Party in Paradise (Bars in Koh Samui)

Member Name: CharliJade

Product:	Bars in Koh Samui
Date:	03/03/09 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing nightlife, happy hour, cheap drinks, great music

Disadvantages: Sore feet and ladyboys!

*Koh Samui - a brief outline*

Koh Samui is a gorgeous little island of the Surat Thaini Province. This is on the East Coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand, close to the mainland Surat Thani town. It is Thailand's third largest island, with an area of 228.7 km² and a population of over 50,000. Koh Samui is often just referred to as Samui. It has white sandy beaches, coral reefs and is typically famous for it's nightlife scene.

I visited this pretty island in July 2008. I was meant to be traveling Thailand for one month, and spending only 4 days in Koh Samui. Little did I know that I would be spending the next 2 months there. This was purely by choice as I loved everything about this island and ended up staying in every resort.

There are two main towns on the island; Lamai and Chaweng. Smaller towns include Bophut, Mae Nam, Lipa Noi, Big Buddha and Nathon.

*Chaweng*

Chaweng beach is by far the most popular resort, hosting watersports and a wide range of restaurants. This is also party central, from bar lounges to full scale clubs with live DJ's. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay, my advice is to avoid this area at all costs.
Most of the islands bars and nightclubs are located in Chaweng. It is a very popular resort with the 20 somethings and nightclubs can stay open until 6am. All the bars and clubs are free entry too. For those of you that like their late night munchies after a good night out, there is a 24hr Burger King and McDonalds. (Yes I have been in there at 6am - shame on me!)
There are some very seedy bars in Chaweng with Thai girls ready to welcome you in. Just be careful and look after your bags and money.

*Bars in Chaweng*

Bar Solo - This is my favourite pre club bar. For all those cocktail lovers out there, Bar Solo has a great drinks promotion for half price cocktails from 2-8pm every evening. It also has 6, giant plasma screens that regularly show sports events and pool tables.
The music ranges from Funky house, classic dance anthems, chilled lounge music and as the night progresses, the DJ cranks the volume up to play all your favourite uplifting house music tunes.

Opening times - Open every day from 2pm - 2am

Location - Central Chaweng Beach Road. Bar Solo is next to Starbucks.

*Tropical Murphy's (Irish)*

For those of you that love live music, this is the place to be! I found that there is an amazing buzz and relaxed atmosphere in here. Everyone sings and dances to the live music. Tropical Murphy's often shows football and rugby and offers a great food menu. I found that there was a mixed age range in this bar compared to most bars in Samui where it is a generally younger crowd.

Opening times - Open every day from 9am - 2am

Location - 14/40 Chaweng Beach Road

*Ark Bar*

This is another favourite bar of mine. I actually stayed in the Ark Bar as it's a guesthouse/hostel too. This is definitely a winner with party animals, tourists and the locals. Food is served all day and you can relax and catch the rays on the sunbeds, as this bar is located on the main Chaweng beach. Come 5pm, the music gets louder and happy hour arrives with offers on spirits, beers and cocktails. The sunbeds are made into tables, perfect for a romantic setting overlooking the sea.
Every Wednesday night the Ark Bar hosts a beach party. This is the ultimate party night playing the biggest house tunes. Get stuck into the free BBQ too! Guaranteed you will be dancing the night away on the table tops, it has a great sociable atmosphere.

Opening times - Every day from 8am - 2am

Location - 159/75 Moo 2, Chaweng. Near Pizza Hut, on the beach.

*Green Mango Club*

So many times I said to myself, "I'm not ending up in the Green Mango again tonight!" In the end I gave up saying it! This club is at the end of the Chaweng strip. It has an open air feel to it as you can dance on the street alongside other bars. Green Mango has two main rooms playing R&B and House music. There is a main stage for you to get your groove on if your feeling brave enough. The only bad thing about this club is that the toilets are situated over a tiny bridge of a kind of swamp thing. (We called this the bog of eternal stench!)

Opening times - Every day - times vary. Normally 8pm - 3/4am

Location - End of the Chaweng bar strip. 9/34 Chaweng Beach Road.

For a later club, try the Solo Club. I'm not a big fan of this club (lots of Thai ladies, or men...if you catch my drift!) It's open until 6am. Behind Starbucks.

****PLEASE WATCH YOUR MONEY AND BAGS****

*Bophut - Fisherman's Village*

This quaint village is popular with couples, locals and families. There are some lovely places to eat and also some relaxing beach bars.

*The Billabong Surf Club*

I found that this bar has a typical Aussie feel to it with lots of sport on the TV. I had some great banter there with the local residents and the bar is also the clubhouse for the Samui Simians. Great for all you rugby fans! The music in this bar is quite mixed, mainly classic tunes, pop/live bands etc.

Opening times - Open every day from 8am - 2am

Location - In the centre of Fisherman's Village.

*Lamai*

Lamai's nightlife is quieter than Chaweng. It has with a wider choice of lounge and chillout bars with a couple of late night clubs.

*Bauhaus*

This bar is in the town centre and hosts a cocktail night every Wednesday. This is always a popular place with a buzzing atmosphere. Remember to check out the foam party on Friday night... if you dare! Be careful though as I slipped over a few times. Girls, remember your waterproof mascara, the panda look isn't cool!

Opening times - Every day from 6pm - 2am

Location - Town centre, Main Road.

Thank you for reading my review, it has brought back many memories writing about all these bars! I hope you get the chance to visit Koh Samui and have as much fun as I did! Thailand is a truely amazing place, with amazing culture.

Summary: The best place to party in Thailand!