DAY 1
Airline: Air Asia
“I have travelled with AirAisa a few times, they are a budget airline but they are fine to travel short distance. I personally don’t ask for airline announcements because my allergy is not airborne so I’m not sure if this is something they would do. I know nuts can be bought on the plane as they are on the snack menu. They did provide on flight meal which consisted of a sandwich and a cake which contained cashews. However the ingredients were listed which was good. This airline is fine for me traveling short-haul, as I do not eat any of the plane food, but I wouldn’t recommend for those with airborne allergies.”
Hotel: Sunprime Kamala Beach Hotel
“This was the first hotel of the trip. It has an excellent location next to the beach and in walking distance to shops and restaurants. The hotel is also adult only. I liked the fact there was a minimart on site as well as 7/11 just a short walk away. Phuket is very popular for tourists and one of the busier places to visit in Thailand so there are a lot of hospitals and medical facilities within a short distance which is something I often worry about when travelling. My favourite part about this hotel was the breakfast buffet. All dishes were highlighted with the allergens which is the first time I’ve seen this in Asia. Plus the food was really good!”
Dinner + Drinks: Casa Boho
“This was my first meal of my Thailand holiday so I was a bit anxious. There were nuts on the menu but I showed my translation allergy card and the waiting staff were very helpful. They took the card and showed the manager and then returned to assure me my meal would be peanut and nut free. The restaurant was Mexican cuisine and it was decorated beautifully the restaurant was also situated inside the Hyatt Regency hotel and I think it’s beneficial to eat in a chain hotel where possible as I find staff being more knowledgable and understanding of allergies. Loved this restaurant and the food was great, and it has most beautiful views over Kamala Beach.”
DAY 2
Breakfast: Sunprime Kamala Beach
“The best breakfast I’ve had in a Thailand hotel! I was so impressed that all the foods were labelled with the names and allergen signs! This is the first time I’ve seen this in the whole of Asia. The only thing that included peanuts was peanut butter which I obviously stayed away from. But it was so relieving knowing that there would be no cross-contamination from the other foods that were available. Loved it!”
Dinner: Fino Restaurant Kamala
“I chose this restaurant because it was half European half Thai so there were options for me. I chose to have a pizza because when I see nut dishes on the menu I try to avoid dishes that could be cross-contaminated. The waiting staff were very helpful and took my allergy card to the chef to be checked and she confirmed with me that there would be no nuts in my meal. The pizza was average but for me I was just happy that I could eat safely! I also liked the fact that the restaurant had an allergy note at the bottom of the menu which always make me feel like they care/want to help”
Sightseeing: Kamala Beach
“We went for a stroll along Kamala beach after breakfast and then sunbathed at the hotel.”
Sightseeing: Oasis Spa
“The weather turned so we headed to 7/11 for a cheese toasty before getting the most relaxing 2 hour massage at the Oasis Spa.”
DAY 3
Hotel: The Flow Samui Beach Resort
Dinner: Gusto Italiano
“This restaurant was in the middle of Fisherman’s Village. I chose this restaurant because I love Italian restaurants and it seemed like a same option. There were nuts on the menu but no peanuts so I felt happy relaxed about eating here. I ordered the caprese salad and spaghetti bolognese. I showed my allergy card and the waiter said there would be no nuts. I didn’t feel completely confident so I then asked if they could inform the chef. The waiter didn’t return to inform me if he had spoken to the chef so when the food arrived I reconfirmed and he said it would be fine. As there were no peanuts on the menu I wasn’t too worried but I also wasn’t 100% happy with the communication. Overall the food was delicious and the restaurant was really cute with Italian vibes!”
Drinks: Coco Tams
“This was one of the highlights of the holiday. Coco Tams is one of the highest recommended restaurants in Koh Samui / Fisherman’s Village and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The restaurant staff were on it with allergies and made me feel at ease! It was a great restaurant located right on the beach. I ordered carbonara and it was amazing! Top tip—if you are visiting this restaurant either make a reservation in advance or head there around 5:30/6pm because it gets super busy and there was a huge queue by the time I left.”
