Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 6 - End)

29-May-2016

7:45am, all of us gathered around the carpark, and ready to depart back to Malaysia. As usual, after some briefing, we start our journey. One thing great about Thailand is, their security guard and also the hotel management is very tourist friendly, and they treat their guests with the best. The security guard even help us stopping the traffic in order for us to go out from the hotel, suddenly make us feel like VIP.

Reached the jetty around 9:30am, and the next ferry available at 10:00am. With the same price, 230 Baht, we are ready to headed back to mainland. Some delay during our departure, as one of the bike battery depleted...

Finally, reached back Malaysia border around 7:00pm (Malaysia time)

Nothing much write up on the trip back, as me myself was exhausted.
Try to view the video below for the Koh Samui, part 2.

https://www.facebook.com/yujin.ong/videos/10155607073637524/

-- End --

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 5)

28-May-2016

The next morning in Koh Samui, 5 of us decided to head to the beautiful beach in the morning, the water is clear, and spend almost 4 hrs at the beach (including 1hrs of massage at the beach, but will not recommend to any, as the massage is not really good).

There is one nice looking Japanese chic, holiday with her couple, and to make myself not so pervert looking guy, sorry, no photo....

Went back to hotel around 1:00pm, and after cleaning ourself, decided to join few others for island tour...
We went to Big buddha, huge Guan Yu statue, red bricks watt siam, and not to forget the famous grandpa and grandma rock at lamai beach...

After the island tour, we reached back hotel around 7:00pm, and decided to head for dinner.
Done the dinner, back to hotel, decided jump into the swimming pool....
Supposedly, my last night at Koh Samui would end after the swimming pool, but due to facts that feeling pity to another guy that did not manage to roam around the island nightlife, decided to accompany him to roam around the Chaweng nightlife, went into the Go-go bar, which for me Phuket's Go-go bar are way better than this, and end up at the Reggae Pub at Soi Reggae.

Went back hotel around 2:00am, exhausted....

More write up on the last day at Koh Samui after this...

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 4)

27-May-2016

We finally managed to check in our room around 5:00pm, and decided to rent scooter to roam around the island, instead of using our own bike. Scooter rental available at the hotel, but with slight high price @250baht/day.

After refreshing, decided to gather at the lobby around 6:00pm, to slightly explore the Chaweng, and food hunting for our tummy.... with the hot weather, after having our dinner, all of us are sweating heavily, and before we continue to hunt for the nightlife, all agreed to go back to hotel, clean up, and ready for the nightlife hunting.

We went back again to the Chaweng street, and previously i read that Soi Green Mango is equivalent to Soi Bangla of Phuket, but trust me, is not at all.... after hunting along the Chaweng beach, with most disappointed with the nightlife available there, we end up at Soi Reggae. The Reggae Pub at the end of Soi Reggae, I would rate it at 4.8/5 based on the live band performance. 

http://www.kosamui.com/nightlife-in-chaweng/soi-reggae.htm

https://www.facebook.com/ReggaePubKohSamui

But, I warn you, in order to arrive at this great place, you have to passby the Soi Reggae, which from my point of view, scary view alongside the road....

Hang out at the Reggae Pub till the liveband performance finish, around 2am, decided to have some supper, and head back to hotel to call it for the night.

More write up after this...

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 3)

27-May-2016

After ~1.5 hours with the ferry, finally we arrived at the Koh Samui jetty, and next destination towards our hotel. During the planning stage, we had decided to stay at this hotel, Boonjumnong Modern Apartments.

http://boonjumnong-samui.com/

This hotel is more towards SOHO concept, the price and location is quite attractive (1,000 Baht/night)
Video for Koh Samui Part 1 (until arrival at hotel), kindly refer to the link below;

https://www.facebook.com/yujin.ong/videos/10155584920737524/

More write up on the island tour after this...

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 2)

27-May-2016

All of us gathered at the carpark around 6:50am, and after few briefing, we departed from Hatyai around 7:15am.
During the planning of this trip, we already can foresee the group will be separate into at least 2 group, group "laju" and group "slow". Anyhow, we already briefed before departure that first pitstop will be around 150km from the hotel.

First pitstop, Phatthalung

After the first pitstop, the first group begin to slightly add more pressure on their throttle, and we decided to meet up only @ the jetty, not stopping at the same pitstop.

With much help from the Google Maps navigation, second group managed to arrive @ Raja ferry jetty around 10:50am, and no sign of the 1st group...

Even though there was ferry awaiting to go into Koh Samui, but without the fast group arrival, we decided to skip and wait for the next ferry. After almost 45mins of waiting, the fast group arrived. Their leader (which had been to Koh Samui almost 5 times) lost, and they had went for extra miles to arrive. Sadly to say, the ferry which previously awaiting, had sailed off, few minutes before their arrival, therefore, all of us (14 bikes) had no choice but wait for another 1hr for next ferry. (puihhh, kononnya geng laju, arrowhead pandai jalan siam, dah banyak kali sampai dah, sesat gak.... end up semua kena delay almost 2 hrs).

The cost of ferry ticket, for 1 rider + big bike is 230 Baht, and if with pillion, additional 130 Baht.

After much waiting at the jetty, finally we manage to board around 2:00pm....

The ferry journey took us 1.5 hrs, and decided to take a short nap....
More write up after this...

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride (Part 1)

26-May-2016

For this free and easy ride, total participants slightly more than 20 person, with 14 bikes, and 2 cars...
Due to different working schedule, and the first night at will be free and easy as well, we had divided into 3 groups.

1st group, only me and another friend, decided to depart early, around 4:30pm (rushing to get duty free cigarette, as if not mistaken closed at 7:00pm).
2nd group, 6 bikes departed around 5:00pm, direct to Florida hotel, Hatyai.
3rd group, 6 bikes departed around 6:00pm, meet up with group 1 @ Danok.

Of course, after completed all the related documents at border, me and my friend decided to hang out around Danok, while waiting for the last group.

During having few drinks, the sky is not cooperate at all, the sky is crying. After waiting, and drinking, and waiting, and drinking, the last group arrived at border around 8:00pm (due to raining, and massive jam at border). 8 bikes departed to Florida hotel, Hatyai.
Arrived at Florida hotel around 9:00pm, checked in, refresh ourself, and went for dinner. If not wrongly remembered, the hotel cost us 690baht per night. Even though Hatyai full of attraction, but due to facts that we have to depart 6:00am (now I will use Thailand time), had to rest early after the dinner.

More write up after this...

Koh Samui - Free&Easy Ride

Back from Koh Samui, after busy with the hands on task, and few video editing (of course with some laziness), till now only update via this blog.

Based on the first draft of maps/routing, we had decided to slightly changed the routing to mostly (70%) highway straight road.

As compared to previous, this route will cause us slightly 30~40km more, but easier to manage...

Due to the facts that we wanna catch up with the early ferry from DonSak, all decided to overnight at Hatyai, and depart the next morning. More write up after this...