begins (A Story)
A text came in a few months prior; it was a link to an advertisement. The link was to a luxury-looking boutique-style hotel room that looked great in the photo, with a view of the white sandy beach on a sunny day, a typical beach photo, I’d say.
“I wanna go there,” was the text following that link. “Shall we? For the upcoming holiday.”
“Maybe,” I texted a reply, still scrolling the link to read about this good deal and the price we have to pay for it. “If you look at the price, for a room like this… blah blah,” she continued as per her usual style of justifying a great deal that caught her eyes, without my mentioning anything about it yet. It was her usual tactic to persuade me into believing a deal is as good as she believes it to be.
Honestly, she was getting good at it, addressing all the points of concern I had before I even got the chance to mention them, like the price and whatnot. Like how I had gotten used to her strategy, she has also gotten accustomed to how my questioning usually plays off.
Normally, I would say that her success rate is around 40/60, 40 being a yes. This time, though, it actually looked good.
With that said, the price for a night is still a bit higher than our usual budget for hotels. Naturally, I start countering with that to see what move she pulls out next. “We can just stay in the hotel all day!” she said, a rather straightforward move. “That way we can make the most out of the price and also reduce other costs that come with going out,” she followed.
She has a point. When it comes to an island vacation for us, a good beach and a good swimming pool are probably all that we need, and a good hotel would make sense if we were to spend most of our time there.
As simple as that, our trip was settled, a 4-day slow vacation on Koh Samui. Getting there from Bangkok takes a plane ride, so we had decided on a little longer domestic trip to make it worth flying there. We also sneaked in a stay at a different hotel around the same price point to make things more interesting.
Our First Hotel on Samui Island
The sky was clear, the weather was hot and humid, and it was not too busy, a perfect day to be on an Island. Samui Airport felt more like an island resort lobby than an airport, with relaxed and open spaces, decorated in a tropical style; it was just how a vacation on an island should begin.
Conveniently, the hotel for our first two nights is not far from the airport, only a 12-minute drive away. We called a ride through the counter at the airport and were able to get to the hotel almost effortlessly. Ask for a car at the counter, and they will arrange one.
Marasca Samui
“Wooden and golden seem to be the accents of this place.” I thought to myself as we walked towards the check-in counter. It was an open-air setting that was decorated in a way that felt more luxurious, as promised by the website that said it was a ‘Luxury Escape.’
We sat down for some welcome drinks during check-in and were also introduced to a room hidden behind the wall at the lobby, which was full of games and small entertainment items we could borrow, quite an impressive selection, too, I would say.
We were a little early for our room to be available, and were escorted to an air-conditioned room on the upper floor of the front building to relax and wait. “Now, this is nice,” we remarked in unison as a sign of relief, as it was quite a hot day.
Before long, they came to get us and guided us to our room.
The door opened, and a full living area greeted us: a small counter area with a sink, a wooden dining table, and a couch with a TV. This was the place to relax.
“Hehe,” she let out in a smirky, breathy voice. My suspicion peaked as I looked down towards her sly, playful face she had put on. As to why, it was obvious at second glance: there were two doors connected to the living room.
She had booked a two-bedroom suite. “It was the only suite room type available,” her voice shaken as I was grabbing the top of her head with the palm of my hand and rocking it left and right.
The room, though, was nice, and considering the price, it was acceptable even for two people. Clean, modern, luxurious, and stylish, it was not too heavily decorated and felt relaxing.
How We Spent Our Days on the Island
For those two nights, we spent the majority of the time in our room and around the property, swimming in the pool, having breakfast by the sea, and strolling on the beach. The sun was mostly fully out during the day, so it was also very hot for a Thai; looking around, though, foreigners were sunbathing and relaxing outside like it was nothing.
We seek shelter at the resort’s In-Cream shop beside the beach. Nothing beats a handcrafted ice cream on a sunny day on an island.
