Choeng Mon Beach Guide, Koh Samui, Thailand

Choeng Mon beach is a 2km stretch of powdery white sand located on the far northeastern penninsular of Koh Samui island, Thailand. Popular with visitors for its shallow, rock-free, child-friendly waters with good all-year-round swimming and fantastic views, Choeng Mon's sands curve around from the rocky outcrops at the bay's far north end to the tiny island of Koh Fan Noi at the bay's southern end where native trees provide shaded areas just perfect for small children.

Looking southeast towards Koh Fan Noi

Looking northwards towards the rocky headland of Choeng Mon Bay

Like Choeng Mon's surrounding popular beach areas of Chaweng and Bophut, the beach is lined with a  choice of beachfront restaurants, bars, hotels and resorts each offering sunbeds which are free for visitor's use providing refreshments or food is ordered. The beach also offers watersports such as jet-ski rental, banana boats and waterskiing with two dive-centres (Searobin Dive Center and Easy Divers) where dives or diver training can be organised. Another fun activity is to explore the tiny island of Koh Fan Noi which is joined to the main beach by a shallow sand-bar that is exposed at low tides and waist-height at times of high tide.



Shallow, still, clear waters of Choeng Mon Beach 

Restaurants, bars, resorts and hotels line the idyllic, soft sands

Much more peaceful than nearby, crowded Chaweng Beach

Cheong Mon is a family friendly beach with sunbeds and shady umbrellas

For those who prefer a bit more relaxation, the beach is also lined with small bamboo massage pavilions which offer a large choice of different massage and beauty treatments.

Choeng Mon beach offers several budget and mid-range resorts such as (from north to south) Thana Resort, O'Soleil, PS Villa, Whitehouse, Cheong Mon Resort, Crystal Resort, Chat Kaeow, Samui Honey Resort and Kirati Resort which mingle with the luxurious Muang Samui, located in the center of the beach, and the Imperial Boat House Hotel which is situated to the south of the beach, overlooking Koh Fan Noi.

To the northwest of Choeng Mon beach, the coastline forms a number of smaller, picturesque bays which offer more luxurious accommodation options such as SALA Samui and the Tongsai Bay Hotel. To the southeast, lies the international tourist center of Chaweng.

The beach road, located 300 metres behind the beach, offers a large choice of restaurants, bars and tourist conveniences including banks, pharmacies, shops and stores.







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Pee Daeng's Restaurant, Bophut, Koh Samui

Pee Daeng's restaurant is a Khao Man Gai restaurant, like many others you can find all over Koh Samui and Thailand. Khao Man Gai is chicken served over rice which has been cooked in chicken stock served with a spicy, tamarind-based curry sauce. Other popular dishes available in curry houses of this type include Khao Man Ruam (similiar to Khao Man Gai but served with chicken, pork, crispy pork skin and Chinese sausage), and Kaa Moo (stewed leg of pork served over rice with a thick, fragrent sauce). All dishes are served with soup and customers help can themselves to fresh chillies, garlic and spring onions. Dishes cost 50-60 THB.

 

If you want an authentic Thai drink, try the super-sweet Thai-style ice-tea which you can order with milk (cha yen sai nom) or without (Cha dam yen).

 

The food served is very tasty and even the pickiest of eaters (including the childen) should enjoy a plate of Khao Man Gai. The restaurant staff can help you with which sauces to put on though only a little is needed as it is quite spicy and salty.

 

Pee Daeng's Restaurant is located just opposite the large "Fisherman's Village" sign in Bophut and is generally open from around 11am to around 5pm each day. Though they do seem to be closed a lot and there doesn't seem to be any set days of closing, so you'll just have to leave it up to luck as to whether the restaurant is open or not. If not, chances are it will be open the next day.

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Songkran Festival, Koh Samui, Thailand -

Songkran is probably one of the most fun days you can possible imagine on any calendar, in any country,  in any culture and probably in any galaxy. Imagine a country of nearly 100 million people having a huge, friendly and drunken non-stop water-fight for anywhere between 24 hours and 7 days. Sound like fun? Well, it's probably about the most fun you're ever going to experience...

Each year Songkran falls on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April, which are Thai public holidays and a time when most Thai people return home to visit their families. Historically, Songkran was Thailand’s (and neighboring countries of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos) New Year and is the most important holiday on the Thai calendar.

Historically, the festival of Songkran originates from the Brahmin people of India who celebrated a "Sangkranti" festival which signified the vernal equinox when the sun re-enters Aries and finishes its orbit of the Earth on 13th April each year. The Brahmins called this time their New Year as it was the start of the Spring which signified new life and new beginnings. This celebration of the vernal equinox is deep-rooted in many cultures around the world and is also celebrated as the Indian Holi Festival, the Christian Easter festival and Chinese Ching Ming festival.

Traditionally, Songkran is a time to pay respects to elders, families, neighbours and friends and a time when Thai people clean out their homes signifying the washing away of bad luck and a new beginning. A typical day of Songkran in the past would mean visiting the temple early in the morning to give offerings of food to monks. After the monks finished eating, the temple gathering would then feast on the food. Perfumed water was poured on images of Buddha and gently over the shoulder of friends and family (especially the eldest) to signify the washing away of evil and bad luck. This use of water is very common in important Thai ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and blessings as water is seen as pure and cleaning force in Thai culture.

Nowadays, Songkran has evolved to the throwing of water, talcolm powder and even food colouring over strangers with lines of partying revellers using plastic waterguns, buckets, hoses and anything else they can get their hands onto to soak everyone and everything that moves. Lines of slow moving pickup trucks carring their lethal cargo of water barrels, plastic guns and enthusistic children and adults alike pounce on suspecting passer-bys.

On Koh Samui, the water-throwing starts around lunch-time with water fights on every street of the island. Generally, most vistors make their way to Chaweng towards the early evening where the party continues until dawn. On Koh Samui, unlike other places in Thailand which can have water fights for up to 3, 7 or even 10 days, the fun only lasts for 1 day.

Unfortunately Songkran does have its downside as the 3-day holiday is a time of the highest number of road accident deaths in the country with around 1,000 Thai people and visitors killed and many more injured during the holiday period, each year. Less seriously, Songkran is also a time of the highest number of broken cameras and mobile telephones as you can probably imagine, so don't take out anything expensive that doesn't like getting wet!



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Da Ped Restaurant, Bangrak, Koh Samui

Da Ped’s is a small, family run restaurant which is very busy with both Thais and Westerners, especially during the lunch-time rush. This recommended restaurant offers a small menu of rice dishes and noodle soup dishes (Gra-teow). On the menu of rice dishes are Thai favorites such as Pad Thai (stir-friend noodles), Fried Rice (Kaow Pat), Stir-fried Spicy Basil (Pad Gra Prow) and stir-fried Chilies (Pad Pik Yuok) which are served on a bed of rice with the option of a fried egg on top. Rice dishes are cooked up with your choice of chicken, prawn, pork or squid for the fantastic price of only 40 THB or with a fried egg, 10 THB extra.

If you want to sample good, simple Thai food in Bangrak then Da Ped’s is the place to go,

Da Ped’s restaurant is located in Bangrak town next to Café Uno and opposite Saboey Villa Resort and is open Monday – Saturday from 8am to around 4pm. Park your car/motorbike in front of the restaurant or in the small car-park behind.

In late 2011, the restaurant was extended to hold more tables, toilets were added and fruit shakes went on the menu.

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