Bali or Samui what to choose. Countries for wintering: Thailand - Koh Samui, Indonesia - Bali, Malaysia - Penang - what to choose, where to go, a subjective assessment. Local life and customs

How to get there

The airport on the island of Bali is the Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, from there you can get to any point of the island by taxi. Its only drawback is that when departing from the airport, you need to pay a fee - $ 20 per person, it did not apply to a child under two years old.

Airport on the island of Penang. From it you can get to regular bus and a taxi (a taxi to Georgetown is approximately $ 10-15). A big plus that AirAsia flies here, you can find tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Penang for $ 10 and fly 40 minutes.

Samui airport is private, you can get out of it on foot (!), By minibus, taxi or rent a motorbike / car. AirAsia does not fly here, but you can take combined tours this airline, for example, to Surat Thani and then an hour by ferry. There is one nice nuance! From Penang you can fly to Samui by the Malay company FireFly (fireflyz.com.my), it is convenient for those who receive a visa in Malaysia, travel from here with a child, etc. Because the flight Samui-Penang or Penang-Samui for the promotion is $ 55.

Long-term housing

It all very much depends on the place, village, beach!

Houses on Koh Samui for every taste and color. And in general, finding a home is not a problem, both on the shore, and next to the sea, and in the interior of the island. Moreover, the proximity of the sea will not always be a decisive factor in the price, the age and filling of the house also matter. Pleases good suggestion houses of the middle price category for $ 300- $ 500 per month. However, the most important point here, when exactly is it planned to rent a house. Because if in September-October there is still a choice, then the closer to the new year, the fewer and fewer vacant houses.

On Bali too a good choice housing, we really have the experience of finding a house only in Ubud in the month of February. And there we were faced with the fact that there was almost no free housing at affordable prices for us ($ 350-400). Either villas with prices starting at $ 800 per month, or something with a beautiful price of $ 200-300, but completely inappropriate options like a detached shared kitchen, an abundance of stairs and (or) neighbors. My personal opinion is that in Ubud (and judging by the photographs of rented housing in thematic communities) in Bali, housing is most often more beautiful, visually more interesting, but in the season it is very, very difficult to find a suitable house, especially inexpensive. Our home in Bali -

In Penang renting a house for several months is very problematic, but for a year it is very real. Perhaps it is more convenient to focus on condo / apartments, since they are abundant in the north of the island, overlooking the sea and next to the bridge, overlooking the mainland. Prices are very different, but judging by the ads on thematic sites, you can look for pleasant ones - from $ 300-350 per month for a 2-3 bedroom apartment in some complex.

For children

If you look at the islands from the point of view of the question "Wintering with children", then roughly as follows:

with children, you can settle well on each of the islands, there are local and English-language schools / kindergartens everywhere, both on an ongoing basis and one-time classes. On Koh Samui there is a Montessori school-garden, in Bali - Bali International, Green School, in Penang - Uplands. The only and most tangible disadvantage of international schools is high price learning.

Everywhere there are swimming pools and the sea, places for walking. The pool in Bali, more precisely in Ubud - he just saved us, since you can't hit the sea from Ubud every day

But at the same time, it is important to take into account the seasonality, because during the daytime in the heat you will not especially walk around either yourself or with your child.

In any case, children's leisure is very dependent on their parents, and in principle, very good leisure can be organized on each of the islands. On Koh Samui, we mainly had the sea, but in Bali it turned out bigger and brightest, you can read in the article -

Geographic data (attention: the weather is always indicative)

Bali is the largest of the considered islands - 5,780 km², in length / width about 150 by 80 km, the climate in Bali is equatorial-monsoon, the rainiest months are November-January, the hottest are November-December, March.

Penang - 285 km², humid equatorial climate, rains October-December, April, the hottest months - May-July. There are four seasons in Pinang - wet, hot, hotter and the hottest (according to the guide).

Samui - 228.7 km², you can safely go around on a bike in a day and even faster :) The rainiest months are October-November, March. The hottest are May-July. It is best to go on vacation to Koh Samui in January-February.

In the center of all the islands there are jungle mountains, and in Bali, closer to the north, there are volcanoes, there are light earthquakes. In general, I like to look at the weather by region on this resource - pogoda.turtella.ru, everything is very well scheduled there by months.

Water, sea-ocean

The sea of ​​Samui is the Gulf of Thailand, there are excellent beaches for swimming and contemplation, the ebb / flow is well felt. At low tide, of course the expanse of children (depends on the beach). The weather and the sea in general are good, but not very predictable, if it is windy, then the water will be opaque. But in general with a child on Koh Samui (in November-December) it turned out to be very comfortable, the sea / sand is the main entertainment (1.5-2 years), we were on the beach until 11:00 and after 16:00, in the shade under a palm tree it was very comfortable.

Bali - washed Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. Beach holidays in Bali are available and there is a very beautiful beaches, but renting a house for a long time right next to the sea is almost impossible, there are none, unlike Koh Samui and Penang. The water here is more powerful, after all, the ocean than on Koh Samui and Penang, where sometimes you swim as if in a giant calm pool. In Bali, this also happens, but in other places there are always waves that are not suitable for a child's swimming. In general, in Bali (we really lived in and at sea from there you can't hit the bike) somehow beach vacation passed us, and we walked more and more on the pools.

Penang is washed by the waters of the Strait of Malacca, there is a beach holiday here, and you can literally live on the beach, only it will be an apartment / apartment in a huge high-rise building with a landscaped area around it, with an obligatory swimming pool. Of course, the sea is not as clean as on Koh Samui, for example, but if you wish, you can swim in Batu Farringi, and take a boat (or take a rather long path to walk) to the beaches in national park... The only thing in the sea may be jellyfish, it is advisable to have vinegar with you to wipe the burn area with it in case of anything.

Transport

Samui

On Koh Samui, songteo (tuk-tuk) go along the roundabout in two directions, the cost depends on the distance and in the daytime is approximately $ 1.5- $ 2.5. After 18:00 it is already necessary to agree on the cost and direction. There is a taxi. But the most convenient way is to rent a bike or a car, although there are very mountain roads on the island. Bike rental on average - $ 100 per month, or $ 5-15 per day, car - from $ 400 per month.

