Thailand and Group Travel: A Tale of Two Trips to Koh Samui

I'm from New Hampshire, and growing up, nowhere among my catalog of friends and family or friends of friends—could I find someone who had been to Thailand. It just wasn't a place people I knew went or wanted to go. As you can imagine, I never thought I'd get to Thailand's gem of an island, Koh Samui, not just once but twice.

Thailand is now a place where a lot of Americans want to go—but few still do.

The country checks a lot of boxes: The people are warm and welcoming, it's safe, it's affordable once you're there, and it has just so much to offer: the buzzing capital of Bangkok, stunning beaches, eastern spirituality, elephants, and coral reefs.

For my first time in Koh Samui, I was on the island for just a few days, staying at a small family-run resort on the island's western shore on Lipa Noi beach. The beach was quiet, the water shallow, swimmable, and perfectly beautiful with the jungle coming right up to the water's edge save a few feet of beach.

But I was on the island alone and let me preface what comes next by throwing you this disclaimer: I love to travel and push myself to see new things. But being here was challenging—the language barrier, the distance from some of the sights I wanted to see, and I didn't want to offend any locals with my bad language skills and poor understanding of their customs.

So, I slipped into an easy (but relaxing pattern). Why go out to eat when I can eat at the resort? I plowed through all of the limited dishes on the menu, sitting poolside. Why take a taxi to a boat to snorkel at Ko Ang Thong when I can snorkel at the beach here? And so, I let myself linger at the resort under the guise that it was just easier to stay here. My reality was that I was letting my fears hold me back.

The kicker was that on my last day there; I learned that a mile down the beach was a great beach club and pool bar. It had big, comfy chairs, a pool, a hot tub, a diverse menu, and many people having fun. It wasn't on Google Maps, and I wasn't talking to any locals, so how would I know?

After a few days, I left the island with a sunburn and relaxed, but I hadn't experienced much of it. I resolved to come back again someday and do it right.

Someday turned out to be 8 years later. This time, I was on a group trip traveling throughout Thailand. I was with 17 travelers who I had just met for the first time. This time, we stayed at a resort hotel in Chaweng Beach, on the island's east side. The hotel was serene and peaceful but well situated to go out and do things. The exceedingly friendly tour director was named Mr. Phumin.

Mr. Phumin delivered. And delivered big. We met his grandmother, who showed us how to make Shuang malai – a traditional flower garland and explained its various meanings and symbols. We all took turns smelling the fresh flowers she used, the Marigolds and the Jasmine. At the end of the meet-up, she wished us safe travels and explained she was honored to share this tradition with us. But there were more surprises in store... a fantastic street food lunch of chicken skewers and mango sticky rice on the beachfront.

Then we visited a temple, the Hin Lad Waterfall temple. The serene area was set in gardens along the trail to a beautiful waterfall. Since our group first visited a Bangkok temple a few days ago, Mr. Phumin has been working overtime to engage us with Buddhism. Was it Philosophy? Religion? A Way to Life? It was working, and everyone had a point of view on the question. He took a few minutes in front of the bridge leading towards one of the Buddha images to explain making merit and how we would see many locals here because today was a weekend. In Thai culture, making merit is seen as a way to foster a harmonious society, uphold family values, and achieve spiritual progress.

And so, it went throughout our time in Thailand loads of activities and a deeper understanding of Thai culture and society because of the energetic Tour Director, Mr. Phumin, leading us.

See, I always do more on Group trips than when I travel alone. Group travel challenges you, pushes you when you're tired—and takes you to places, people, and situations you might otherwise miss. The common connections with the group and the feeling that you are experiencing something together help mitigate some of the fear or anxiety I mentioned.

And, sure, one of the common objections to group travel is that the pendulum swings too far the other way: not having enough free time. So carefully vetting your operator is essential. Will you have the time you need and want to make discoveries on your own, follow up on the things that interested you that guides and locals pointed out, and recharge your batteries as needed? This common pitfall wasn't the case on this trip—we had plenty of beach and free time.

Thailand is a perfect destination for group travel. Public transportation can be challenging, but the locals are amiable and welcoming. However, the language barrier can be steep. The culinary choices are different, and there is just so much to unpack about local culture and Thai Buddhism that having a friendly local like Mr. Phumin ensures you have insider knowledge.

On our last day on the island, with a few hours of free time before our flight, the group opted to go together to see one more famous temple at Wat Plai Laem that one of the groups had seen on Instagram.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Phumin stand up—telling the group he was heading there to make merit before leaving the island; it was on the way to the airport, and he would be delighted to take us. I sincerely hope he realized the positive impression and curiosity he awakened in all of us. And, of course, he pulled out one more fantastic lunch before we left the island—a thick noodle soup that everyone loved and one last chance to take on fresh, local coconut ice cream.