Today, after around 5 days, we are leaving the island of Ko Samui, Thailand. A journey of more than 12 hours with ferries, taxi vans and buses is ahead of me. A trip that I was pretty much looking forward to.

Leaving Ko Samui

The alarm went off at 7:45 AM. The day before I had already packed my bag, since I was in the dorm room with 7 other people. While traveling and sleeping in a dorm room, there are often people that still need to pack there bags early in the morning. They just simply turn on the lamp of the room and make a lot of noise. This is something I just really wanted to avoid during my trip.

My hostel room

After waking up and giving my locker and dorm room key back to the hostel owners. I had planned to get breakfast at the hostel, but unfortunately the kithcen was not yet open. Instead I bought some food at the 7 Eleven close to the hostel. And yes, of course I got myself the famous 7 Eleven ham and cheese toastie! 🤤

Taxi to the ferry

At around 8.30 a van stopped and the journey started. First of all I had to take a taxi van to the ferry, where I had to wait an hour before the ferry left. It was pretty nice to just sit and wait for the ferry to leave. I love watching people and I just can't understand that some people panic when the boat leaves in an hour. After waiting an hour we could enter the boat where I found myself a great spot at the deck of the ship.

Waiting for the ferry to leave

Ferry to mainland

The trip on the ferry was very beautiful and restful. First of all, the water was not so beautiful yet, but at a given moment further out at sea, the water turned very clear blue. The main deck of the ship was very pleasent because of the strong wind. A very good en enjoyable start of the long journey.

Deck of the ferry

Bus to Ao Nang

Once at the destination of the ferry I thought that I was at the wrong spot. We all had a sticker on our shirt, but I was the only one who went to Ao nang and no one knew which bus I had to take. They were not really helpful, but eventually I found out which bus I had to take, so we could continue the journey. This time I had no luck, because the bus had no air conditioning. And this is definitely a must have when in Thailand, believe me! 😉

The travel company I traveled with was the worst one ever. They stopped at their own restaurant where we had to wait for the next bus. This was also the place where our group split off. They were not friendly at all and the food they served was expensive and looked liked it was microwaved.

After talking for about half an hour with some friendly people from ireland, I had to continue my travels. This time we were brought to the worst bus ever. I will call it the terror bus, because it had no airco again and a the back of the chair didn't work properly. This caused my chair to fall back all the time. This was certainly not pleasant, because the road was not the best, so my seat bumped into the guy behind me all the time.

Enjoying some chips in the bus

The travel company dropped us off at the Ao Nang bus station. Here we still had to take a local taxi which would take us to the hostel. We sat in the taxi van with about 8 foreigners. Of these there were two other Dutch people, who still had to catch a taxi boat to Railay beach. However, the last boat of the day was in half an hour, and the taxi driver was not really in a hurry. This made the Dutchman very angry, and he swore to the taxi driver in Thai. Something that really backfired him and the other passengers. Because of this, the journey took even longer, so I was later at my hostel, and he and other passengers were definitely not going to catch their boat.

Ao Nang

Once arrived at the hostel, I immediately went to the room for a refreshing shower. Such a long journey is not very pleasant, especially without air conditioning in the bus. When I look back on trips like this afterwards, it's always cool to have experienced it. You find yourself in situations where you would normally not end up in. Outside of your comfort zone, and this are often the situations that you learn a lot.

After the shower I headed downstears to enjoy some food at the hostel. I remember this was the first time eating western food whilest in Thailand. I ate a hamburger with fries, and it was really good. 🍔🍟

Waiting for the food at the hostel

After the food I was very exhausted, but not ready to go to bed. So I decided to walk towards the sea. Here I sat on the beach to enjoy the peace with a beer. At one point I saw that a fire show started at one of the restaurants. This is something that happens more often in Thailand, and it is quite an event. Do you want to see a part of the fire show? Be sure to watch my video below on Cinnamon!

Fire show

The entire trip from Ko Samui to Ao Nang took about 12 hours, while it was indicated that it would only take about 8 hours. However, I shouldn't be complaining either, since the entire trip only cost me 700 baht ($ 22).