Bali

In Bali, transport is full of different and at the same time there is no intelligible system. Local travel agencies have information about minibuses and buses in different tourist destinations, you can rent a bike / car with a driver (for a day, half a day) or for any period without him. Estimated cost per bike per month - $ 50, for a car - from $ 200. In addition, we recently launched minibuses on a specific schedule and route,

Penang

Penang has a very developed system public transport(air-conditioned buses), the fare depends on the distance of the trip and is paid on the bus (to the driver in a special box, the driver does not give change). The only downside is that the buses are rather slow and winding a lot. And in Georgetown there is a special tourist bus, which is free of charge to the main attractions of the city! And of course a taxi on the counter or negotiate in advance. You can rent a bike / bike, bikes from $ 10 per day.

Infrastructure (shops, hospitals)

Each of the islands has an international airport, large shops and various hospitals. The only thing, of course, is that these shops and hospitals are concentrated in the most popular tourist destinations.

There are many large shops and various hospitals in Penang, and it also very much depends on the area.

There are three large stores on Koh Samui - Tesco, Big C and Makro, the first two have a playground and Makro is a wholesale store.

Household little things (washing, water, massage)

On Koh Samui there is a choice, you can take your clothes to the self-service laundry yourself - on average $ 1 baht per load and dry it yourself later, or hand over everything to local aunts and get everything fresh, then the average price per stack we got - $ 4, it seems 1 kg - $ 1.5. In Thailand, we have not handed over things to the locals for a long time, as they go too far with rinses and get a solid synthetic stench, plus they can wash something with something colored thread, and then they will only apologize for the color :) Massage on average $ 10 per hour session. Water in large bottles (20 liters) is less than a dollar, but it was unpleasant for me to drink it raw, so for drinking I bought all kinds of pop music like Nestle - almost $ 2 for 5 liters.

There are no self-service laundries in Bali, but you can always and everywhere wash everything and the price goes not for weight, but for the number and name of things, such as a T-shirt, so many pants, so many pants, we got a small stack on average $ 2. I liked that everything was ironed and only slightly smelly. The truth is that the thread can be lost, I gradually didn’t return a couple of things, I didn’t check it and noticed it late, maybe I could find it. Water in large bottles (19 l) for about $ 2, tasty. Massage is a little cheaper than in Thailand, from $ 7 per hour on average!

But we did not live in Penang for so long that I could write something on these points. We bought water in 1.5 liter bottles - delicious, there are Londonries in hotels / guesthouses, we did not go for a massage, it is not at every corner here.

Food, food, cafe

In general, everything is completely subjective about food. I wrote more about food on Koh Samui and Ubud in Bali in the articles of the same name - and the cheapest and most varied food in cafes was on the island of Penang, although the food in the shops seemed more expensive to us than in the shops of Koh Samui. But the most expensive thing was in cafes in Bali and at the same time the least tasty. On Koh Samui, everything is very good, varied in terms of taste and price.

Attractions, leisure

The most varied leisure activities on the island of Bali, nevertheless, it surpasses both Koh Samui and Penang in size. In Ubud alone, far from the sea, you can do a bunch of different things - read the article - , shopping. And outside Ubud - the sea, trekking, hot springs, surfing, caves, parks, etc. And by the way, yoga in Bali is popular, especially in Ubud. And besides, Bali has a rich culture - there are dances and, in general, various ceremonies are frequent.

The attractions on Penang Island are many and varied. See our article There and national park and the sea and and amusement parks, fruit farm, butterflies. There are many interesting facts.

Locals

In Penang, it seemed to me the most even and calm attitude towards visitors. Well, the place on the bus is not inferior to a mother with a small child in her arms, even if they sit in specially designated places at the beginning of the bus. You can politely say something :)

Internet

Internet is the best and fastest we had in Penang, it was by default where we lived. He literally flew.

Internet on Koh Samui (Ban Tai village and beach) is also of high quality. We have Wi-Fi / LAN, it was immediately included in the cost of renting a house, but in bad weather there were small freezes and the speed changed by the time of day.

The weakest internet was in Ubud, Bali, but we can more or less solve this issue for additional money.

We always try to make do with the available Internet, as we are trying to travel as cheaply as possible and in general, whether we were lucky, or it is possible to live in housing in the $ 350-450 price range with the available Internet.

Subjective opinion about prices

Here, of course, everything depends on each person, preferences, needs. We do not eat meat, we do not drink alcohol, but we eat kilograms of fruit. We rent a bike, not a car, we actively go to places of interest (there is also a “biting” paid entrance :) and we try to cook at home. We use the available Internet, we don’t buy outfits, only children's bulky items / books. Sometimes we allow ourselves to go for a massage and, or if it's really tempting, then we find ourselves in various unplanned situations - like a lens breakage or If you travel for a long time, you don't have to be afraid of out-of-season weather - it's still a good savings.

In general, life on Koh Samui (and indeed in Thailand) turned out to be a little more expensive for us than in Bali, in Ubud. Although in Bali we led a more interesting and fulfilling life, there was less comfort. The dwelling was simpler, without air conditioning, but it was beautiful with its own mini-garden, and it was cheaper to rent a bike. We did not live in Penang for long, and in principle, in terms of prices, in my opinion, it is very much comparable to Samui.

A little bit of summary

The most comfortable, simple, safe wintering with or without children is, in my opinion, wintering in Thailand, on Samui, or elsewhere. Specifically on Koh Samui, there are also quiet quiet places, and partying. Conveniently, if you wish, you can move and live on other islands - Phangan, Tao - got on a boat and voila, explore new spaces! If this is your first wintering, then perhaps our article will be useful - and

A cultural and very varied holiday in Bali, but it doesn't feel as safe as Koh Samui. That is, wintering in Bali is very possible and good, but there are some nuances. However, here you can learn something new - surfing or yoga :) It's far from the mainland, sometimes the lights go out, small earthquakes happen, the volcano is nearby, the Javanese builders are inadequate. We lived in Ubud and practical advice can be found in the article -

There is more cultural and urban recreation / life on the island of Penang. It is convenient that the mainland is at hand and there is a national park, and indeed a lot of different interesting things.

In general, the choice of where to go to Koh Samui or Bali, to Koh Samui or Penang, now it seems to me quite possible to make :)

The cost of the flight always depends on the travel time. The graph will allow you to compare prices for air tickets from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.

Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in April prices average 49 343 rubles, and in May the cost of tickets drops on average to 32 738 rubles. Plan your trip now!

We analyze this information and draw up schedules to make it easier for you to plan your trips.

What is more profitable - to buy tickets in advance, avoiding the general excitement, or to use a "hot" offer closer to the departure date? The graph will help you determine the best time to purchase air tickets.

See how the price of air tickets from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their cost changes by an average of 22%. Minimum price in the direction from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali - 20 days before departure, approximately 32,738 rubles. The maximum price in the direction from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali is 13 days before departure, approximately 49 343 rubles. In most cases early booking helps to save money, take advantage of it!

Airfare from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali is not a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes is visible on the graph.

According to statistics, the most affordable flight option from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali is on Wednesdays, their average cost is 32,738 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Sundays, their average cost is 49,343 rubles. It should be borne in mind that departures on pre-holiday days are usually more expensive. We hope this data will help you plan your travels in the most efficient way.

The cost of air tickets depends not only on the date, but also on the time of departure. An airline can operate several flights on one day, and they will differ in the price category.

The graph shows the cost of departure depending on the time of day. For example, the average cost of a ticket from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali in the morning is 38,161 rubles. Evaluate all the conditions and choose the best offer.

The chart shows the comparative prices for flights from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali of the most popular airlines. Based on this information, you will be able to plan your trip and buy air tickets from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali from the carrier of your choice.

Statistics will help you choose a flight, focusing on your financial capabilities, as well as wishes in terms of comfort and flight conditions. The lowest prices for air tickets from Koh Samui to Denpasar Bali are offered by Singapore Airlines, the highest prices are offered by Singapore Airlines.

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We flew from Moscow on an Ethihad Airways flight. Two transfers, in Abu Dhabi and Bangkok. Only 20 hours on the road. No matter how praised Arab airlines, Singapore Airways is still better. The interior of the Arabs was dirtier, the plane was kind of wobbly. But, in general, they flew. By the way, the food was quite edible, the movie was also in Russian.

In Bangkok, they switched to local airlines and flew to Koh Samui in a small turboprop plane-bus. The islands below us were measured and unmeasured. Why the people of the world have focused their attention on Koh Samui is not clear. They all look the same.

I must say right away that after reading scary stories before the trip that there were no vacant hotels on the spot or that they cost twice as much, we had booked everything from Moscow. Since we did not need super service, and we were not going to sit in the room, we chose the price-quality ratio. Therefore, we were not particularly looking for hotels on the first line. Walking on foot for five minutes a day does not hurt. Important information for those traveling with three: it is very difficult to find hotels with triple rooms. Or it will cost like two separate rooms or the child sleeps in the same bed with the parents. You can find options, but I'll say right away that there are not many of them.

As elsewhere, it is very important to choose the right vacation spot, although the island is very small, 57 km away. along the ring road, but the places there differ radically. The most popular beaches are Chaweng and Lamai. Since we were traveling with our teenage daughter, who is still too early to go to night brothels, we chose Lamai as a calmer and more family resort. As it turned out later, they did not lose. Although, in order to get the most complete picture of life on the island, we broke our vacation like this: a week in Lamai, three days in Chaweng, and then we did not book anything, we decided to see if we might want to live elsewhere. Our vacation was three weeks.

We went there at the beginning of June, in low season when there are few people and the prices are reasonable.

A taxi shuttle from the airport to Lamai cost 150 baht, read rubles per person. We settled at the Hathai House Hotel, 400 meters from the coast. The hotel is family-run and they live there. The elderly hostess aunt spoke English well, so there were no problems with communication. A room for three without breakfast cost 1000 rubles a day. The room is large, clean, with kondeem, refrigerator, TV. Towels were changed every day. Three bottles of free water were put into the refrigerator. For breakfast, we directly in our room, or later on the beach, ate fruit, bought the night before in the night market. I didn't feel like eating sausages, omelettes, rolls. The hotel had a pool, we never used it, swam in the sea. In total, when we checked in, out of 16 hotel rooms, only two were occupied. When we left at the end of June, the hotel was packed to capacity, moreover, as the hostess said, with regular guests who come to them from year to year. Later, walking along Lamai, we went to many hotels and found that for the same money it was possible to rent a place no worse, but a hundred meters closer to the sea. I didn't want to move because of such trifles.

Lamai beach itself is a wide strip of sand about 6 kilometers long. The most the best place, it's in the middle. In the north, it is deserted, shallows, a stinking river flows into the sea. The south is also sparsely populated, far from everything, but there are beautiful rocks. Rest there is suitable for those who want to retire. In the center of the beach and there are more people and democratic restaurants right on the shore and the entrance to the water is the most convenient.

There is no white, fine as flour sand, which can be seen in Photoshop photographs from other parts of the world on Koh Samui. Sand of varying degrees of yellowness and grains of sand of different fractions. There are places where it is small, like dust, and there are places where it is large, like cereal. The entrance to the water is shallow, in 10-15 meters it is already up to the neck. The water is very warm, but not disgustingly cloying, but just right. Degrees 23-25. Sometimes it is very transparent. When the waves, it becomes cloudy. Quite salty, holds well. In general, it is believed that on Koh Samui, except in autumn and winter, there are no waves, almost complete calm. That was when we arrived. The feeling that you are on the shore of a small lake. But then, when the weather changed, waves appeared, for a couple of days they were quite large.

On the beach coastal hotels and restaurants offer their own beds and umbrellas for 100-150 rubles, or, if you are their client, then for free. Nobody really used this service. We, like many others, preferred to sit in the shade of palms and trees right on the sand. With palm trees, you need to be careful so that the coconut does not fall on you.

The sun beats down there mercilessly. Creams with a high degree of protection are required. When walking in the middle of the day, it is best to wear a T-shirt and a cap. Local merchants carrying ice-cream-corn on the beach are fully wrapped, only hands are open. The atmosphere in Lamai is calm, conducive to leisurely relaxation. There is a scooter rental there, but they were rarely used, mostly in the late afternoon. This pleasure is worth 1500-2000 rubles in 20 minutes, depending on the novelty and power of the scooter itself. Many leading healthy image life runs along the water's edge. Despite the fact that there are a huge number of dogs everywhere, they behave very friendly, they do not try to grab the runners by the heels. At the beginning, their presence bothered us a little, then we got used to it and stopped paying attention to them. The merchants are also not very intrusive, like it or not, they asked and move on. Many people immediately recognize Russians by their speech. Russians are friendly, fortunately in our season it becomes immeasurable here.

