Getting From KL to Koh Samui via Surat Thani

It's a real shame that Air Asia doesn't fly direct to the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. When I traveled to Koh Samui last year, I flew via Bangkok Airways and paid something like RM800 - a ridiculous amount for a return flight that was less than 2 hours each way. It was one of my first exotic island trips and I was a little blinded by the excitement of going for the Full Moon Party and having one of those over-the-top vacations.

This time around, I planned to travel with a different bunch of friends and was determined to get there for much less, so that I could splurge more on other fun vacation stuff. After some good old Googling, I found another route via Surat Thani. While the entire journey ended up costing me a whole lot less, it took me so much longer to get there. Try 8 hours. If you're curious, here's how I did it:

1. Fly from KL - Surat Thani via Air Asia

Cost: RM120

Travel time: 1 hour

We were lucky enough to nab super cheap flight tickets during one of Air Asia's crazy sales. So, be sure to be on the lookout for them or book early!

2. Take a bus from Surat Thani International Airport to Donsak Pier
Cost: THB450 (bus +  ferry ticket) / THB550 (bus + ferry + taxi)
Travel time: 30 mins

Once you exit immigration and baggage claims, it's hard to miss the row of tour counters at the airport selling tickets to Koh Samui. These tickets usually include a bus and ferry ride to the island for THB450. There's even an option to book transportation from the pier in Koh Samui to your hotel for an additional THB100. We went with the bus + ferry option, but in hindsight, it's worth paying for the transportation to your hotel in advance to avoid haggling with taxi drivers when you reach the pier at Koh Samui and risk having to pay more instead.

Look for counters selling tickets by 'Phantip Tours'. It was an easy breezy journey with them and the seats on the bus were comfortable.

3. Hop on a Seatran ferry from Donsak Pier (Surat Thani) to Nathon Pier (Koh Samui)
Cost: Included with tickets above. Individual tickets sell for about THB150
Travel time: 1.5 hours

The ferry is pretty massive with tons of seats in different areas, some fancier and more comfortable than others. The quality of the seat you get really depends on how soon you board the ferry. And as you can see, we were among the late comers. 

I was surprised to see people bringing their pets along for the ride. Certainly not a common thing back in Malaysia. This cute little fella was so well-behaved the entire time too!

What do you do on a ferry for 1.5 hours? Besides napping, you could purchase yummy Thai munchies courtesy of a mini mart on board the ferry. Comfort foods include hotdogs and cup noodles.
If you venture upstairs, you'll find yourself on the upper deck, where you can take in the view of the open sea. Great place to kill time with that amazing view and snap your first spam of holiday pictures.

4. Arrive at Nathon Pier and get a taxi to your hotel
Cost: THB600 - THB800 per cab
Travel time: 45 mins to Chaweng Town

Nathon Pier

Depending what time you arrive at Nathon Pier, there might be taxis waiting about. Unfortunately we weren't so lucky. It was almost 6pm when we arrived and the place got empty really fast a short while after passengers disembarked. Luckily we managed to find a guy who called a cab driver friend of his. We ended up paying THB800 for our ride into Chaweng Town. Pricey, but we were too tired from the whole day of traveling to seek other options at that point. This is why it's probably a smarter choice to purchase the last hurdle to your hotel with the bus and ferry tickets.

5. Slap on some sunblock and head for those blue waters!

Chaweng Beach

In total, it took us about 8 hours and 4 modes of transportation between boarding the flight from KL to reaching the jewel blue waters of Koh Samui. Having that view for the next 4 days certainly made up for the tedious journey. The grand total for all our transportation to Koh Samui and back to KL cost a mere RM250 per person. Dirt cheap! If you're willing to spend that much time on travel time that is. Despite taking what felt like forever to get there, I'm glad I got to experience the extended journey. It allowed us to see lots of things we would have missed out on by just flying there. 

As much fun as it was, I'm strongly leaning towards forking out more and flying direct the next time. Once is more than enough :)