Vacation time!!! Destination: Ko Samet, an island just 2 hours south of Bangkok. 10 of us loaded into a van for a drive down to Banphe, where we would continue on a ferry. But first.. a little breakfast!
To me, travel = bad food, fast food, or no food. But in Thailand, food is AMAZING everywhere, even at a ferry pier that smells like dried squid.
We started they day off right, with eggs served in the form of a super crispy omelette with crab meat, or khia jiao poo (yes, poo = crab). Next up, a super spicy warm salad of bean thread noodles, fresh seafood, chopped carrots, and watercress in fish sauce dressing.
Bellies full, we boarded the ferry for a 45 minute ride to Koh Samet. Some of us got seasick. 
Finally, we reached the island, specifically, Ao Vongduern Beach. The beach is situated around a protected bay, so the waters are crystal clear and really calm. Ahhhh.
We stayed at a sweet little place Lulie’s friends booked for us – its called Vongduern Villa. I loved this place. It was on the quiet end of the beach, offered thai massage, and best of all – SERVED BOMB FOOD.
Pretty much the moment we got there, we started filling our bellies. Nothing quite like some serious pad thai on the beach!
A short stroll along the water led us to dessert. I loved this sweet snack of freshly griddled roti wrapped around super ripe banana, then laced with condensed milk and sugar. MMMMMM. Notice a piece is missing… i was too tempted to wait to take a photo first! haha.
Ao Vongduern is awesome because although you are surrounded by a ton of restaurants, its not overdeveloped or overrun by tourists. (I only counted 3 ill-fitting speedos) Maybe we just got lucky because its the low season?
After an early morning of swimming, we were tempted by the smell of charcoal and grilled seafood. So we dried off and hit up the restaurant in the Seahorse Resort.
We had an amazing whole grilled fish, coated in rock salt and stuffed with lemongrass, ginger, and other aromatics. It was amazing. Super tender, simple, and incredibly flavorful! Just what i wanted.
Steamed cockles and grilled pork neck helped round out the meal. Apparently grilled pork neck is not easy to find in the states, I guess because “neck” never sounds good on a menu? But man, it is so good. Amazingly tender.
Ahh Ko Samet, you were good to my belly. See you next time!
Vongduern Villa
Ko Samet, Thailand
Tel: +66-38-644260
www.vongduernvilla.com