The town of Lamai itself, like many settlements throughout Southeast Asia, it is a large village. More recently, there were dirt roads here, and chickens ran along the streets. Now, of course, tourism and trade are booming. Although, there are big doubts about it. There are a lot of empty outlets. There are also many "for rent-for-sale" ads. Things may be going well during the season, but we have noticed that in the evenings there are not a single customer in the countless bars, although the girls are spinning around the poles and the music is playing, and the beer costs almost as much as in the store. In some places, there is an active construction of housing, but why would anyone need it there, I could not imagine. There is frankly nothing to do there, because you will not grow coconuts. And to live there, even a couple of months a year and not do anything - the melancholy is green. Quite often there are couples of Farang Thai. But both look rather disappointed. She is disappointed that this belly with a red mug turned out to be not so much a prince on a white horse. He is disappointed that this Thai princess girl quickly turned into a shriveled frog, not at all as slender as at the beginning of their acquaintance. And this farang sits all day in bars, chatting with stray compatriots, and his Thai wife grazes the houses of chickens and children. Prose of life.

After spending a week on Lamai, we moved to Chaweng to see with our own eyes the most promoted corner of the island. This place is much more noisy and crowded.

In terms of shopping - the most the best way all over the island. Hotels here are more expensive, but youth hostels are generally available for a penny, although rooms are mostly only for two.

But the main thing is the sea. And here it is much worse than on Lamai. Small fry! You walk 40-50 meters and everything is knee-deep. There is no surf at all. Attention! In the northern part of the beach, just behind the famous bar Arkbar, a completely lost place begins. By the way, most of the hotels that promote sites like Agoda are located there. There is no water at all.

Just a swamp, the bottom of which is overgrown with algae and strewn with fragments of coral.

And to go to normal water in any direction for 300-500 meters. Every time you have to grope along the shore closer to the center of the beach. If you were offered a hotel on Chaweng, be sure to look at the satellite view in Google, it is immediately clear where the shallows are.

Having lived for three days on Chaweng, we still did not understand what attracts people here. Night life, of course, more active than on Lamai, but nothing more. In addition, on the last evening we poisoned ourselves in an expensive Japanese restaurant Fuji, and the impressions of Chaweng were completely spoiled. In general, without any reservation we are going back to Lamai to the same Hathai House hotel. We were welcomed there and were given a price even lower than in the special offer.

After an unsuccessful experience with Chaweng, we didn't want to move to other beaches such as Bophut or Big Buddha, and, as it later turned out during a round trip around the island, it was the right decision. Since the situation with the sea, or rather with its absence, was about the same. All around the shoals, sticking out corals, algae and melancholy.

By the way, about moving around the island. Of course, many people rent bikes. The rental costs 100-150 rubles per day, gasoline at 40 rubles per liter. There were three of us adults, you can't sit on one bike, and two are not needed. In general, we walked, a maximum of 10 minutes in one direction. Sometimes they used Tuk-Tuk, for 40-50 rubles per person inside the city. We rented a car for one day to drive around all the sights of the island. A Toyota machine for a day costs 1,500 rubles, a passport is taken as a deposit. As I said, the length of the ring road is only 57 km. We did not leave very early, drove to a show at a crocodile farm, visited the Big Buddha complex, visited the jungle in the south of the island in the national park, where we rode elephants, drove to the Tesco-Lotus supermarket and returned home at 6 pm. In short, 7 hours were enough for the entire excursion, for all the sights. Usually tourists are brought to the stones "Grandmother and Grandfather", which are similar to the corresponding genitals, but we already went there on foot, because they are located just at the southern end of Lamai Beach. When we went around the island, we paid attention to the beaches. And it turned out that, at least at this time of the year, almost all the beaches in the south and in the north of the island are without water. On the western shores we were not, but I already wrote about eastern Lamai and Chaweng. Of the excursions, we also went fishing. We paid 1,700 rubles each. Everything was organized well, transfer, bananas, tea, coffee. The boat is quite comfortable, fifteen fishermen did not interfere with each other in any way. They took them to the north of the island, swam not very far from the coast and began to fish. Fish, of course, came across, but some small carp. And then, very rarely. For the whole day, about thirty were caught at all. There were no such trophies as shown in their advertising brochures. Probably come across once in a hundred years. But from the shore, at night in our presence, one fisherman pulled out a rather large barracuda. People also traveled to the neighboring island of Ko Tao, where good snorkeling... But we, after exhausting and stupid fishing, no longer wanted to swim anywhere. By the way, on Koh Samui itself there is no snorkeling, let alone diving, at least near the coast. In the sea, only translucent rare fish of one or two breeds.

Now about the most important thing. What we liked and what we didn't. And, at the same time, we can compare it with Bali.

People. Both are quite friendly. There was never a bad attitude towards us, even from the sellers on the beach, whom we politely sewed. Only in Bali, in Kuta, they are much more persistent and intrusive. Haven't seen a single beautiful Thai girl. The travesty were much nicer. Indonesian women are somehow nicer on the whole. On Koh Samui, problems with English, very few people know it, so they often explained on the fingers.

Prices. Roughly the same. Although, in general, holidays in Bali are cheaper. For example, on Koh Samui, a car costs 1,500 rubles per day, and in Bali, too, per day, but with a driver-guide. Knock-knock for 50 rubles per person. And in Bali a taxi on the meter is on average 50 rubles for a trip around the city, for three or four. Branded items all over the world are expensive, give or take, and in South-East Asia, where all fakes are riveted, the prices are local, but the quality is also appropriate.