Cinnamon Video

https://www.cinnamon.video/watch?v=377450392151131297

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The third day of driving my beautiful green and white scooter has arrived on the island of Ko Samui. Already my 10th day of my three week during backpacking trip through Thailand. This is also my last full day on the island, so there were still some sights planned. Read all about this days adventures in the blog below! 😀

Motorbike ride to Hin lad Waterfall

The first attraction of the day was the Hin lad Waterfall. A waterfall located in the west of the island and a 50 minute motorbike ride away from my hostel. The first 30 minutes of the ride were not very special. This for the reason that the first part of the journey was on the main road of the island, where many trucks and taxi vans drive pretty fast.

Taxi on my way to the waterfall

Once off the main road the ride became more beautiful. A drive through the mountain roads of the island, which were soon no longer made of concrete, was pretty sure one of the highlights of the day (see video below). On this road I stopped several times to enjoy the view. On the way there I already saw a restaurant with a viewpoint, where I had decided to stop after the visit to the waterfall.

During the many stops I also took (according to myself) one of my best photos of the holiday. A picture of a perfect and fun road through the mountain passes of the island of Ko Samui. With in the background the beautiful palm trees that give the island its wonderful atmosphere.

On my way to Hin Lad Waterfall

Hin lad Waterfall

Once arrived at the waterfall I had to walk 1 km through a dense forest. A pretty nice walk where you often had to hold on to ropes that were tied between the different trees. The waterfall itself was not very special. But all the different sounds and that there were no other tourists made it a great place to sit quietly and just relax a bit.

Hin Lad Waterfall

Raiyaitan Viewpoint Restaurant

If I were to summarize this place, I would say the following: Amazing view, great food. It was just the perfect location to enjoy fresh made delicious food while having an extraordinary view! This is what I life for! 🌄

Raiyaitan Viewpoint Restaurant

Nathon Town

After a long journey towards the waterfall and a great stop at the viewpoint, it was time for me to go back to the hostel. Of course not before I had visited the nearby village of Nathon Town. It's a little town that was the leading urban and economic centre of Ko Samui. This due to it's fishing and coconut industry. This is also the town from where my ferry arrived at Ko Samui. So I was hyped to drive through it, and really liked the vibe of the island's main town.

Nathon Town

Ko Samui is also the island where I saw my dream car. Does anyone know what brand it is? I never seen a car like this before, and I'm asking myself if it would even be legal to drive this thing in the Netherlands. Lolz, calm down, it's just a joke. Really like to spot cars that you wouldn't be able to see in my own country.

Dreamcar

Hope you liked reading day 10 of my backpacking in Thailand series, and thanks for stopping by an being part of my journeys! ✌

Cinnamon Video

I made a little video about my way from the waterfall to the viewpoint. This was by far the most difficult road I have ever driven a motorcycle on.

https://www.cinnamon.video/watch?v=372108151102637356

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A new day on Ko Samui full of new adventures was ahead. An attempt to complete loop around the island and its sights I haven't been able to finish on day 8.

Overlap Stone

Around 11 o'clock I finally got on my bike after a delicious breakfast at the hostel. The first destination of the day would be the Overlap Stone.
The Overlap Stone on Ko Samui is a balancing rock, situated on another big rock providing some amazing views of Ko Samui's east coast.

The journey to Overlap Stone should have taken me about half an hour. But just before I had to get off the main road to take the mountain road to the Overlap Stone, it started to rain. And not just the typical rainstorm we are used to in The Netherlands. It rained for almost an hour, and during the rainstorm an entirely new waterfall was created on the island. A waterfall which was located on the main road I just drove on. It looked liked that the Thai people didn't care much about the rain. This situated in a thai person who was launched completely from his scooter in one of the sharp bends that I had a view of. that made me extra careful during the rest of the day, as the road was still slippery from the heavy rainfall.

After the rain stopped, it was time to continue my adventure towards the Overlap Stone. The road which would lead me to this destination was just breathtaking. But the Overlap Stone on it's own was just on another level. A natural wonder that left me amazing and wondering how in the world this giant rock is situated and balancing on another big rock. Because of the weather I was the only person there enjoying the view, what made it even better. I remember I just stood there and asking myself so many question about how in the world this was possible.

