Gym's Ramblings: Pearls of the Orient

View from the front entrance of the W Koh Samui

The dynamic duo arrived to Koh Samui quite late on January 7, 2026, so they couldn't begin to explore the property until the next morning. They woke up the next day to a wet and windy morning. It was overcast and the seas were a bit churned up by the inclement weather. They visited the beach that morning to find it was deserted and then they went to breakfast. Later that day the skies and the seas began to clear and it was bright and sunny for the rest of their time at the resort.

The W Koh Samui is built on a very secluded slice of paradise. Just 200 meters from the Ring Road it sits at the tip of a promontory that separates Bo Phut Beach from Maenam Beach. The front entrance of the resort sits at the summit of the headland and from the open air front office, one can take in an incredible view of the Andaman Sea, across an infinity pool, while checking-in. Unfortunately for Gym and his dear wife it was too dark to take in that incredible view when they arrived but they marvelled at that view several times during their stay.

Most of the accommodations are arranged on a gentle slope rising up from the beach. The slope steepens considerably when you climb back towards the front gate. Built into the headland below the front entrance are multiple levels of the public areas of the hotel, including the fitness room, spa, infinity pool, sundeck, main restaurant and reception area. Each level has great views of the green flora-covered slopes that run down into the aqua coloured sea beyond. From the restaurant on a clear day you can see the outline of two fringing reefs that are separated by a line running out from the furthest northern point of the beach. There out on that point, a big "W" has been planted. The soft and smooth fine-grained, white sand was smoothed and well maintained by the hotel staff.

To access all the hotel services in the common areas you can call for a golf cart, take an elevator or climb about ten stories of stairs. Our hero and his fetching bride never once took a golf cart or the elevator and climbed the stairs at least twice a day, to access various hotel amenities. Breakfast alone was a 164-stair climb each morning but the views as one climbed from level to level made all of the exertions worthwhile.

Our travellers love to walk and just about every day they climbed up the hill and hiked out to the Ring Road. Most days they would turn left and continue on to Fisherman's Village. There they would treat themselves to a drink or a meal overlooking Bo Phut Beach, at one of the many excellent eateries or watering holes. One evening they took in the night market that they had also visited in 2023. This is where the author needs to comment about the walkability of this Koh Samui paradise. Simply put, the island is not very walkable. Where they exist, sidewalks are uneven and narrow. They are often punctuated by utility poles, parked scooters or vehicles. This makes it necessary to walk out onto the road periodically, to get to your destination. It is a a good idea to always stay alert for traffic on the roads, when you step off the sidewalks and don't tempt approaching traffic too much. Having said that, everyone's a Buddhist in Thailand so they will avoid harming a tourist, if at all possible.

Aside from walkability concerns, Koh Samui and the most excellent W Hotel provided for a wonderfully relaxing week for Gym and Mrs. Gym. They thoroughly enjoyed their week on the island. However, all good things must come to an end and on January 14, 2025 they boarded a Bangkok Airways Airbus 319 for a direct flight to Hong Kong. The homeward journey had begun but the travellers would be spending a few days in Hong Kong on the way back.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Pearls of the Orient!