Food. Thai cuisine is considered to be one of the best in the world. Probably it is. When we first arrived, the abundance of smells from all sides made us think about food all the time. And Thais cook and eat all day long. In cafes, in houses, on trays and strollers (makashnits). All food is prepared very quickly. And it smells very appetizing. But as Kurt Vonnegut wrote, "... they have good food, but such that I don't want to remember." In short, she got bored in one week. And I was so tired that we could no longer tolerate even these ubiquitous smells. We tried to take something as simple as rice, chicken without sauce, eggs, fried or boiled potatoes. When we first arrived, we wondered why so many foreigners sit in restaurants with European, Mexican, Australian cuisine. Moreover, many minded simple hamburgers. Didn't you eat all this in your homeland? After all, there is inexpensive, varied and delicious local food. But then we joined their ranks. They also began to ask the Thais to fry an omelet or cook pasta. And the child for the last few days has eaten only pizza and potatoes baked in foil. And, passing through the streets, I had to plug my noses in order to escape from the smells that seemed so fragrant before. Not only were we so fussy, many of the Russians we met on the island also tried not to eat local food. By the way, there is a night market on Lamai, right opposite McDonald's, where a huge variety of food and any dish costs 50 rubles. In the afternoon we ate at the Bambu restaurant, right on the beach. And here and there we already knew what we want and prepared adapted dishes for us. In Bali, food was somewhat similar, but not as stubbornly obtrusive, as if simpler, and therefore digestible. There are more fruits in Thailand than in Bali.

Sea. That, for the sake of which everyone goes to distant countries. On Koh Samui, it is warm, calm, and also boring. There are no waves. In Bali, in Kuta, there is a constant wave. It is a Mecca for surfers around the world. Even if you are not a surfer, you can try to learn how to stand on the board, it is very interesting. Even just swimming in the waves is much more interesting than “taking a bath” on Koh Samui. In the evening in Kuta, real fun begins on the beach - like Tverskaya Street on a city day. Crowds, football, volleyball, surfing again.

The island itself. Compared to Koh Samui, Bali is huge. It takes a few days to just go around the island. There will be enough attractions for a month of daily excursions. Moreover, it will not be just a "failure" for tourists, like Ilf and Petrov, but real cultural and natural treasures.

I haven’t written a lot of things yet, well, you don’t remember everything. In addition, about food, nightclubs, shopping, prices, etc. you can find a lot of information in other stories.

Generally. Samui is green longing. Nothing to do there, tired of everything in a week. Bali is not for everybody. If there is a desire to actively move, and not lie on the warm sand with a vegetable, then it is better to come here. Well, of course, this is just a private opinion. Maybe someone will find their paradise on earth on Koh Samui. And I was in Thailand for the first time and, it seems, the last. Although, who knows, never say never!

We have been asked more than once how life is different in Thailand and Bali, and where is better. In this post I will try to answer these questions. I will compare life on three islands - Phuket, Bali and Koh Samui. We lived in Phuket for a month, in Bali for two months, and in Samui for the fourth.

Since we are traveling together with a small son (at the time of the start of the trip he was one and a half years old), the choice of place, housing and everything else is focused, first of all, on comfortable and safe living with a small child. Walking access to the sea and the beach and the possibility of a quiet bathing with a baby also mean a lot to us. Well, another important aspect, on which everything else often depends, is the cost of living (renting a house, food, transport, entertainment). The available budget has to be optimized taking into account the fact that we do not know how long our trip will last, and we do not have any stable large income. Therefore, you have to save.

Flights

We chose the first point of our journey Phuket because they found cheap tickets Moscow → Phuket with one change in Novosibirsk of the S7 company. The flight Moscow → Novosibirsk lasted 4.5 hours, Novosibirsk → Phuket - 7 hours. We were specifically looking for a night flight so that our son would sleep on the plane. Tyoma, by the way, endured the flight quite well. He really slept through the entire flight in his mother's arms.

To fly from Russia to Samui, there are several options. You can fly directly to Koh Samui (with one or two transfers), or fly to Surat Thani (cheap AirAsia flies there), and from there take a ferry to Koh Samui.

The cheapest option is to fly to Bangkok (you can take a direct flight from Moscow), from there fly to Surat Thani and then take a ferry to Koh Samui. But you have to be prepared that the move will take a day, or even more. And yet, the time of arrival in Surat Thani should be no later than five o'clock in the evening, because the last ferry leaves at seven in the evening, and it still takes an hour by bus to get to it.

Visas

Both Thailand and Indonesia allow you to stay in the country for 30 days upon arrival.

V Indonesia until recently it was required to buy a "Visa on Arrival", which cost $ 35. A visa on arrival could be extended by 30 days (total stay - 60 days), it costs about $ 27.

Since June 2015, citizens of the Russian Federation can enter without a visa (according to the stamp in the passport, which is placed at the border). This option is not suitable for long-term stays. such a visa cannot be extended.

If you go to live in Bali for a long time, it is better to do the so-called. social visa. This requires an Indonesian citizen who acts as a guarantor. There are many agencies and individuals in Bali who can help with this visa for money. A social visa allows you to stay in the country for 6 months. It must be done while outside the country. True, every month it must be renewed into immigration.

V Thailand the stamped stay can be extended for another 7 days. It costs 1900 THB (approximately $ 57-58).

If you make a tourist visa, you can stay in Thailand for 90 days without leaving - 60 days for a visa, plus 30 days by extending it. Then, in any case, it will be necessary to leave. Thai tourist visas are available for single, double and triple entry. Double and triple entry visas allow you to enter the country two and three times, respectively (you can do a border run). The Thai tourist double entry visa that we obtained in Bali cost IDR 1,120,000 (approximately $ 87). Single entry, of course, is half the price (560,000 IDR).

Visa extension for Bali- that still hemorrhoids. You will have to go to the immigration office at least three times: the first is the filing of the application, the second is the payment, photo and fingerprinting, the third is the receipt. And every time you have to stand in line. One family member can travel to apply for and receive passports with a visa, but everyone will have to be photographed and fingerprinted. We were especially lucky - on the day when we arrived with the whole staff, something broke in the Denpasar Immigration Office. We waited for about an hour, but as a result, we had to come again.

On the Samui the extension of the visa took us about half an hour. We arrived, wrote applications, handed over passports with money and photographs, and after 15 minutes we received them back with stamps. Extension of a tourist visa for a month costs 1900 THB.

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to obtain a residence permit in both countries. Therefore, most of the people with whom I met here travel back and forth, or open a work visa (the right to live for a year and other goodies), but for this you need to either pay money, or pay money and bother with registering a business.

