Ko Samet

I took my first overnight excursion outside the city and where did I go? The beach, of course! The island of Ko Samet - 200 km southeast of the city of Bangkok. Three and a half hour bus ride from Bangkok directly to the pier at BanPhe in Rayong and then an hour ferry ride to the island.

I knew I was in for an adventure when I sat on the top of the ferry for a better view and two guys - one from Cambodia and the other from Laos invited me to join them in the bottle of Brandy they brought.

There are many beaches to choose from. I chose Ao Phai because this women I met from Minnesota told me that's where returning travelers often go.

The beaches were lovely and the guest house was cheap and clean.

Unfortunately the weather was not that great. Cloudy the first day and it rained all day the second. But it was still warm enough the first day to go swimming and get a massage on the beach. And of course, I walked for hours around the beaches - exploring the island and ended the evening shooting pool on the beach with guys from Australia, Wales and San Francisco.

But I got a taste for the place and I will definitely be back. Perfect for an overnight trip away from the city. And the perfect thing about going to the beach in Thailand - it isn't seasonal. It's there all year.