If you would dare, you could walk over a bridge leading to the stone itself. The wheater condition and the quality of the bridge didn't really make it inviting to cross it. But all by all, the Overlap Stone is still one of the most exciting things I have visited during my backpacking trip!

The Overlap Stone

Namuang Waterfall

On the way to my next destination, I happened to pass the Guan Yu Statue. A 16 meter statue located at Lamai Beach. After eating at a restaurant, I continued my way to the Namuang Waterfall. And I can already tell you one thing, the road to the waterfall was more beautiful than the waterfall itself. Just a pity that I figured this out after I parked my scooter and walked for 45 minutes.

Namuang Waterfall

Why was the road to the waterfall better? I ran into elephants on the way to the waterfall. But, I still don't know if they were wild elephants, but that doesn't make these beautiful animals any less beautiful.

Elephants on my way to the waterfall

**Laem Sor Pagoda
**The last destination of the day was the Laem Sor Pagoda. Not the most beautiful one I've ever seen, but the cool thing about is that is was situated right at the end of a rocky beach. It's a nice and calm place to visit and enjoy the sounds of the sea. And the drive which lead you to this pagoda is also very interesting, with lots of palm trees a very cool road to drive on.

Laem Sor Pagoda

Cinnamon Video

https://www.cinnamon.video/watch?v=367975442830853367

For Coil subscribers there are 11 exclusive pictures!

Day 8 of my backpacking trip has arrived, one day in which I will explore the island of Ko Samui. On day 7 I had already rented a scooter, so I could start right away after finishing my breakfast.

At the hostel I found a map with all the things to explore on the island. My goal was to drive all the way around the island, taking in as many sights as possible. Little did I know that this was not in any way possible.

As you may know, I don't really plan my vacation very precisely. I just go out every day and see how far I get. This always has an advantage, because you never have to leave when you have to go to another destination.

Wat Plai Laem

I started the day by going to the nearest landmark, the Wat Plai Laem. A Buddhist temple compound on Samui's north-east coast, which features a striking white 18-armed statue. After some research I found out the statue is called the giant Guanyin. It's a showcase of Koh Samui's strong Chinese heritage. There was not much to see at this temple, but the statue made it all worth my time! 👏

The giant Guanyin at Wat Plai Laem

**Thongson Bay

**

Thongson Bay is a beach that is not so easy to get to. It is somewhat hidden and was definitely one of the nicest beaches I've visited while in Thailand. Thongson Bay is also called one of Ko Samui's little secret tips. The road which leads you to the beach is an experience on it's own. You will pass some more local areas on this very touristic island. The beach itself is very calm and peaceful, just the perfect place to take a dive and relax some.

**Thongson Bay **

**Choeng Mon Beach

**

The next stop was at Choeng Mon Beach, a beach which I found to be very crowded. My guess it is beacause of the resorts located close to the beach. The presence of jet skis told me enough. A beach entirely aimed at tourists and far too busy to relax and enjoy the view. By no means the place where I would like to spend my day. So after not even a five minute stop it was time to head my way to the next destination!

Choeng Mon Beach

On my way to the next destionation I couldn't find a gass station. So I decided to make a stop and buy a bottle of gasoline from one of the restaurants. It's just still so funny to me that they sell gasoline out of wine bottles. 😂

Filling up my beautiful green motorbike 🛵

Pagoda Khao Hua Jook

It was time to drive to a beautiful viewpoint called Pagoda Khao Hua Jook. A place with a beautiful 360-degree view of Ko Samui and the local airport. A very quiet area and during my visit there was no other tourist in sight. This place was definitely worth the drive! Looking back to the pictures I took during this day, I was quiet suprised I didn't make any pictures of the Pagoda. I guess the view was a little to stunning, that I totally forgot to make some pictures of the Pagoda.

View of the island and airport of Ko Samui

Hin Ta Hin Yai Rocks

For many tourist the Hin ta Hin Yai Rock formations are a highlight of their visit to Ko Samui. Known as Grandpa (Ta) and Grandma (Yai), the rocks look, respectively, like male and female genitalia. This was so funny to me, that I had to check out this funny but yet stunning place. The views from the rocks and the area around them are spectacular, stretching across the sea to nearby islands.