Sightseeing: Maenam Beach
“We had breakfast at Sunprime Kamala Beach before heading to Phuket airport and flew to a Thai island called Koh Samui. We headed to the beautiful hotel ‘The Flow’ and headed straight to Maenam beach to explore. We then headed back to the hotel for sunset cocktails at the hotel before going into Fisherman’s Village for dinner at Gusto Italiano. We ended the evening at CocoTams for drinks.”
DAY 4
Breakfast: The Flow
“This was the restaurant in the hotel. The menu had a mix of western and Thai. I stuck with the cheese panini to be on the safe side. I informed the waitress of my allergy and she took my allergy card straight to the chef and came back to inform me that the dish was safe and nut free. The restaurant staff were very helpful and accommodating and the food was excellent! Loved it!”
Dinner: Coco Tam’s
“This was one of the highlights of the holiday. Coco Tams is one of the highest recommended restaurants in Koh Samui / Fisherman’s Village and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The restaurant staff were on it with allergies and made me feel at ease! It was a great restaurant located right on the beach. I ordered carbonara and it was amazing! Top tip—if you are visiting this restaurant either make a reservation in advance or head there around 5:30/6pm because it gets super busy and there was a huge queue by the time I left.”
DAY 5
Lunch: Seen Beach Club
“Loved this beach club! I would highly recommend visiting if heading to Koh Tao. The restaurant offers a range of cuisines including Mediterranean, Japanese, Italian and Thai. I ordered a burata salad and sushi. I get wary about sauces especially with Sushi so I asked for one dish without the sauce and that was no problem! They also read my allergy card and told me they would inform the chef about my allergies! I also love the fact that there were little allergen symbols on the menu.. this makes me happy! All the food I ordered was delicious and the sushi was so filling.”
Sightseeing: Exploring Chaweng
“After breakfast we got ready to head into Chaweng area where we spent the day at SEEN beach club. This beach club was amazing and had such cool retro vibes! We ordered lunch here and had drinks throughout the day. In the evening we went to the lively area of Chaweng which is the more partying side of Koh Samui and went to a fews bars before heading back to our hotel.”
DAY 6
Lunch: 7-Eleven
“If you are travelling in Asia and have allergies then 7-Eleven is the place for you! When I’m in Thailand I will get snacks and often lunch at 7-Eleven. They have a wide selection of foods available with allergens often listed in English or I use translate app to scan the ingredients list. Food I class as safe and my ‘go-to’ are Lays crisps, Oreo’s, yoghurt, milkshakes, croissants. I also had a ‘famous’ toastie when I was there but I got scared of cross-contamination so I probably wouldn’t advise doing that even though they are convenient.”
Dinner: El Gaucho – Koh Samui
“This restaurant was more on the pricey side for Thailand but I’d rather pay more to feel happy. This is a steak restaurant and I believe it is a chain of restaurants. I chose the classic cheeseburger with a side of roasted broccoli. The restaurant staff informed me that there were no peanuts used but I also asked them for no nuts as well. I noticed that a lot people will say no peanuts but I also reinforced the fact it’s all nuts. The menu was menu was very simple and I didn’t notice any nuts outlined on the menu so I did feel happy eating here. The food was really good here and worth spending a little bit more!”
Sightseeing: Boat trip to Pig Island and Koh Tan
“After breakfast we were picked up by a private driver who drove us to the pier. We got a traditional Thai long boat to Pig Island. We spent around 1 half hours there as it was very busy and felt a bit like a tourist trap but the little pigs were cute. The long boat then took us to another island called Koh Tan. It was so beautiful and looked untouched compared to Pig Island. We went to the one restaurant that was o the island but I ate my 7/11 snacks as I wasn’t feeling confident about eating on an island without being near medical support if needed. We then headed back to Koh Samui on the boat. We went back to the hotel and then went back into Fisherman’s Village for our last dinner at Koh Samui which was at El Gaucho.”