Location selection and rental housing

During our journey, we have developed a certain scheme for finding a place to live. Even before the trip, we try to study the information and reviews on the Internet as much as possible about the place, beaches, infrastructure and roughly estimate where we would like to stay. Then via the Internet (Booking, AirBnb or Agoda) for 5-7 days we rent inexpensive housing without any special claims, not far from the expected future home. Again, we rent a car over the Internet for these 5-7 days. Upon arrival, we go to see the selected beach and, if we like it, we travel around the neighborhood in search of suitable accommodation.

A trip around the area will definitely yield more good and cheap accommodation options than can be found on the net. Local landlords are not friendly with the Internet (both in Bali and Thailand).

In all cases, except for the hotels where we stayed for the first few days, we rented accommodation directly from the owners, which allowed us to reduce the cost of the commission that Internet search engines usually take.

The criteria by which we choose housing:

• proximity to the sea (so that you can walk with a stroller);
• good internet (we work in it);
• the presence of a kitchen, stove and refrigerator (we prefer to cook at home);
• general cleanliness and comfort;
• the area near the house where the son could walk by himself, and we would not worry about him;
• the presence of mosquito nets on windows and doors (mosquitoes in Asia can be carriers of Dengue);
• our budget.

On the Phuket the choice of accommodation is quite large and it is quite easy to find what you need. But the circumstances turned against us - on the second day after arrival Artyom got to the hospital and spent there most time allotted for finding accommodation and moving. And we are with him, respectively. So we were looking for a habitat for the next three weeks, one might say, in extreme conditions lack of time. And first we stopped near Kata Beach in a small bungalow for $ 20 / day (found through AirBnb). This housing was so-so, on the C grade. It was also far from the beach, and it was necessary to go past the little river. We didn't like it. And when Artyom was discharged, we went to see Nai Harn beach. This beautiful beach, clean, beautiful, one might say the most best beach Phuket. But also the most expensive. We had only one day to look for accommodation, and with great adventures we ended up in the Nai Harn Relife Condotel. We rented a pleasant one-room apartment with a small kitchen, which had a stove and refrigerator (for us must have), almost daily cleaning and a communal pool. To the beach on foot about 20 minutes past a pleasant lake. There was also a wonderful roof on which I went to work in the morning. Great, but a little expensive for us - for 1000 THB per day.

On the Bali we immediately decided to live in Sanur, tk. there is the most suitable beach for bathing babies (in most other places - big waves), and not as expensive as on Nusa Dua... For the first five days, we stayed at the small Dewi Dewi Villas with a swimming pool and free breakfast for $ 20 / day. It was written that there was a kitchen in the room, but it turned out that there was no stove in this kitchen - only a refrigerator and a kettle. So we went to the shared kitchen to cook Tyoma's morning porridge. For a short stay - a great place.

One more time we found ourselves in Bimc with insurance from Alpha Insurance.
Bimc- a major hospital for expats, but the doctors behaved more like Balinese. The tests were not done (in other hospitals, they immediately took blood and prescribed the rest), they gave only a can for feces, which had to be brought when it was ripe :). Of the drugs, only lactobacilli was prescribed. It is good that the situation was not so serious that time.
Alpha Insurance, unlike Liberty, worked great and paid for everything quickly.

Comparison of insurance prices:

• Thailand Travel Shield - 5200 THB for three for 30 days (the THB / RUB rate is now somewhere around 1.8)
• Liberty Insurance - 5500 rubles. for three for 30 days
• Alpha Insurance - RUB 3048 for one for 30 days

Summary: Thai medicine is better developed, including in terms of customer focus. Another confirmation of this is the number of pharmacies. In Thailand, they come across as often as in Russia - at every step.

Not so in Bali. There is a network of branded pharmacies (it is good for the whole island if there are 10 branches), and there are small private pharmacies in which there is little choice.

In general, in Bali, as we were told, medicine is the lot of the rich, because any medical assistance, even an ambulance, costs money. And if suddenly something happens to the poor Indonesian, then no one will just dial "03".

Good insurance rules anyway.

Food

Honestly, on Bali the food did not cause us much enthusiasm. The abundance of fried and spicy is the main characteristic of Balinese cuisine. The main dishes are Nasi Goreng - fried rice with egg flavored with kechap manis (sweet soy sauce) and Mie Goreng - fried noodles.

Very popular among the Balinese people are Satay - small chicken or pork kebabs served with peanut sauce. There is also Ikan Bakan / Goreng - fish fried on charcoal or in oil in a skillet, usually quite dry, and Ayam Bakan / Goreng - skinny chicken cooked in the same way. On the streets you can often find carts that sell Bakso - a soup made from noodles and meat balls.

V Thailand the food is more delicious and varied, which are only the famous Tom Yam and Tom Kha soups, papaya salad Som Tam, various types of curries. By the way, Khao Pad fried rice and fried noodles, the famous Pad Thai in Thailand are also there. But they are tastier and more aromatic here.

Tom Kha with chicken
Papaya Salad Catfish Tam

Since we cook more at home, in Everyday life we eat about the same dishes. In the morning it is usually oatmeal, muesli, scrambled eggs, yoghurts. For lunch - chicken or fish soup with vegetables and various dressings, and for dinner - rice, chicken / fish and vegetable salad. Unlimited fruit during breaks. :)

If you do not go to restaurants, you can eat $ 10 a day for three. At the same time, the diet will be varied - with fruits and vegetables, which both in Thailand and Bali have the property of seasonality. What is growing and ripe right now is being sold cheaply. What comes from somewhere is expensive. For example, apples in Thailand cost 15-20 THB per piece ($ 0.5), and papaya - 40 THB per kg.

While we lived in Bali, there were several seasonal fruits, including papaya, avocado, and durian. They could be bought very cheaply. And when the season ended, prices began to creep up.

But in Thailand, avocado does not grow at all, but there are delicious pineapples and mangoes. During the mango season, one could buy a kilo for 20 THB.

Sometimes we eat potatoes instead of rice. In Tesco on Koh Samui, it is now sold for 28-30 THB per kg. In Bali, it was more expensive. Also, everywhere we are familiar with vegetables - onions, carrots, cabbage (white cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli), tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants.

