We finally did it — a long-planned family trip with my parents and Natasha. Three stops, three completely different moods:

Koh Samui → lazy beach days
Koh Tao → snorkeling + small-island life
Bangkok → a full-blown food + bar marathon

It turned out to be one of our favourite trips ever.

Getting There

We flew Delhi → Bangkok → Koh Samui on Thai Airways in one go.

The flight was fine, nothing fancy, but they serve a surprisingly good Pad Thai
The best part: through-checked bags all the way to Samui
Saves an hour+ of walking at Suvarnabhumi — that airport is HUGE

Before You Go (applies everywhere)

Language: English isn’t widely spoken — even in touristy areas. You’ll rely on gestures + Google Translate.
Weather: Hot, humid, sticky all year. Pack light and airy fabrics.
Mosquitoes: Bring repellent, or buy at 7-Eleven.
Sunscreen: Do not underestimate the Thai sun. If you don’t reapply, you’ll come back several shades darker.
Rides: In Bangkok, use Bolt or Grab for sanity and predictable prices.
7-Eleven: Thailand’s national treasure.
- Must-try: Taiwanese iced coffee with boba
- Must-eat: grilled ham & cheese sandwiches (ask them to toast it — molten, gooey perfection)
- And anything else you may need at 2am

Koh Samui

Oceanfront naps & hill climbs

Stay

We booked a beachfront Airbnb — literally on the sand.
Unreal views. Waves as white noise.
A bit tight for 4 people, but the location more than makes up for it.

Heads up: Samui flights often arrive early → you’ll likely wait for check-in.

Eat & Drink We Loved

88% Artisan Bread

A dreamy breakfast spot with great coffee. Sit on the deck early for lush tropical views.
Get the bacon and the “French toast” (more like a dessert, but delicious).

Khao Hom

Often pronounced as “Khao Nom.”
Michelin-Guide Thai “dhaba”.
Fantastic pork and noodle dishes.

Hug Samui

Beach-deck breakfast spot. We spent hours here before check-in just soaking in the breeze.

Chinese Handmade Noodle House (Bophut)

Known for their braised beef noodles — recommended by a friend.

Grab Delivery

Easy, fast, and reliable across Samui.

🎡 Fisherman’s Market (Highly Recommended)

Tons of food stalls + a few sit-down restaurants
Live music, buzzy energy, great crowds
Cocktails for 300 INR, and surprisingly good
A fun mix of locals + tourists
Great for street Thai food and souvenir shopping (cheaper than Bangkok)

🍃 Secret Buddha Garden (Magic Garden)

Up on one of Samui’s highest peaks, this sculpture garden was built by Khun Nim Thongsuk, a durian farmer who started the project at age 77 and worked on it until 91.
Expect:

Buddha statues
Birds, snakes, mystical figures from Thai Buddhism
Lush greenery + peaceful corners
A lovely, quiet stop.

💆🏽‍♂️ Beach Massages

Yes, it may look “unhygienic” at first glance — but honestly, so worth it.
The sound of waves + the sunset = peak relaxation.

🔥 Fire Show on the Beach

A must-watch.
Wildly impressive — the only downside is the faint smell of kerosene. Worth it for the views alone.

🚗 Getting Around

Rent a car — but make sure it can handle hills.
Samui is STEEP.

Koh Tao

Snorkeling, croissants & tiny-island living

🚤 Getting There

Take the Lomprayah Ferry from Koh Samui → Koh Tao (1.5–2 hours).
Between the two sits Koh Phangan, famous for full moon & half moon parties. We skipped it because the dates didn’t align.

Stay

We stayed at Phandara.

A two-bedroom villa with a private pool + panoramic ocean views.
Easily one of the best stays of our trip.

The Island

Koh Tao is tiny — you can drive across in 30 minutes.
Everything lines the main boardwalk at Sairee Beach.

🍽️ Eats We Loved

Sairee Cottage Restaurant

Shack-style authentic Thai food right on the beach.
The Khao Soi was phenomenal.

Whitening

Elevated Thai food.
Loved their pomelo salad.

French Market

Fantastic sandwiches — perfect for delivery days.

Mingle Bagel

Great bagels with a French touch.

Nui Bakery

Amazing almond croissants and apple tarts.
Our Airbnb host used to leave us treats from here every morning.

May & Co.

Khan Market vibes but on a beach.
Homegrown Thai brands, small designers, fun knickknacks.

🐠 Snorkeling with Oxygen Tour

We booked a private boat just for four of us.
They took us around the entire island, stopping at four spots.

We saw:
✔️ baby shark
✔️ sea turtle
✔️ loads of fish
✘ corals are damaged in parts (so Sri Lanka still wins for marine life)

The boat also had a slide, which was the cherry on top.

Bangkok

We came for the food. We stayed for the bars.

After our Koh Tao → Samui ferry + long layover, we flew into Bangkok for the grand finale.

Bangkok is a food playground — we barely scratched the surface.

🍜 Eats We’d Go Back For

Chinatown (Yaowarat)

Our first stop.
We tried everything:

Frozen Coke slushy
Crab sausage
Salted egg crispy pancakes
Shrimp gyoza
Fresh oysters
Basically anything that looked fun

If you want variety, THIS is the place.

JOD Fair (also called Jodds Fair)

Modern night market.

Souvenirs
Very good cocktails (look for the mango one — it’s everywhere)
Seafood bucket is the crowd-favourite
Look for the artist stall JUBU CHIBI — 200–300 THB for quick caricatures

Kub Kao’ Kub Pla

One of our BEST meals.
Get the crab curry and crispy shrimp.

Ippudo (Siam Paragon)

Nostalgic because this was Archit’s NYC college ramen spot.
Still delicious.

Khiri Thai Tea

Try their On Cloud Thai Iced Tea.

After You

Classic bingsu. A must in the Bangkok heat.

Cha Tra Mue

The OG Thai iced tea place.
Send us a tin if you go.

Bimbo

Cutest little restaurant.
Lovely service.
Loved the roasted beetroot and crab avocado.

Thipsamai

Touristy, yes.
Overrated, maybe.
But also the best place to understand what baseline Pad Thai should taste like.

🍸 Bars We Loved

Thansamai Room

Tiny, cozy, curbside sipping.
I dare you to try the chili cocktail 🌶️ — not for the faint-hearted.

Wallflowers

Didn’t go inside, but the vibe around it near Chinatown is immaculate.

Cataplana BKK

Stopped for Portuguese custard tarts — outstanding.

Teens of Thailand

A genuinely hidden gin-only bar.
You’ll only find it if you find “the door.”
Loved it.

Messenger Service Bar

Our FAVORITE.
Technique-driven cocktails.
Unlimited popcorn.
And the Sushi Roll Cocktail tastes exactly like sushi — in the best way.

🌿 Dispensaries

Cannabis laws in Thailand keep changing, but dispensaries still function for adults.
We visited a few:

AWEED (Samui) – fun first stop
WEEDEN (Samui) – clean, great edibles
NNH – Never Not High (Bangkok, next to Teens of Thailand)
- Vintage shop downstairs
- Smoke lounge + games upstairs
- Spent HOURS here — super fun vibe

(Always check updated local laws.)