Ko Samui, Thailand

Decided to tale a drive to Nathon which is on the west coast of Koh Samui, and from where there are ferries that ferry you to the mainland. We have been toying with the idea of taking a side trip to the mainland i.e. to Krabi, and also to take in Phuket which, as an island, is linked to the mainland by a bridge. Thus this trip to Nathon was ostensibly to find out the details of such an endeavor, i.e. taking our rented car with us on the ferry to the mainland. What we could find out was that the car ferry leaves Nathon for Donsak several times each day. If you book ahead, your place in guaranteed but if you arrive on the day and want to ferry the same day, you need to go to the Seatran ticket yard, which is about two blocks inland, to check whether they can indeed accommodate you. Best to book in advance if at all possible. Had a cappuccino and went on a stroll through the streets of Nathon. One’s first impression of Nathon is not much, but it surely grows on you very quickly. Once we did our strolling we were hooked. The little town just seems more organized and ordered, the shops a bit more like real shops, the prices generally seem a bit lower than in the north, east and south, and one does not get harassed by hard selling store keepers as much as in some other areas. All in all, this was a very pleasant experience, we will be back. We were making good progress home when we happened upon a little reggae beach bar, at the western end of the north coast, it’s the one with a German flag flying outside. The beach bar ambience was great, good music, good wifi, cold beer and the best french fries I have had on Koh Samui. We will be back.