Your plane lands in Bangkok at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and since you’ve been to Bangkok before, you decide that where you are going from here is either Koh Samui or Chiang Mai. Fourteen hours on the plane and numerous web searches later, you still have not reached a decision, so I suggest we list the pros and cons of each option, and you get started on your trip!
Soaking up the sun on a beautiful island with white beaches, great seafood, and cocktails, and some island hopping means Koh Samui. Immersion in culture, a sense of belonging, exciting cuisine, and traditional music/dress is Chiang Mai. Both are wonderful, but if forced, try Chiang Mai first.
Were Koh Samui and Chiang Mai alike, choosing between them would be a lot easier, but we need to look deeper at this trip since we’re comparing apples to oranges. The visit’s length and your reasons for embarking on the journey are essential, as are your goals and expectations – if any.
Your Reasons For Coming
Koh Samui and Chiang Mai share a common currency and a few basic meals but are different in almost every other way. In truth, you would be hard-pressed to find anything else they share. Koh Samui is an island off the east coast, and Chiang Mai is a jungle city way up north.
The former has coconut palms dotting white beaches, gentle surf, and a beachcomber vibe, while the latter has ancient temples, historic streets, and a laid-back ex-pat feeling that makes the whole place feel like home.
Are you in Thailand for a brief visit, a holiday, or passing slowly through, en – route elsewhere?
Knowing how much time you have is essential to understanding which destination to recommend.
Have You Been to Samui or Chiang Mai Before?
If you are conflicted, it’s vital that we ask this question. Both are fantastic but incredibly different, so if you have already visited the one, go with the other this time and thank me later!
When Are You Planning a Visit?
Be aware that monsoon season in Thailand can put a crimp in your plans and should be factored in.
If you have to visit during the monsoon, I suggest that you head north with all haste. It’s not much drier there, but unless playing poker and drinking cocktails is your idea of a beach holiday, you may be disappointed.
October to December is the wettest period for Koh Samui, with November often depositing the most rainfall of the three months. Life doesn’t come to a complete standstill, but seas are choppy for boat trips, power outages increase, and roads often flood.
December to February is possibly the best period for a beach holiday on Samui, but prices are higher then, as it is peak season.
Chiang Mai is a lot cooler than Koh Samui, and the monsoon up north is less severe than its southern cousin. It also occurs at a different time of year – from late May to October. A downpour will undoubtedly have you scurrying for cover, but the deluge is short-lived, and everyday life resumes after an hour or two.
How Long Do You Plan On Staying?
Koh (Island) Samui is a short boat ride from the town of Surat Thani in Southeast Thailand, but the trip from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then on to Samui can take a chunk out of your time. I suggest that if you have less than ten days, you fly direct from Bangkok into the airport on Koh Samui.
If you’re on a tight budget in addition to that time frame, you will spend too much time getting there and getting back to the capital, resulting in a ruined holiday. You need at least two weeks for Samui to be worthwhile on a tight budget unless you plan on returning home more frazzled than you left.
Chiang Mai is much easier for a shorter visit as economy airfares are U$30.00 for the 80 minutes flight from BKK to CNX. If you have less than ten days, a visit to Chiang Mai is perfectly feasible.
Are You Here To Experience a New Culture or to Have a Break?
What is your reason for coming to the kingdom? Ask yourself this honestly because there is NO wrong answer, and your reply might well be the deciding factor.
Samui will allow plenty of privacy and rest, with the option to join other visitors for meals, drinks, and chatter if required. The cuisine is both Western and Thai, and there is little culture with which to concern yourself. Human batteries charge very well here.
I generally visit one of the guesthouses on Chaweng Beach and come back a new person – but I stay for ten days at least. (and never in the rainy season!)
Chiang Mai has an old-world charm and will envelop you in her arms if you so desire. The pace is slow, and your batteries will fill on a slow trickle as you meander along the Sois (side streets) and khlongs (canals).
Culture abounds in this ancient city (founded in 1396), and you’ll experience traditional music and dress everywhere. Hill tribes bring their wares to the local market, and the cuisine is northern-Thai; superb.
I have visited Chiang Mai more times than I can count and never grow tired of it, staying between a week and three weeks at a time.
How Long Do You Need to Stay?
This decision is dependent on several factors:
Size of your group – The bigger the group, the slower you will move. Sadly, the slowest member sets the pace. This pace works on Samui but is a real problem in Chiang Mai, where you move around a fair bit.
Age of the members – Pensioners will generally move slower and tire more quickly, which needs to be considered. A bigger problem comes in when the group has huge age differences. Youngsters and older folk have different ideas about where to go, at what pace, and how long to stay once they arrive.
Young children in the group – regular stops for the toilet, food, and rest must be considered.
I recommend no less than seven days on Samui for all of the above, but no less than ten days in Chiang Mai. However, if you can stay for double that length of time, I urge you to do so. There is certainly no maximum length of stay, but those of you traveling with children will know the limits of their endurance (or your patience)
Solo visitors and those in groups of no more than four – Since you will be able to move quickly, you will be able to get out and see more, and I’d suggest no less than ten days in either spot.
What Is There To See and Do?
- Koh Samui –
- Magnificent Beaches on Samui and the nearby Kohs – Phi Phi, Krabi, and Phangan, are enough reason for a visit right there.
- Fishing and scuba diving
- Motorbike rental – a great way to circumnavigate Samui
- Visit Hin Ta & Hin Yai – the grandparent rocks
- Big Buddha beach on the north coast with its 12-meter golden Buddha
- Na Muang Waterfall
- Secret Buddha Garden
- Mummified Monk
- Chiang Mai –
- The Old City, with its ancient walls and moat, is a great place to stroll
- Wat Phan Tao and other temples
- Doi Suthep, a beautiful golden temple on the top of a mountain just outside the city
- Pet Tiger cubs at the Night Safari
- Visit the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
- Go Elephant trekking in the hills nearby
- Doi Inthanon National Park is a wonderfully tranquil place to see many of Thailand’s bird species
- Visit Bo Sang Handicraft Village
Oh, there’s far more than just these points, and if you’re just a little bit daring or have enough time, I’m pretty sure you will discover some gems of your own. That’s part of the charm of Thailand – veer off the beaten track, and you may find things that the guide books don’t mention.
Spend time, talk to other visitors as well as locals and be prepared to walk whenever possible. Flying along in a tuk-tuk with your heart in your mouth is exhilarating, but having your eyes screwed shut won’t add to your knowledge.
Conclusion
Thailand is, quite simply, fabulous. The food, the music, and the people are magical. The beaches are idyllic, the culture evocative, and this may be the best place you ever visit.
If you want to relax and soak up the sun in a tropical paradise while eating great food and picking up a few words of Thai, It’s Koh Samui for you.
If you want to immerse yourself in culture, integrate with locals, including some hill tribes like the Karen (in an ancient city that is cool in more ways than one), ask at the counter for a ticket to Chiang Mai.
