Slow mornings, wellness classes, and a touch of luxury on Koh Samui’s quieter west coast — Samaraya Wellness Resort only opened its doors two months before we arrived, and it was the stay I never knew I needed.

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IIt’s been about 13 years since the Sailor and I first visited Samui, and we came back to get reacquainted. This wasn’t meant to be a “holiday holiday” (or so the Sailor thought, I had a few different ideas!), and we’d planned to spend our days driving around the island for research, with a bit of relaxation in between.

I booked our trip only a month ahead, so most stays were already taken. Considering the accommodation was supposed to be merely a crash pad, I went for a low-key, traditional bamboo hut in Bang Por on Samui’s northwest coast. But this isn’t the 2000s anymore, and $100 AUD doesn’t stretch as far as it used to! The hut sat just metres from the island’s busy loop road, had the sound insulation of a tent, black mould throughout, and a few other issues that kept me wide awake. It’s been a long time since I’ve left somewhere early, but I had to leave that shithole after the first night.

With practically all of the Sunset Coast fully booked for Chinese New Year (just our luck), Samaraya had two out of four nights available. The partial sea view villa was over my usual teacher budget- yes, guys, I pay my own way on Travel Mermaid! But after that first night, I didn’t want to risk another dodgy stay.

Where Is Samaraya?

Skimming 12 kms down the west coast, approximately halfway to the south, is the town of Lipa Noi. The main loop road starts to trail inland before you get here, so it’s not polluted by road noise, and driving around is pleasantly rural.

The Sailor and I actually stayed around here when we first visited the island back in 2013, and that trip inspired our move to Thailand (though we ended up somewhere you wouldn’t take your gran to, Pattaya).

It’s hard not to be charmed by this area of Samui. While much of the east and north coasts have continued to develop, Lipa Noi and the villages south of here have retained the relaxed, more local way of life that brought people to the island in the first place.

Surrounding us were rugged coconut plantations, meditation centres, farmland and other peaceful resorts. Being on the West Coast, you also get to enjoy some incredible sunsets.

Rocking up here was like I literally went from the slums to a palace. Definitely zero regrets about the upgrade.

Samaraya only opened two months before we visited, so everything was fresh and squeaky clean. As a low-density, adults-only retreat, it has fewer than 20 villas spaced comfortably apart, each with its own pool, so it never felt busy and we could really unwind. I love my class of wombats, but it was nice to take a break from kiddos on holiday!

Wellness Classes & What’s Included

I love that Samaraya is embracing the new age of holidays. Far from being a trend, in our ever-chaotic world and demanding careers, wellness holidays are here to stay, and travellers are seeking out more options like this.

However, while Samui isn’t a stranger to holistic hotels, it usually misses the mark on price point. Most are only in reach for the well-heeled crew, with few affordable options for everyone else (Kamalaya, I’m looking at you!). That being said, it’s still early days, so I hope these guys don’t ramp up prices.

At the current rate, I think this place is good value. In addition to the location, serenity, and stylish interiors, the resort offers 3 free daily wellness classes, ranging from various yoga styles to reformer Pilates, Qi Gong (a gentle Chinese movement practice, I had to Google that!), and water therapy sessions in its heated floatation pool- if you can peel yourself away. I wanted to try out my first reformer session here, but I was having just too chilled a morning to break it! 

We spend most days in Samui driving around the local villages and beaches, and it was a joy to return to Samaraya. My favourite moments were chilling on the hammock with a book, or having a sunset swim with the pool to myself, and a margarita on the go. At sundown, we saw a Thai family- a girl, her mother and grandmother- who went fishing by hand in the shallows for hours, collecting proteins in their baskets. 

I tried to extend our stay for another two nights, but they could only manage one, with a room change, as they were full and rightfully so. If only for 3 nights, it was a treat to kick back and enjoy some much-needed “me” time.

Perhaps it’s the backdrop of coconut palms and the calm ocean that only ripples from passing boats, but there’s something quite romantic about this place. While a lot has changed around the island and further afield in the past 13 years, it was refreshing to come back and feel just as I did all those years ago in Lipa Noi.

If you’re heading to Samui, Samaraya might just be the reset you didn’t know you needed.✤

Villas and Bookings

At 55m², our villa was bigger than the Sailor’s first apartment in London’s Notting Hill, and we could spread ourselves out without feeling on top of each other.

A lot of thought had gone into this place- details such as the soft lighting, impeccable styling and local boutique teas (keeping on-brand with a pop of blue from the butterfly pea) gave that element of luxury. Also appreciated were the Vittoria Coffee pods from Australia, though my only suggestion would be to add an extra capsule per guest (caffeine-free doesn’t count!). Slow mornings for me are two cups after yoga before I see anyone that’s not my husband 😆.

Starlit nights on the deck were also really enjoyed, and so quiet, with only male tokay geckos breaking the silence. This place is fully sleep-approved, with the comfiest king bed and hard & soft pillow options.

For the best rates and to see their reviews, head to Booking.com. This is my usual go-to platform, and as a Genius member, I received a 25% Genius discount. Rates here are currently coming out much cheaper than booking directly through their website. 

Samaraya has 3 types of villas available: garden, partial sea view, and sea view. The only real difference between them is where they’re perched.

