One of the most beautiful and most popular beaches on Koh Samet, Hat Sai Kaew is 1 kilometer long and 25 – 30 meters wide. The name speaks for itself, Hat Sai Kaew, which literally means Crystal Sand Beach, is a nice beach filled with activities. From dusk to dawn, visitors can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, jet skiing, windsurfing, riding on a banana boat or even partying at night.

Koh Samet retains a level of comfort and tranquility that is missing from most other Thai islands with reasonable facilities. A lot of this is due to its National Park status restraining development, including roads in the interior. The cheapest bungalows are generally the furthest from the two main landing points (Na Dan Pier and Wong Duan Bay), so backpackers should be prepared to walk a while. Previously we got the impression that Wong Duan would be the best beach/hotel area on the island, but were disappointed by the narrow strip of sand, smelly boats clustering in the small bay and platoons of visitors landing on barges as if every day was D-day.