Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'WALKING STREET' NIGHT MARKETS
The most fun dining experiences on Ko Samui are on 'Walking Streets', where once (or more) per week each beach
village sets up a food-filled marketplace where you can sample local delicacies at hawker stalls, shop for crafts and
trinkets and mingle with tourists and locals. All the markets are on or near the host village's main drag so they're
hard to miss, and they all start setting up around 4pm to 5pm and run till 11pm or midnight. If you want to avoid
the crowds count on arriving before 6pm or after about 10pm.
This was the schedule at the time of research but the popularity of these markets means that some are consider-
ing opening more frequently:
»
Ban Chaweng
Every night except Friday and Sunday. This is the biggest market with tonnes of food and seating
(which is still hard to nab during peak hours)
»
Ban Lamai
Sunday
»
Ban Meanam
Thursday
»
Bo Phut
Friday
»
Ban Choeng Mon
Friday
Hat Chaweng
Dozens of the restaurants on the 'strip' serve a mixed bag of local bites, international
cuisine and greasy fast food. For the best ambience head to the beach, where many bunga-
low operators set up tables on the sand and have glittery fairy lights at night.
Laem Din Market
(dishes from 35B; 4am-6pm, night market 6pm-2am)
A busy day market, Laem Din is packed with
stalls that sell fresh fruits, vegetables and meats and stock local Thai kitchens. Pick up a
kilo of sweet green oranges or wander the stalls trying to spot the ingredients in last night's
curry. For dinner, come to the adjacent night market and sample the tasty southern-style
fried chicken and curries.
MARKET
$
Ninja Crepes
THAI
$
(dishes from 75B; 11am-midnight)
Even though this basic food hall gets packed nightly and the
multiple woks at the centre work double-time to keep the pace, the owners welcome and
chat with nearly every one of their customers; it's a miracle of friendly service. The food,
from Thai seafood and classics to sweet and savoury pancakes, is a delectable bargain.