We took a stroll on the street outside for a little bit, as the hotel was located on Chaweng Beach Rd, which also has places like Chaweng night market and Central Samui within walking distance.
Within the Hotel
Apart from that, we were in the hotel. When we woke up, we went down to have the made-to-order all-you-can-eat style breakfast at the Cabanas Beach Club area, had our fill, and came back to relax and digest in our room.
When we felt like having a nap, we used the spare room we have as the ‘dirty’ bed, so we didn’t have to change before getting into bed. When we felt like walking, we came down to the beach in our swimsuits and dipped our bodies in the warm sea water, kayaking, relaxing beside the pool, and going back up for a cold shower in the afternoon.
For dinner, we ordered directly by phoning the restaurant, which in turn handled the food delivery for us by having a motorcycle taxi deliver it to our hotel, and made use of the dining table in the room, a delicious and cost-efficient option instead of the hotel’s in-room dining. The process was simply repeated for the duration of our stay.
We do understand that it may be more challenging if you are not fluent in the Thai language. In that case, you can ask the hotel staff to help with the talk and arrange the delivery, or choose to walk out to the nearby local restaurants.
With that, our three-day stay flew by as fast as a strong sea wind.
Centara Reserve Samui
We packed and left for our second hotel, and our last two nights on the Island.
Knowing that Centara is a Thai hotel brand that we are used to, we did not have to worry much about the quality of the stay we could expect, especially after coming from such a magical experience at the last hotel/resort. The hotel is owned by Central Group, which also owns shopping malls in Thailand.
After checking in, enjoying a welcome drink, which was fantastic, we came up to our room. The door opened, revealing a more typical luxury hotel style of decorations, not at all in a bad way. A spotless room with a bathtub, a balcony opening to the view of the sea, which was something we missed out on from our room at Marasca.
There is also a minibar with cocktail-making tools and complimentary alcohol and juices for you to make your own. I can already imagine our night here would be no less enjoyable.
We went down to enjoy an afternoon tea, which was a part of the package we got for the room. We walked around afterwards. This hotel was wider and more open, with a garden area, multiple pools, and space for the eyes to relax and gaze further away into the horizon.
We went through the same routine, enjoying the buffet in the morning, coming back to relax, and went out kayaking and paddle boarding. To switch things around, we dined at one of the Hotel’s restaurants this time instead of ordering in; the food was good, but also came with a heftier price.
After dinner, we came back to test our cocktail skills, making ourselves some drinks for the night, enjoyed the bathtub, and went to bed. The day was simple, yet it felt very complete without us having to put in any effort to go out.
Baan Suan Lung Khai
With that said, there is one place we always stop by whenever we come to Samui Island, Baan Suan Lung Khai. “We should go now,” she announced as I was enjoying the sea breeze from the balcony. We had booked a reservation at our favorite restaurant, which also now featured in the Michelin guide.
A trip to southern Thailand without eating proper southern Thai dishes felt a little incomplete, which is why we headed out to a destination further away for the first time this trip. The reservation is one we had to get well in advance, and even the slight chance of missing it would mean me getting a non-stop verbal torment from her, and that was not a part of the plan this holiday.
We arrived in a timely manner. “Does this place change a bit?” I asked. “Hmm, I think so,” she replied. The layout of the restaurant had changed a bit from a few years ago. What exactly had changed, we can’t really pinpoint, but it definitely did become more ‘structured’ in its layout, compared to the more local vibe I felt the last time. The standard of food and service, however, remained largely the same.
At Baan Suan Lung Khai, you are choosing from a set of meals, which correlates to the number of guests, and certain dishes you will get. We went for a standard course.
The meal is a complete set of seafood, shrimp, crab, squid, fish, and shellfish prepared differently, from grilled, steamed, stir-fried, and soup/curry. All of the dishes are well-prepared and fresh.
