Originally Posted by kreeft
I'll be in Thailand right after Christmas past New Year's with some friends. I was thinking of taking 3 days and going to the beach. Would you suggest Phuket or Koh Samui? Or somewhere else?
What hotels would you suggest? My friend said he heard good things about the Amari Palm Reef Resort on Koh Samui. Thoughts?
Ewww...you'll be there at the busiest time of year with the heaviest crowds and highest prices. Lots of shopping, food and carousing available and the beaches are still OK, but it's not exactly pristine. (OTOH, if you want the luxury hotel then you have to rule out the more unspoiled places). Samui has really changed a lot in the last 10 years and not for the better, IMO, but it's still marginally better than Phuket and can offer things like rides to Ko Pha-Ngan (home of the full-moon party) and Ang Thong Marine Park. Those are worth checking out.