DAY 7
Hotel: Blue Tao Beach Hotel
“This hotel was located centrally on Sairee beach so it was a good distance to walk along the beach, to the supermarket and a short drive from the pier to get the ferry. The hotel has a small restaurant where breakfast is included. There were four breakfast options but I could only eat one of them which was the American breakfast. It was okay and I would have been tempted to eat elsewhere but they were helpful with my allergies. I showed my allergy card each morning and they reminded the chef about my allergies so I felt grateful for this. I found there was a lack of allergy knowledge around Koh Tao compared to other Thai islands so I didn’t want to take any risks. I only noticed one hotel on the island with a few clinics. I should have looked into this beforehand because this scared me a bit. Overall the stay in Koh Tao was brilliant, I loved it there. The hotel was very convenient but I would not recommend staying in Koh Tao with severe allergies.”
Dinner: The Sandbar
“The Sandbar was a great find! This restaurant had tapas and grill options. I was really looking forward to going here but then I saw roasted peanuts on the menu and my heart sank. However I spoke to the manager and he checked with the kitchen and they hadn’t taken any orders of the roasted peanuts that day so he said there would be no cross-contamination. He also explained that there were no peanuts in any of the other dishes. I felt really happy that they took my allergies seriously. I ordered the grilled tuna and it was amazing! It tasted so fresh. So I was a very happy diner and I retuned for a second night to have delicious carbonara! My favourite restaurant in Koh Tao.”
DAY 8
Dinner: Centrico
“This Mexican had good reviews online and I was happy to see the menu didn’t have any main nut dishes. I was also really happy to see allergy signs on the tables which was the first time I had seen this in Thailand. When I shared my allergy card the waitress said the meal would be fine but didn’t say if she would confirm with the chef. So I had to ask her to do so. I ordered a beef burrito which was good but it wasn’t the best meal of the holiday. However a safe and successful meal overall!”
Sightseeing: Spent the day at Sairee beach
“After breakfast my sister and I walked down the whole of Sairee Beach. We then found a cute coffee shop called Cactus Cafe and it had a few deck chairs on the beach front in a quiet area. I just ordered coffee from here as there were a lot of nut dishes on the menu so I wanted to avoid any cross-contamination. We then went to explore the cute clothes shops before getting ready and watching the fantastic sunset! We then went to Centrico for dinner and watched the hilarious but must see Queen’s Cabaret!”
DAY 9
Dinner: PortoBello Restaurant
“This was the final meal in Koh Tao and I chose this restaurant because it was Italian and it is my safe option. I passed it the night before and it was so busy so I thought it would be a good option. I ordered garlic bread and pasta Arrabiata. I shared the allergy cards with the waitress and she said there would be no nuts and I asked her to inform the chef. The waitress told me that she knows there’s no nuts because she used to work in the kitchen. I felt a bit annoyed by this comment but I also understand that with the language barrier and understanding of allergies it might not have seemed so important. I felt this put a bit of downer on the meal because I did start to get anxious about the meal. I did choose the plainest option possible and it was all good but I wouldn’t have gone back again.”
Sightseeing: Exploring Mae Haad + Sairee Beach
“After breakfast at the hotel we relaxed outside the hotel, reading and chilling in the sea. In the afternoon we took a walk to Mae Haad area which is very busy with scuba diving shops which is one of the main reasons people visit Koh Tao. We then found a really quiet and calm beach and spent a few hours relaxing here before walking back to Sairee beach. That evening we went to an italian restaurant called Portobello.”
DAY 10
Sightseeing: Shark Bay
“This was our last day of the holiday so we wanted to make the most of our time at Koh Tao by doing a bit of sightseeing. We got a taxi to Shark Bay which was overrated as I felt Sairee beach where we were staying was cleaner and the ocean was clearer.”
Sightseeing: John Suwan viewpoint
“We became true adventurers by trekking up and over rocks to get to the amazing John Suwan viewpoint. It was definitely worth the hike as the view was amazing!”
Sightseeing: Freedom beach
“We then headed to Freedom beach to watch another magical sunset. That evening we were super tired after the buy day so I decided to stick to the safe options and we went back to the Sandbar where we went on the first evening in Koh Tao. Our last evening in Koh Tao was made memorable by the whole area of Sairee beach having a power cut! Luckily it didn’t last too long!”
