Koh Samui, Thailand- 3rd times a charm!

We took the kids to Koh Samui, Thailand over New Years for a week. We knew we wanted to go somewhere warm, especially since it’s been so dang cold here in Beijing, so when we started looking, we knew there was only one possible place that fit the bill. Where our hearts are partially stuck forever: the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. We first went to Koh Samui back in 2012, prior to kids, and with my in laws in tow when they came to visit us in KL. We instantly fell in love with the vibe of the island. Not super commercialized like Phuket, but still large enough for many activities & restaurants. We went a 2nd time in early 2014, and this time brought along our 6 month old daughter Ava, so fun. Now here we are back in Asia and for our first “warm weather holiday”, and after asking the kids for their input with some parameters, we decided on Koh Samui once again. Kind of full circle moment to go back to the island that stole our hearts for Thailand as a family of 4. Needless to say, it was a huge success all around!

It’s interesting to me that throughout Asia, most hotel rooms only allow 2 adults and 1 child, so as a family of 4, it’s basically impossible to all fit into 1 hotel room, not to mention that the days of us each sharing a double bed with a kid is long past as they grow! So our choices are to get 2 rooms and hope for adjoining, which is not always guaranteed or get a family style suite, which is always nice if the price is right! Our big hurdle was because we waited until the last minute we had slim pickings with flights and hotels. We decided to narrow down the search and stay in the northeast part of the island, which we did stay in once before with Ava. It’s more quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of Chaweng beach (where much of the crazy action is). We landed on the Melati Resort, located on Thongson Bay, a short 12 minute car ride from both Chaweng Beach & Fishermans Village in Bophut. We just loved the laid back chill vibe. Secluded beaches, clear water, quiet nights. The Melati resort gave us all of that and then some! Although it was almost sold out, they did have a garden pool villa, with an adjoining room for the kids so we all got some space, comfy beds, and bonus of a plunge style pool right outside our door. Gotta love the tropics! Food was great, but the star of the show was their main infinity pool just off the beach, and the beach itself, located in a bay with calmer & clear waters, with plenty of water activities offered like jetskiiing and kayaking. They even threw a massive New Years Eve party which was a fun way to get to know other guests and enjoy signing in 2024!

Gone are the days of sitting in a beach chair and reading a book with kids on vacation! So we stayed plenty busy and with the timing of Christmas, we asked the grandparents to gift us excursions in Thailand instead of gifts. A win win for everyone! We love being on the water, so a boat ride was definitely in order. Our first excursion was on a private speed boat that took us to 3 different smaller islands off the coast of Koh Samui to swim, snorkle, and visit with the pigs. Yep, you heard that right. PIGS. On a beach. The tour company we selected, Samui VIP Speed Boat, was great. Having the boat for just us 4 was amazing, and they played great music, brought some water toys for us to play with, some yummy snacks for us, and the final stop where the Pigs roam was quite the adventure. I would recommend them. Make sure you eat good breakfast though, because a simple fruit tray, cheese, crackers, chips and drinks only are offered. In total, we made 3 stops- 1st was a  little cove to play in the water and swim, 2nd stop was snorkeling, and the 3rd stop was to Pig Island. Quite the adventure!

Another fun excursion gifted to us by grandparents was a half day tour at a nearby Elephant Sanctuary. This was seriously AMAZING. We chose Samui Elephant Sanctuary and it was more than we could have imagined! I am embarrassed to admit that back in 2012, when we visited Phuket, Thailand, David and I did in fact go to a tour company that led us to ride elephants. Now I realize that was not ok, and that is exactly what places like Samui Elephant Sanctuary are saving elephants from. Being ridden on, being an attraction, forced to work, and work well past their prime and under duress. Separating moms and babies. Ugh, you live, you learn, and you helpfully grow. That’s what happened with us! We were able to witness in a beautiful sacturyar in the hills of Thailand these wonderful people care for these magical elephants that they have saved. Currently they have 5 I believe it was- 4 female adults and 1 baby boy, who has attached to one of the females. We made them food and were able to feed them. What a gift! Then while they roamed the land, we just got to walk around an observe, take photos, and learn about why they are saving these creatures and how they care for them. Then it was time to give them a bath and that was just hilarious watching the baby boy play in the water. Finally we ended with a delicious vegetarian lunch. We HIGHLY recommend this experience!!

Beyond these 2 fun filled days, we enjoyed family time at the resort beach and ventured into Chaweng Beach a of couple times. The waves are a little bigger, which the kids enjoyed body surfing, it’s filled with more laid back beach huts, hotel/motels, beach clubs, and people watching! During an afternoon rainstorm, we ventured from Chaweng beach into a close by mall, enjoyed some rolled ice cream (omg you HAVE to try!), and happened upon a delicious restaurant called The Kitchen. YUMMY. Tons of beach shops to explore and the kids enjoyed finding some “fake” goodies.

We also explored another area of the island we had not visited before, called Fishermans Village, in the Bohput area of Koh Samui. This was the exact opposite direction of Chaweng Beach from Melati Resort. We ventured here a couple of nights- lots of fun shops to explore, and we happened upon an amazing newly opened restaurant called CHARM. The chef who owns it is from London, was even a finalist on Great Britain’s Top Chef!! She had a declines menu that was a fusion of her take on Thai food blended with euro cuisine. The drinks and food was out of this world. 2 thumbs up from both kids and both of us adults. Definitely a must do- support her new place!! Another place we dined at, I cannot recall the name, but there were lots of places like this. Feet in sand, wind blowing, waves crashing, eating delicious Thai food. Done and done!

David and Mac also snuck away one evening to see a Mui Thai Boxing match while Ava and I got foot massages and pedicures. We loved our girls night while the boys really enjoyed the boxing event! 

Our final activity was to take the kids to Samui Football Golf, a quick 5 minutes away from the resort. If you’ve never tried football golf, you must do it!! Think frisbee golf but with a soccer ball. An absolute blast and perfect family activity- a must do!

We can’t say enough how much we love Thailand and in particular Koh Samui. The thai people are in general, so very warm, compassionate, generous, loving, gracious, kind, and wow beautiful! They, and their land, have a way of just instantly relaxing you, making everything seem that much more beautiful through the imaginary rose colored glasses on your face. If you’d like to read about our 1st and 2nd trips to Thailand back in 2012 and 2014, you can do so here, and here.

Until next time, happy travels and thanks for reading!

Cheers~ xo

Kimbra