• • We first stayed in the partial sea view, which was my favourite. It’s close to the pool and beach, and I could still see the ocean from the deck. I preferred it to the sea-view villas, which were too overlooked for me.
    I paid 9,900 THB per night ($440 AUD/£230).
  • The second room we stayed in was the garden villa. It was just as lovely, and a little quieter, as fewer people were walking past to get to the beach, pool & restaurant. It is the cheapest option,
    I paid 7,950 THB per night ($350 AUD/£185).

Best time to visit Samui

My favourite time to visit any Thai island is the low season, but that’s rarely possible on a school timetable! The low season runs from May to June and from September to mid-December, and you can generally bag the best accommodation rates during this time. However, if you’re just coming to this side of the island, then it’ll be nice and peaceful at any time of year.

• • • The ‘high high’ season runs from Christmas through to Chinese New Year in February/March. This is also the dry season in Samui, where you’ll find more sunny days and less rain. Best to book well ahead (ideally a year) if you’re staying during this time.
    • Other peak periods are Songkran/Easter (Apriltime), and the European summer hols, from mid-July to August.
    • The only other season to be aware of is the wet season, which kicks in from September to November. Unless there’s a stubborn tropical low looming over the Gulf of Thailand, the rain usually hits thick and fast for only an hour each day, usually at a similar time. But there’s always a chance you’ll get caught out! As a well-seasoned tropical gal, I really like this time of year. The waterfalls pump harder, the land is greener, and there’s something energising about watching a tropical storm, but I get you may not want that on holiday!

Where next?

If you’re looking to mix up your stay and head over to Koh Phangan, I recently spent Christmas there and found two awesome spots. Check out my new guides on Thong Nai Pan beach and Haad Khom. Otherwise, check out some other Thai islands to visit.

Have you visited Koh Samui’s west coast, or are you planning a trip? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below! 🐚

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Getting here and around

Getting to Koh Samui

There are a couple of ways you can get here:

1. By far, the easiest way to get to the island is to fly here direct from Bangkok or Singapore (1-2 hours).
   If you’re coming from outside of Thailand (like us), it’s actually cheaper to fly here from Singapore with Scoot Airlines. The only carrier that flies to Samui from Bangkok is Thai Airlines, and as they own the airport, they have the monopoly so charge a premium.
2. The “cheaper” option is to fly to Surat Thani (1 hour) with Air Asia, then get a bus to the pier (40 minutes + waiting time, sometimes hours), followed by a high-speed Lomprayah ferry to Nathon Pier on Koh Samui (30 minutes). Nathon is only a 10-minute drive from Samaraya Resort – To see all bus & ferry options to Samui and to book, check out 12Go Asia.However, if you’re coming from outside Thailand like us, then the savings aren’t worth the extra hassle. Rather than getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Koh Phangan in a day, we needed to stay overnight in Bangkok, and it was two long-ass days of travelling!

Taxi from Samui Airport

I completely forgot how big Samui was when I last came. It’ll take about  50 minutes to 1 hour to get to Lipa Noi from Samui Airport, possibly more if there’s traffic.

It’s easy to order a Grab taxi via the app (Asia’s Uber equivalent), which works across the island. Compared to Bangkok, taxis are more expensive on the islands, so it’ll cost about 800-1,000 THB from the Airport to Lipa Noi.

Note: You need to leave Samui airport and walk around the corner to access the Grab stop, about 5 minutes away. There’ll always be someone to help out at the airport, so just ask someone.

If you’re heavy on luggage and don’t want the hassle of walking far, reach out to Samaraya direct and get them to organise a private taxi for you.

Bike Rentals

We went with Samui PIJIT Motorbike & Car Rental, who are based in Nathon. They were easy to deal with, and prices are fair- we paid 250 THB per day for a 125cc. The bikes weren’t amazing, but decent enough.

Here’s their Facebook profile, and a link to their office on Google Maps. They don’t deliver the bikes, so you’ll need to get a taxi there.

Samaraya's restaurant

An à la carte breakfast is included in the price, and it’s served until midday. 🙌🏼

It comes with toast and spreads to start, a juice, fruit and a choice of brekkie, and I liked that they had a Thai option of rice soup. Overall it was tasty, though the
Shakshouka needs a lot of work to be more authentic!

We ate dinner at the resort a couple of times. While it was tasty and seasonal, the portions were on the smaller side for the price.

I was also craving a fresh whole fish option, cooked Thai style with bags of flavour. Although their menu says they have a daily catch from local fishermen, this wasn’t on the menu, and I suspected what they did have was frozen.

For other nearby food options, check out Pu restaurant next door (at Sawai Home Resort), which serves really authentic, more reasonably priced food.

Eat by the Sand could be another good option, just a 3-minute beach walk away. We almost ate there, but they were full and we were told we could be waiting for an hour (I was starving!). The setup was lovely though, and they receive great reviews.

The beach

Many of Koh Samui’s west coast beaches are quite shallow and tidal, like this one. They’re perfect for taking out a SUP or kayak (Samaraya has a kayak for you to take out for free), but not really suitable for proper swimming. If you want to get in your laps, Samaraya’s communal pool is great for that.