Ban Phe

 
A seaside town located approximately 19 kilometers southeast of Rayong Town and far from Rayong Resort 5 kilometers, 15 minutes car driving. A bust fishing port and Ban Phe is also the departure point for Koh Samet. . Shops around here sell seafood products such as dried squid, fish sauce, shrimp paste and some souvenirs.

Ban Phe is the best place to enjoy relaxing on a long white sandy beach while sampling sumptuous seafood. Ban Phe is a major fishing community in the province, hence, the wide range of fresh and preserved seafood products or other local products.

Ban Phe is a busy fishing port and the centre of local marine produce. The town of Ban Phe is characterised by narrow streets of shops and houses, It is a stopping off points for tourists en route to the island of Koh Samet. Boats leave regularly for the island from the piers. Shop in the main street stock a wide variety of marine produce and many souvenirs and trinkets fashioned from shells of different shades and sizes.

The tiny grey port town of Ban Phe sees a constant stream of visitors -- though that's only because it's a launchpad for nearby Koh Samet. Cooled by a sea breeze that smells slightly of drying fish, Ban Phe doesn't charm many visitors, and few people spend more than a mandatory 30 minutes or so waiting for a bus or ferry connection out.

There are a few places to eat, sleep and check your email, so don't panic if you get stranded. A number of businesses catering to travellers are clustered in the sois across from the pier. The first floor of the Tan Tan Too has an internet cafe, and Blue Sky Books across the street has a large selection of used titles -- perfect for snapping up something to read on the beach. Most travellers congregate next door at Christie's, a popular bar and restaurant.

Koh Samui

 
Koh Samui, Thailand’s second most popular island destination, is located in the Gulf of Thailand roughly 700km south of Bangkok and 80km from Thailand’s eastern seaboard.

Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and the largest in an archipelago of more than 80 islands that includes the Ang Thong National Marine Park, a kayaking paradise and top day trip from Koh Samui. While Samui is small enough to be circumnavigated in just a couple of hours by motorbike or car, the island features such a variety of beaches and activities that it would be impossible to experience everything in a single visit. However, this was not always the case.

Until the late 20th century, Samui was home to a small community engaged primarily in fishing and harvesting coconuts. There were not even any roads on the island until the early 1970s. However, once foreign visitors discovered this island gem, lush with tropical forest, fringed with palm tree lined stretches of golden sand, and surrounded by pellucid, aquamarine water, development quickly followed.

Today the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai are bustling beach towns with fabulous beach resorts, internationally acclaimed restaurants, and world-class nightclubs; activities around Koh Samui include cooking courses, yoga instruction, Muay Thai training, scuba diving, and even golf. While there are a few quieter beaches that are ideal for relaxation, particularly those that feature some of the finest 5-star resorts in the world, and some that exude old world charm, such as Bo Phut, which features converted, old Chinese shop houses, Samui is far from the unspoiled island it was a few decades ago. Nonetheless, Koh Samui has developed into its own style of island paradise, retaining much of its natural beauty while offering nearly every imaginable activity or service for the ultimate beach holiday.