In general, in both Thailand and Bali, you can eat cheap and varied, but products that are not included in the diet of the local population and are produced or purchased exclusively for foreigners are quite expensive. So, for example, butter in Thailand costs 90 THB for a 220 g. Pack, and cheese starts from 300 THB and goes up to a couple of thousand per kilogram. Cheese is not produced here. In Bali, cheeses are also expensive. Bread in Bali and Thailand is also expensive, especially the one baked by various bakery (private bakeries). A loaf of grain bread with seeds in Tesco Samui costs 72 THB.

Internet

V Thailand, unlike the rest of Southeast Asia, everything is fine with the Internet. In all the places where we lived, we did not have any particular communication problems. Internet speed was sufficient to watch youtube and download movies from torrents. If necessary, you can connect the telephone Internet. Any small store (Family, 7/11) sells SIM cards from different operators. For example, dtac, which we use, offers various packages - for one day (49 THB - 150 MB), week (199 THB - 1 GB), month (650 THB - 6 GB or 799 THB - 12 GB).

On the Bali the Internet is much worse.

Hotels usually have free WiFi. In some cafes, too. There is an opportunity to conduct cable Internet in houses, if a highway is laid nearby, but this is not everywhere. In the house where we lived, the "master's" Internet was distributed via WiFi from a CDMA modem and was of disgusting quality. So we had to use 3G mobile Internet, for which we bought prepaid SIM cards. Most cheap option cost 45,000 IDR (~ $ 4) for 3GB, but before we found it, 3GB cost us a lot - 300,000 IDR from Telkomsel.

Some parts Bali covered with a net mobile internet 4G from Telkomsel, which offers excellent speeds but costs comparable to their 3G internet.

Activity

Bali — big Island, and there is a lot to do and see. Ancient Hindu temples, volcanoes, ocean, rice terraces, a forest with monkeys (be careful, they sometimes behave like gopniks, taking away glasses, cameras and everything they can reach; they tore off the crocs from Tyomich's leg), thermal springs, great places for surfing, yoga, snorkeling, diving, hiking, biking and whatever you can think of. There is even a palace and a park with fountains. All this is located in different parts of the island, but everything is quite affordable.

Gate to the Pura Tanah Lot temple (Pura Tanah Lot)

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Monkey Forest

On the Phuket there are also enough activities. You can climb to giant statue Big Buddha and visit numerous varied temple complexes... You can snorkel, there are diving centers, you can find where to ride a kite (but will there be wind?). There are adventure parks and off-road quad and elephant trekking. You can go for a walk in Old city- Phuket town and walk in the jungle to the waterfalls.

Phuket town
Jui Tui Chinese Temple

Samui in this respect, the poorest island. Small area, there is almost nothing to look at. There is also a Big Buddha statue, various temple complexes (Wat Plai Laem with an eighteen-armed Guan Yin, Wat Khunaram with a monk's mummy) and several stupas and one pagoda (Laem Sor Pagoda). There are also several waterfalls. Not so much, but now we have enough, our main activity is Tyoma. :)

Hin Lad waterfall

On the Bali for visiting anything more or less interesting they take money. Sometimes a lot of money. Even if you have already paid for the ticket, be prepared for the fact that they will begin to impose on you Additional services local guides, guides and vendors. We were once not allowed to enter the territory of the Pura Besakih temple, because we refused to pay for the guide's service (the ticket we bought did not work). Buying a ticket is not a problem, but the sale is on the verge of extortion. services are really lacking.

In Thailand, temples are free. In many tourist spots the fee is collected using a donation box, where you can throw a few coins. Nobody stands above the soul. Expensive ($ 10-20) are only all sorts of water parks, safari parks, paradise and others, which are made exclusively for the entertainment of tourists.

Shopping

Go specially for shopping on Bali not worth it, but there are a lot of various souvenirs here. Non-trivial wood carving is very developed, painting - both traditional Balinese and modern (at the airport of Denpasar - the capital of Bali - all the gates around the perimeter are covered with paintings created in different styles. A couple of dozen gates with 20-30 paintings in each. buy interesting jewelry (there is even a village of jewelers in Ubud), pearl jewelry, batik clothes, multi-colored sarongs.

From Thailand it is worth bringing natural hygiene and skin and hair care products (soaps, shampoos, creams, toothpastes), famous Thai balsams, pastes, sauces and spices for preparing Thai dishes, herbal teas. Also here you can buy inexpensive high-quality clothes and shoes.

People

Thailand is called the Land of Smiles. And this is a very accurate name - everyone is smiling here. Just. And you get used to it so much that you also start to smile at everyone. The locals are mostly welcoming and friendly. We have never encountered any negative human manifestations here.

Thais are perfectly characterized by the following case. When we stood in line for passport control at Phuket airport, in the next line, a little girl was crying, who was tired of long flight... One of the officers who checked the passports came out and accompanied her grandparents out of line. The queue, by the way, was quite long - about 30 people.

When we arrived at Bali, the first thing that caught my eye - no one smiles. But this is not so, the Balinese smile too, but less. In addition, many visitors from other parts of Indonesia live and work in Bali. They are different from the Balinese - they are here for the money.

Only street barkers and vendors are constantly smiling in Bali, but they only want money from you. In some places it is very annoying. So, for 15 minutes while we were walking to the beach from our house, we first brushed aside the annoying taxi drivers who, every time they saw us, shouted to us: "Yes, taxi!" After a month, they finally more or less remembered us, and stopped jumping up when we appeared. Then from the saleswomen from a small market by the beach (these invited us to their store every day for two months. :) As soon as we walked along the beach along the promenade, hostesses from restaurants and cafes sat on their ears. In this regard, Thailand is beautiful, no one imposes their goods and services.

Both Thais and Balinese are positive and attentive to children. And not only women, but also men. Once on Samui Tyomich was running along the beach and fell. This was watched by a group of young Thais swimming in the sea. One of them first began to shout something like “come on, get up” at him, and then went ashore, lifted Artyom and put him on his feet.

In Bali, attention is sometimes too much - almost every time we walked with my son, he was constantly touched, patted, hugged, or simply smiled and shouted “Hello, baby! Where's his mom? " Many took pictures of him or climbed to take pictures together. This is awkward. In Thailand, too, it happens that someone hugs him, touches him or picks him up, but less often, without fanaticism.

