Joe Louis is woken by a rooster
Waking up early with a hangover is never fun, but at least it serves as a reminder of good times from the past night. Although Koh Phangnan and Koh Tao are much better known for nightlife, Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui provides ample opportunity for mingling and drinking. The beach has many hotels and bars alongside it including comfortable outdoor seating on the beach looking out on the ocean. Restaurants start setting up for beachside dinner around 5:30PM and the menus usually lean towards seafood and Thai food.
After dinner, it’s a good idea to take a walk on the beach to help the food digest. Merchants still work their hustle into the evening, trying to sell fruit, floating lanterns, and occasionally narcotics. The weather is always great and the sounds of the waves washing against the shore are peaceful. The lanterns and illuminated toys flung in the air even create a romantic backdrop.
If you are with your family it is probably best to put the kids to sleep at this point of the night.
My friend and I decided to grab a drink at one of the beachside bars. Beer is cheap and plentiful. Over the course of the next few hours we talked with various groups of people as they came and went. Older men telling stories of their professional success. Pretty women looking for such older men. All kinds of strangers passing in the night.
My favorite conversationalists were a group of five Australian men in their mid twenties. They were in Thailand for their friend’s stag party (the friend was temporarily missing at the moment). They were close friends from university and every year or so try to go on a trip together, schedules permitting. This was yet another one, full of drinking and partying. The highlight of our discussion was when they all uncovered tattoos that they got the night before in a show of solidarity. The tattoo must have been an inside joke – it was some odd shape, not even geometric. But they were proud to show that their friendship was indelible and stronger than ever. Cheers!
I still recommend the other islands for nightlife purposes. Koh Tao has a great vibe with beachside bars. The Lotus Bar there has fire shows at night with talented displays of flaming twirlers, dancers, and breathers. And of course Koh Phangnan has the Full Moon Parties.
See what other blogs are saying about Koh Samui, Thailand:
“The best meals I had were, without doubt, Thai food, which is one of my favourite cuisines anyway. The range and diversity of the food is mind blowing. We loved the seafood, especially the giant sea prawns, some of which resemble small lobsters! We discovered a gorgeous quaint beachfront restaurant at the south end of the island on the day we did our DIY island tour called ‘The Beach’. My brother and I ordered their sea prawns were cooked simply in lime and garlic and garnished with chilli and coriander… It’s one of the most delicious and memorable meals we’ve both ever had.”
–The Beauty Foodie
