Continue reading »]]> We are going to Phuket and Koh Samui for our honeymoon, and are looking for something affordable but nice. Should we stay near or on Chaweang beach? What are other nice places on the island and what is there to do here? We probably wont use the beach that much but would like to be close to restaraunts/bars/shops, but nice enough place since it’s our honeymoon

Depends on what you call "affordable". Check out Zazen and Punpreeda Hip, on either end of Bo Phut (Big Buddha) Beach. You might find Chaweng a bit too hectic for a honeymoon. I know for sure Zazen caters to honeymooners with all kinds of special treats (including room upgrades) but will set you back about $150/night in the high season. Still, it’s a four star establishment comparable to places which charge two or three times that, the rooms are enormous and everything is luxurious and it’s very private yet not far from the fishing village where there are restaurants and bars which are much cheaper and better than Chaweng. Punpreeda Hip is cheaper – from January to April they’re offering 5 nights for the price of four which is a really good deal – works out to about $110 a night for a luxury beach front bungalow. The biggest complaint about Punpreeda Hip seems to be that it is post-modernist (i.e. too much use of concrete makes parts of the landscaping look more like a building site than a luxury resort) but by all accounts the service and levels of accommodation at both these resorts is top rate.

Are ther lots of mosquitoes in Koh Samui at this season now ?