When we find ourselves in a large store, Tyoma loves to run and grab something from the shelves. In Bali, he usually gathered a crowd of saleswomen, who, with groans and squeals, ran after him and happily tweeted with him.

In Thailand, I'm not afraid to let him go to run around the store alone - if something happens, he will definitely be helped, lifted and comforted. And if he suddenly decides to go somewhere on his own, he will definitely be stopped by local aunts from nearby massage parlors and a laundry until I or Lyuba come running after him.

Balinese people take their religious and cultural property, and if you ignore them, you can actually get luli. Numerous gods and guardians with large clubs (some rip off their heads), who stand at each temple, or even just like that, as if they say that the people here are harsh, if that :)

Local life and customs

We haven't had much contact with Balinese and Thais outside of " the travel world"(Slightly more here on Koh Samui), so my views are probably distorted.

Everyday life Balinese densely filled with Hinduism. Almost everyone regularly (at least three times a day) makes offerings to gods and demons. For this, in each house there is a small temple or at least an altar, where these offerings are displayed. Also, offerings are placed on the doorstep of the house, on the roads, brought to the sea (gods and demons live everywhere). Then they swim with algae and debris. Offerings must be made in national dress (sarong, blouse with a belt), and putting it on in the morning, many Balinese wear it all day.

Bali has a huge number of temples, and all of them are active to one degree or another. The gates and altars are usually guarded by grim stone monsters. In general, temples in Bali look rather gloomy and intimidating.

The altar is guarded by severe demons
In Bali, temples are found at every turn

Visits to temples are subject to strict rules, a uniform is required (closed top and bottom). Naturally, there are markets near the temples visited by tourists, where every second person will grab your hand with the exclamation "Sarong, sarong!"

Typical Balinese temple
And if you go inside, then it will be like this

Thailand- Buddhist country, but here they are tolerant of all religions. There are more temples in Phuket, and fewer on Koh Samui (although Samui itself is smaller :). There are Thai Buddhist temples with red tiled roofs, decorated with golden horns, on which bells hang, there are Chinese Taoist temples with rich bright paintings and indispensable dragons. You can walk in them for a long time and examine every detail.

Near Buddhist temples bells and stupas hang
Buddha at Wat Plai Laem
The shutters in the temple are decorated with wooden paintings

There are also signs next to Thai temples prohibiting visiting the temple in shorts and T-shirts, but if you have already come in this form, no one will kick you out. Before entering the temple, you must take off your shoes.

When you walk the streets in the area where we lived on Bali, there is a feeling that you are either in a workshop or in a cemetery - everywhere there are stone carved gates and facades. Each house is surrounded by a high fence. On top of the fences there are broken glass and barbed wire.

Every home in Bali has carved stone gates and a tall fence.
Sometimes the gate is decorated with intricate wood carvings.

In Thailand, fences, if there are, are very symbolic, low, often in the form of green spaces. Human-sized fences are rare and, as a rule, fence off some wild territory (so that animals do not climb?). In Phuket, I also saw tall fences around some villa-cottage village, but this was, rather, an exception.

Both in Bali and Thailand, many make money from trade, many small businesses and shops. People do not do business "just for fun", here it is a way to feed themselves and their families.

There is a pancake shop on the street not far from our house on Koh Samui, where Mister Pancake works. He's been figing pancakes at his limit every night for the past ten years. He is famous, and there is a queue for him. He makes good money (turnover, I think, up to 1000-1500 THB per hour), but he is not even close to our usual "business youth". He is 55 years old and wears old jeans and a shirt. I think he will work like this as long as his health allows. Other people around live in about the same way - measuredly and without envy of other people's successes, everyone does his own job and will do it for ten or twenty years. Happy and with a smile on my face.

Bali is more "moving" place in large cities, but in the villages (of which there are many) everything flows very slowly. I think the way of life here has not changed for the last 500 years. True, in cities, too, not everything is so fast. So, for example, it takes several days to extend a visa (in Thailand - within a couple of hours). It takes too long to fix something around the house (and the result is not guaranteed :).

General sensations

Indonesia is a rather poor country, and you can feel it. Balinese are more closed than Thais, so to speak, "on their own mind." For them, foreigners are walking wallets, from which you need to squeeze out as much money as possible. In Bali, you feel some kind of wildness, something primitive, especially if you go to remote places away from tourist areas, where visitors are extremely rare.

On the streets and beaches, unless there is a pretentious hotel next to the beach that monitors the cleanliness, it is rather dirty. Remains of offerings, plastic bags and bottles, a variety of household garbage lying not only on the shore, but also floats in the ocean. Once we arrived at Jimbaran beach in the evening. While we were swimming, plastic bags were constantly clinging to our legs. It was very unpleasant.

Thailand is a civilized country with enforceable laws and order. All government services that we have encountered here, be it the post office or the immigration office, work clearly and without any special bureaucratic problems. The beaches are relatively clean, the locals do not like much shit, the tourists behave worse - after them there are cigarette butts. Unfortunately, there is also dirt on the streets. Also in the evening you can see garbage bags on the roadside. But garbage trucks run every day and clean everything up regularly.

In Thailand, I feel very simple. Everything around is simple, and inside everything is simple.

In Bali, everything is very complicated. A completely different feeling. When at six in the morning at sunrise you sit on the balcony and try to fix the dispersed WordPress, and here in the temple nearby they turn on the morning mantra, which the brahmana sings against the background of the traditional Balinese xylophone chime, inside suddenly everything is picked up and the chaotic complexity of the sounds coming through is intertwined with the smell of incense, which the neighbors have already carried them out into the street as offerings. This does not work at all.

Thailand is as straight as a line graph. Bali is like a fractal. This manifests itself in architecture (imagine the Vologda carved polisad in 3D and made of stone), and in conversation with people (you look into their eyes and see ... no, not a double bottom, but something very cleverly woven), and in dealing with bureaucratic system, and in road traffic.

I feel better in Thailand. Here you can breathe out and relax. In Bali, I didn’t work that way.

Summary

If you belong to lovers of outdoor activities, reckless daredevils, lovers of adventure, drive and all kinds of extreme, then your choice is definitely Bali.

If you are an old fart family with a baby who are looking for comfort, safety and a quiet life, then Phuket or Koh Samui would be the best option.