Hin Ta Hin Yai Rocks

Fisherman's Village Bophut

It was already getting late, and as it was quiet a long day of exploring I decided to head back to my hostel. The last stop for the day was at Fisherman's Village Bophut, as the name of the village does imagine, it's indeed an old fishermans village. A place with trendy restaurants and exspensive boutigue stores. As it was getting dark, it was time to go back to the hostel to eat some food. At night I headed back with a German guy I met at the hostel. I told him about the village and we decided to take the 5 minute ride from the hostel to the village. A good decission, as at night there is an even better atmosphere
. With markets rising up and great streetfood to try!

Fisherman's Village Bophut

After some exploring we decided to go back to the hostel. But halfway on the way back to the hostel my scooter suddenly stopped. I ran out of gasoline, and there wasn't a gasstation in the area. So the German guy drove away with a mission to get me a wine bottle full of gasoline. After a few minute he came back, we filled up the gas tank and drove back to the hostel. What a day this was!

Gasoline for the motorbike

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Last weeks blog ended with me on the night train, on my way to Surat Thani. The train arrived in Surat Thani around 6am, after which I had to get my ass over to the travel agency. And of course, I wasn't the only tourist heading to Ko Samui. All the tourist on the train got seperatet into two groups. One group with the final destination Ko Pha Ngan. And the other group, including me, with destination Ko Samui.

Night Train to Surat Thani

Bus and Ferry to Ko Samui

We were first divided over several buses, which took us to the ferry. This bus journey took about 1.5 hours. Once arrived at the ferry, we were put on the ferry. Around 11 o'clock we arrived at the ferry and we left around half past 12. The boat trip lasted about two hours, a nice opportunity to relax, often with some music or netflix series. On the boat you could buy a ticket for a shuttle service, which you could drop off at any destination on the island for 200 Baht ($6.50).

I remember very little about this trip, since I had been on the road for a long time. To me, traveling means constantly wanting to see what's going on outside. I don't want to miss anything, so traveling during the day is quite tiring, but definitely fun!

Waiting for the ferry to Ko Samui

P&T Hostel / Guesthouse

After about an hour in the shuttle service, I arrived at my hostel. I stayed at the P&T Hostel / Guesthouse, as this hostel had very good reviews on Booking.

The location didn't seem great at first, but the staff were friendlier than I have ever experienced. I was welcomed with a free bottle of water, and was led to my room by the owner. The room was not the most luxurious of them all, but what could you expect for the price of $ 5 for one night. Now I hear you ask, what do you get for that $ 5? For this you get: 1 bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room, a towel and WIFI.

Usually rooms like these have curtains, so you still have some privacy, but this was not the case here. The food at the hostel was great, this was the first thing I did after a refreshing shower. Pim (the owner) could cook like the best, which is why I often just ate at the hostel. And the prices for a plate of food and a drink were also very good.

P&T Hostel / Guesthouse

Walking Tour

My first intention was not to do much, as I had traveled a lot in the past two days. Still, I decided to explore the area for a while. I saw a pier opposite the hostel, and decided to walk there. Once on the pier, I saw the big buddha in the distance. I couldn't resist trying to go there, but I just didn't know this was a 45 minute walk.

The pier opposite to the hostel

On the way I made a stop at a stall selling coconuts. I couldn't resist, because for me this completes the picture of vacation, island and beaches. Coincidentally, this was next to another pier, where it was very quiet at the time. I knew that Ko Samui had an airport, and then a giant plane suddenly came flying low over the island. Very cool to see. After I finished the coconut I walked on to the big buddha.

Big Buddha

The big buddha is one of the most famous places on the island, and the entrance is free. Definitely a beautiful place, which you cannot miss when you are on the island. You had a beautiful view of the sea, and the Buddha itself of 12 meters high was also impressive.

Big Buddha, Ko Samui

The disadvantage was that I also had to walk back through the heat for 45 minutes. It was high season in Thailand, which means high humidity and easily 30 ° C (95 ° F).

Once I got back to the hostel I didn't do much more. It was time for some more food. And I made sure I'd rent a bike for tomorrow!

It was time to listen to some more music, and to go to bed on time. Tomorrow there was an even better day ahead, discovering the island of Ko Samui!

Street food stall I saw during the 45 minute walk

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