As for the taste, we can simply say we enjoyed every dish, and it felt like a more refined dining experience that somehow still felt very much like eating out at a local spot.
The portion, well, is enough to have you unbutton your pants for a little more room to breathe. We had to ask for some to be boxed for take-home.
For around 1000 baht (~$33) per person, depending on what set you choose, it is very worth it. If you are travelling to Samui, we highly recommend stopping by for a meal.
How We Felt About the Trip to Samui
While spending 90% of the time in the Hotels you booked may sound boring or sound like you might be missing out on something, looking at it from a different angle, not every trip has to be one where you strive to visit every place you can within the time you have to feel like you have really been to that place.
Although it does mean that you will get to see more of a place, sometimes seeing less can give you more. Step back a little and let yourself relax, truly. Of course, this depends on your own preference, and there is no right or wrong.
Getting a day off from work just to frantically plan and travel around is not always fun. With more plans, there are more chances of failure or disappointment. Trying to catch public transport, traveling far just to see a specific viewpoint, or trying to reach a destination within a specific time window can be exhausting.
Sometimes, these things are worth it if you have the energy; other times, it is not. Thus, with fewer plans, you will be able to let your mind relax.
If you are interested in more Island travel and itineraries, visit our guide to Waiheke Island or our 8-day exploration itinerary of Okinawa.
If you are looking to spend time on the beach in Thailand, but do not want to specifically travel to an island, we recommend staying at a hotel like Centara Grand Mirage Pattaya.
We hope you will enjoy,
Travel Tegami
Review Summary: Marasca Samui & Centara Reserve Samui
Style of review: Island, Middle-Luxury
Do note that under this criterion, our evaluation will assume public transportation as the default form of transportation, depending on what the Island has to offer. The criteria will also be set for an island getaway, which will take into consideration factors like beach access, a spot for relaxation, facilities, etc.
Our scoring has also taken into account the price point: ~10,000 per night (Marasca: Home Heaven Suite) ~15,000 per night (Centara Reserve Samui: Luxury Ocean King)
Our recommendation for Marasca Samui: A Selective Choice
Our recommendation for Centara Reserve Samui: A Preferred Choice
Our preferred choice of accommodation on the Island, but it might not yet be a returning stay for the experience specifically!
*Hand-Picked → 1, Preferred Choice → 2, Selective Choice → 3, Subjective Choice → 4
The hotels that fall into these ratings are all satisfactory experiences; the categories capture how exceedingly it went over our satisfaction level, and are not a ranking that implies which hotel is good or bad. The rating is highly reliant on our preferences and personal experience.
Marasca Samui
Overall atmosphere:
Room type: Home Heaven Suite (two-bedroom)
- Very Clean 9/10
- Location 8/10
- Convenience of the stay 8/10
- Ambience 7/10
- Concept 7.5/10
Additional scoring:
- Cozy room design (less overwhelming style)+
- The property felt a little compact and restricted –
Marasca Samui offers a tailored style of stay with good use of space and design, and the theme of the place is felt across most touch points. The Hotel, however, is more suitable for adults and has a limited space, understandably, as it is in a more densely populated area. Do also note that certain traits, like DJ music at the beachfront area, may not be for everyone.
For more information, visit their website here!
Centara Reserve Samui
Overall atmosphere:
Room type: Luxury Ocean King
- Very Clean 9/10
- Location 7.5/10
- Convenience of the stay 9/10
- Ambience 8.5/10
- Concept 7.5/10
Additional scoring:
- Zoning (separate zone for adult pool) +
- More private and spacious +
Centara Reserve Samui offers a more private and quieter experience that feels more luxurious. The larger space allows the hotel to be divided into zones that are quieter and louder, as well as a larger beachfront area that is less crowded. Overall, it is inclusive and offers space for different kinds of travellers, including families.
For more information, visit their website here!
For more of our hotel recommendations in Thailand, visit Intercontinental Chiang Mai and Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai