Parental Bonding III: Koh Samui

It all started with a simple thought that after visiting a modern city like Hong Kong and a laid-back hometown of mine, it felt like time for me and Linda to embark on another father-daughter trip again. I was thinking that the destination had to be a third-world country, so that Linda would learn that not everywhere in this world was the same as Singapore. It had to be somewhere we weren't familiar with, hence I ruled out Indonesia.

If it was up to me, we would have gone to Clark, Philippines. It's a city with a newly opened Hard Rock Cafe, definitely ticking all the boxes on my checklist. Surianto was keen to go along, but Endrico did his homework and vetoed the idea. Between Clark and Koh Samui, he was of the opinion that the latter was more suitable for kids. 

I was open to his suggestion. One ship, one captain, that's how we always do it. True to our tradition, Endrico became Captain Thailand II (the first one was Hendra, and we went to both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai). What made it slightly different this round was, unlike the usual trip where the Captain sat back and relaxed, Endrico poured his heart and soul into making it a successful trip. 

In hindsight, it was a good thing. Despite my past experiences, I was never a seasoned island traveler. Always more of a city person, I was out of my depth and would have been an ill-suited planner for this trip. Now that Endrico was taking charge, he did a good job in coming up with an itinerary that I would have never dreamt of, but yet found it enjoyable. Taty soon tagged along with her son, too.

At the airport, right after we landed.

We settled our tickets back in August 2025. About three months later, at 7 AM, we were already on our way to Koh Samui. We arrived early and the first thing we saw, the airport, impressed us very much. It was nothing like any airport we had seen before. Koh Samui International Airport had an open-air concept that made us feel like passing through a series of connected huts instead of one proper building!

The kids posing nearby Daybreak Villa. 

The Airbnb pick-up guys were there to greet us. Oh yes, while I am always a hotel person, Endrico is a big Airbnb fan, so he'd naturally go for it. The Daybreak Villa he rented was not only brilliant, but it had a beautiful view as well. Both adults and kids loved it. But since we arrived 8:30 AM at the doorstep, we couldn't check in yet. After leaving our luggages with Nok the Airbnb receptionist, we walked to our first destination: Wat Plai Laem. 

Endrico at Wat Plai Laem.

Under the leadership of Captain Thailand II, we soon lost our way, haha. But Endrico rectified this real quick, and we eventually reached the temple. It was probably Linda's first temple visit, but I reckon she enjoyed feeding the catfish more. That and talking to Yuna, the daughter of Surianto. Throughout the trip, they were inseparable.

Linda and Yuna at the Big Buddha Temple.

Next stop was the Big Buddha Temple. It was so-so only. The staircase was akin to a lightweight version of the one in Leshan, though. We didn't stay long there. I called Grab and got a female driver called Mai, who drove us to KOB by the Sea for lunch. Not exactly spectacular, but it started the precedent: the adults would go for Thai food while the kids preferred Western such as spaghetti and pizza.

The prepaid card!

The restaurant accepted card payments, but it was probably one of a few that did so. I'd soon learn that transactions in Koh Samui were still largely cash only. Determined to try out the QR code payment, when we were at Central Samui, I went through the hassle of applying for a Pay&Tour prepaid card that could be linked to the TAGTHAI app. However, much to my chagrin, most places neither accepted card payments nor displayed the PromptPay QR code.

Dinner at Sunset View Restaurant.

We returned to Daybreak Villa and only went out again to catch the sunset at Taling Ngam Beach on the west side of the island. But since the weather in Koh Samui was always cloudy, we saw no sunset. The dinner at Sunset View Restaurant was pretty decent, though. It marked the end of our adventure on Day One. 

Surianto and the pig of Koh Mat Sum.

Koh Mat Sum, better known as Pig Island, was our first destination on the second day. To get there, we first headed to Thong Krut Pier to board the speedboat. It was a wild ride, and the sea was kind of rough. But if we were ever worried, that feeling subsided when we landed. It was mind-blowing to see pigs of any size, from piglets to full-grown potbelly pigs. My only disappointment was not being able to see the pigs swimming in the sea.

The capsized kayak!

Less than an hour later, we made our way to Koh Tean, the neighboring island. It was so quiet that it was almost like a private island! Endrico went kayaking with her second daughter, but they capsized in two minutes! The second attempt was much more successful. They joined us for lunch afterwards. For such an isolated island, the meal was surprisingly good!

Enjoying the time in Koh Tean.

We returned to Koh Samui right after that. I had the most dreadful feeling during the 16-minute ride. My daughter sat in the bow area with other girls, going up and down as the speedboat bounced over the waves. I was worried sick. One unfortunate bump could flip her overboard, and I couldn't help thinking so. But she was happy, as if she were having the best time of her life.

At Coco Tam's.

Anyway, we made it back safely and returned to Daybreak Villa. It was late in the afternoon when we headed to Fisherman's Village Walking Street. It was like the Thai style of Taiwan's Shihlin Market. The wind was blowing mercilessly the entire time we were there. Nice place, nice ambience. Endrico also secured a strategic spot at Coco Tam's to watch the fire show. Food was great, too. But still, we supplemented it with Taco Bell on our way out, haha.

The viewpoint of Overlap Stone.

Mai was back to drive us around on the third day. We stopped at Lamai Post Office before reaching Overlap Stone. The way up somehow reminded me of the journey to see the Golden Rock Pagoda in Myanmar. It was so steep that it felt like it could go wrong any time. The viewpoint was fine, but the strong wind really added the thrill. I mean, since the security is kind of lacking, any misstep could result in a fatal accident and the relentless wind surely didn't help. 

The Red Temple.

Taty joined us at the Red Temple, which was located just across the street, opposite our starting point. She and her son visited Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo, but it had not much to see and she found it eerie to see many tigers pacing restlessly during their visit, so they quickly left. 

Linda in Hin Ta Hin Yai.

From the Red Temple, we went to Hin Ta Hin Yai, which was basically a rocky beach with a standing stone that would remind the adults of something familiar. After that we finally headed to McDonald's for lunch. Next stop was Haven Samui Community Mall, a newer but smaller shopping area. Not much to see there, so off we went to Capybara World Koh Samui. The kids loved it there, but Surianto was probably the most excited one!

Surianto and capybara.

Just like the first two days, we returned to Daybreak Villa to rest. Later on at night, we went to Chaweng Beach Road. ARKbar was an interesting place, but it was too loud for dinner, so we walked a bit and eventually had our meal at Thai Spices. Ordered a crocodile steak but didn't tell the kids what meat it was until they finished eating. They liked it, and much to our amusement, they only shrugged their shoulders after we told them.

At Divas Cabaret.

The main event for the night was Divas Cabaret. Endrico had always been an adventurous father, and he thought it was time for the kids to have their first taste of nightlife, so there we were, watching the performance of the lady boys. I had an initial discomfort, always the case when I watched cabaret shows in Thailand, but with songs like Phantom of the Opera and Dancing Queen, it immediately felt fine. The power of music! It brought us together, regardless who or what we are!

Choeng Mon Beach.

Then came the last morning in Koh Samui. We went for coffee at the Amazon Cafe near our villa, then walked along the tranquil Choeng Mon Beach as we headed back to the hotel. We had a slight detour for a local roadside food vendors and I finally got my chance to scan the PromptPay QR code using my TAGTHAi app! The last 40 baht bought us four sticks of chicken satay. 

Endrico boarding the flight to Singapore.

Packing up and heading back to airport to collect our boarding passes, we were once again amazed by how open the airport was. Very unique, really. The road leading to the departure gates had shops lining both sides. After having our passports stamped, we flew back to Singapore, bringing back with us the good memories of Koh Samui... 

Liburan Ortu Dan Anak Ronde III: Koh Samui

Semuanya berawal dari pemikiran sederhana bahwa setelah kunjungan ke kota modern seperti Hong Kong dan kampung halaman saya yang santai, kini tiba waktunya bagi saya dan Linda untuk kembali melakukan perjalanan ayah-anak lagi. Saya berpikir tujuannya haruslah negara berkembang, agar Linda bisa belajar bahwa tidak semua tempat di dunia ini sama seperti Singapura. Tempatnya haruslah asing bagi kami, jadi saya mencoret Indonesia dari daftar.

Kalau saya yang memutuskan, kami pasti sudah pergi ke Clark, Filipina. Ada Hard Rock Cafe yang baru buka di sana, pastinya memenuhi semua kriteria dalam daftar keinginan saya. Surianto bersemangat untuk ikut, tapi Endrico melakukan riset dan dia memaparkan alternatif lain. Antara Clark dan Koh Samui, dia berpendapat bahwa Koh Samui lebih cocok untuk anak-anak.

Saya terbuka terhadap sarannya. Satu kapal, satu nahkoda, begitulah cara main kami biasanya. Sesuai tradisi, Endrico menjadi Kapten Thailand II (yang pertama adalah Hendra, saat kami pergi ke Chiang Mai dan Chiang Rai). Yang membuatnya sedikit berbeda kali ini adalah, tidak seperti perjalanan biasanya di mana sang Kapten cuma duduk manis dan bersantai, Endrico benar-benar berupaya keras demi suksesnya perjalanan ini.

Kalau dipikir-pikir lagi, itu ada bagusnya. Terlepas dari pengalaman masa lalu saya, saya bukanlah pelancong pulau yang handal. Karena saya lebih suka suasana kota, hal ini di luar keahlian saya dan saya mungkin akan menjadi perencana yang buruk untuk perjalanan ini. Karena Endrico yang mengambil alih, dia berhasil menyusun rencana perjalanan yang tak pernah terpikirkan oleh saya, namun ternyata sangat saya nikmati pula. Taty pun lekas ikut bergabung bersama putranya.

Di bandara, saat tiba di Koh Samui.

Kami membeli tiket sejak Agustus 2025. Sekitar tiga bulan kemudian, pukul 7 pagi, kami sudah dalam perjalanan menuju Koh Samui. Kami tiba lebih awal dan hal pertama yang kami lihat, yaitu bandaranya, sangatlah mengesankan. Sama sekali tidak seperti bandara mana pun yang pernah kami lihat sebelumnya. Bandara Internasional Koh Samui memiliki konsep terbuka yang membuat kami merasa seolah-olah sedang melewati serangkaian pondok yang saling terhubung, bukannya sebuah gedung bandara pada umumnya!

Anak-anak berpose di depan Daybreak Villa.

Petugas penjemput Airbnb sudah ada di sana untuk menyambut kami. Oh ya, walaupun saya ini tipe orang yang lebih suka hotel, Endrico adalah penggemar berat Airbnb, jadi wajar saja dia memilih itu. Daybreak Villa yang dia sewa tidak hanya luar biasa, tapi juga punya pemandangan yang indah. Baik orang dewasa maupun anak-anak menyukainya. Tapi karena kami tiba pukul 8:30 pagi di lokasi, kami belum bisa check-in. Setelah menitipkan barang bawaan pada Nok, resepsionis Airbnb, kami berjalan kaki menuju tujuan pertama kami: Wat Plai Laem.

Endrico di Wat Plai Laem.

Di bawah kepemimpinan Kapten Thailand II, kami tak butuh waktu lama untuk tersesat, haha. Tapi Endrico segera memperbaiki situasi ini dengan cepat, dan akhirnya kami sampai di kuil tersebut. Mungkin ini kunjungan kuil pertama Linda, tapi sepertinya dia lebih menikmati memberi makan ikan lele. Dia juga akrab mengobrol dengan Yuna, putri Surianto. Sepanjang perjalanan, mereka berdua tak terpisahkan.

Linda dan Yuna di Big Buddha Temple.

Pemberhentian berikutnya adalah Big Buddha Temple. Tempatnya biasa-biasa saja. Tangga ke patung Buddha mirip versi mini dari ratusan anak tangga yang ada di Leshan. Tak lama kemudian, kami memesan Grab dan mendapatkan pengemudi wanita bernama Mai, yang mengantar kami ke KOB by the Sea untuk makan siang. Tidak terlalu istimewa, tapi santap siang ini memulai sebuah kebiasaan: orang dewasa memilih masakan Thailand sementara anak-anak lebih suka makanan barat seperti spageti dan piza.

Kartu prabayar!

Restoran itu menerima pembayaran kartu, tapi mungkin cuma satu dari sedikit tempat yang bisa begitu. Saya segera belajar bahwa transaksi di Koh Samui sebagian besar masih menggunakan uang tunai. Karena bertekad mencoba pembayaran kode QR, saat di Central Samui, saya bersusah payah mendaftar kartu prabayar Pay&Tour yang bisa dihubungkan ke aplikasi TAGTHAi. Namun, sangat mengecewakan bagi saya, kebanyakan tempat tidak menerima metode pembayaran kartu ataupun memajang kode QR PromptPay.

Endrico mengambil kuah tom yam di Sunset View Restaurant.

Kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa dan baru keluar lagi untuk mengejar matahari terbenam di Pantai Taling Ngam di sisi barat pulau. Tapi karena cuaca di Koh Samui selalu mendung, kami tidak melihat matahari terbenam. Meskipun demikian, makan malam di Sunset View Restaurant lumayan enak. Santap malam tersebut mengakhiri petualangan kami di Hari Pertama.

Surianto dan babi.

Koh Mat Sum, atau lebih dikenal sebagai Pulau Babi, adalah tujuan pertama kami di hari kedua. Untuk sampai ke sana, kami menuju Dermaga Thong Krut untuk naik speedboat. Perjalanannya cukup brutal dan ombak lautnya pun lumayan tinggi. Tapi jika kami sempat merasa cemas, perasaan itu hilang saat kami mendarat. Sungguh menakjubkan melihat babi dalam berbagai ukuran, dari anak babi hingga babi dewasa yang gemuk. Satu-satunya kekecewaan saya adalah tidak bisa melihat babi-babi itu berenang di laut.

Kayak yang terbalik!

Kurang dari satu jam kemudian, kami menuju Koh Tean, pulau tetangga. Suasananya begitu sepi sampai rasanya hampir seperti pulau pribadi! Endrico bermain kayak dengan putri keduanya, tapi perahu mereka terbalik dalam dua menit! Percobaan kedua jauh lebih sukses. Mereka bergabung dengan kami untuk makan siang setelahnya. Untuk pulau seterpencil itu, makanannya ternyata sangat enak!

Di Koh Tean.

Dari Koh Tean, kami kembali ke Koh Samui. Saya merasakan perasaan yang sangat ngeri selama 16 menit perjalanan itu. Putri saya duduk di bagian haluan bersama gadis-gadis lain, naik turun saat speedboat terguncang oleh ombak. Saya cemas setengah mati. Satu guncangan tak terduga bisa melemparnya ke laut, dan saya terus memikirkan itu. Tapi dia tampak bahagia, seolah-olah sedang menikmati masa-masa terbaik dalam hidupnya.

Di Coco Tam's.

Setelah berlabuh, kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa. Hari sudah menjelang sore ketika kami menuju Fisherman's Village Walking Street. Tempat itu memiliki nuansa Pasar Shihlin Taiwan versi Thailand. Angin bertiup kencang tanpa ampun selama kami di sana. Tempat yang bagus, suasananya pun enak. Endrico juga berhasil mendapatkan tempat strategis di Coco Tam's untuk menonton pertunjukan api. Makanannya juga sedap. Tapi tetap saja, kami mampir ke Taco Bell dan makan lagi saat jalan keluar, haha.

Pemandangan di Overlap Stone.

Mai kembali mengantar kami berkeliling pada hari ketiga. Kami berhenti di Kantor Pos Lamai sebelum mencapai Overlap Stone. Jalan naiknya entah bagaimana mengingatkan saya pada perjalanan melihat Pagoda Golden Rock di Myanmar. Sangat curam sehingga rasanya bisa celaka kapan saja. Pemandangannya bagus, tapi angin kencang benar-benar menambah ketegangan. Maksud saya, karena keamanannya agak minim, salah langkah sedikit saja bisa berakibat fatal, dan angin yang bertiup kencang itu jelas tidak membantu.

Surianto di Red Temple.

Taty bergabung dengan kami di Red Temple yang terletak tepat di seberang jalan dari titik awal kami. Dia dan putranya mengunjungi Samui Aquarium dan Tiger Zoo, tapi tidak banyak yang bisa dilihat dan dia merasa ngeri melihat harimau yang mondar-mandir dengan gelisah selama kunjungan mereka, jadi mereka cepat-cepat pergi.

Linda bersantai di Hin Ta Hin Yai.

Dari Red Temple, kami pergi ke Hin Ta Hin Yai, yang pada dasarnya adalah pantai berbatu dengan batu berdiri yang akan mengingatkan orang dewasa pada sesuatu yang seronok. Setelah itu kami menuju McDonald's untuk makan siang. Perhentian berikutnya adalah Haven Samui Community Mall, area belanja yang lebih baru tapi lebih kecil. Tidak banyak yang bisa dilihat di sana, jadi kami lanjut ke Capybara World Koh Samui. Anak-anak sangat suka di sana, tapi Surianto mungkin yang paling bersemangat!

Surianto dan kapibara.

Sama seperti dua hari pertama, kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa untuk istirahat. Malam harinya, kami pergi ke Jalan Pantai Chaweng. ARKbar adalah tempat yang menarik, tapi terlalu bising untuk makan malam, jadi kami berjalan sedikit dan akhirnya makan di Thai Spices. Endrico memesan steak buaya tapi tidak memberi tahu anak-anak daging apa itu sampai mereka selesai makan. Mereka menyukainya, dan lucunya, mereka hanya mengangkat bahu acuh tak acuh setelah kami beri tahu.

Divas Cabaret.

Acara utama malam itu adalah Divas Cabaret. Endrico memang ayah berpikiran terbuka, dan dia pikir sudah waktunya bagi anak-anak untuk mencicipi kehidupan malam pertama mereka, jadi di sanalah kami, menonton pertunjukan banci. Awalnya saya merasa tidak nyaman, seperti yang selalu saya rasakan saat menonton pertunjukan kabaret di Thailand, tapi dengan lagu-lagu seperti Phantom of the Opera dan Dancing Queen, rasanya langsung jadi asyik. Kekuatan musik! Musik menyatukan kita, terlepas dari siapa atau apa pun kita!

Pantai Choeng Mon.

Kemudian tibalah pagi terakhir di Koh Samui. Kami pergi minum kopi di Amazon Cafe dekat vila kami, lalu berjalan di sepanjang Pantai Choeng Mon yang tenang saat kembali ke penginapan. Kami sedikit memutar ke penjual makanan pinggir jalan lokal dan akhirnya saya mendapat kesempatan untuk memindai kode QR PromptPay menggunakan aplikasi TAGTHAi saya! 40 baht terakhir membelikan kami empat tusuk sate ayam.

Endrico menaiki pesawat tujuan ke Singapore.

Setelah berkemas dan kembali ke bandara untuk mengambil boarding pass, kami sekali lagi dibuat kagum oleh betapa terbukanya bandara itu. Sangat unik, sungguh. Jalan menuju gerbang keberangkatan memiliki toko-toko yang berjejer di kedua sisinya. Setelah paspor kami dicap, kami terbang kembali ke Singapura, membawa pulang kenangan indah tentang Koh Samui...