Red Baron Sunset Dinner Cruise

Samui is an island that faces the sunset in the wrong places for most of its famous beaches, so the best way to watch the sky turn orange over the Gulf of Thailand is from the water. The Red Baron sunset dinner cruise does exactly that. You are collected from your hotel in the late afternoon, driven to the pier and welcomed aboard for a slow evening sail along the coast, with time on deck to watch the light change, take photographs of the island's silhouette and settle in with a drink. As the sun drops, a buffet dinner is served on board, usually mixing Thai and international dishes, and the boat returns to the pier after dark with the lights of the beaches twinkling on the shore. Transfers back to your hotel are part of the booking, which means nobody has to drive or haggle with a taxi at the end of the night.

It is worth thinking about what kind of evening you want before you book. This is a relaxed, social cruise rather than a party boat or a private dinner for two. Expect a mix of couples, families and small groups sharing the deck, soft music and a calm pace, with the main events being the sunset and the meal.

Couples looking for a romantic night will find it easy to claim a quiet corner of the boat, and families with older children tend to enjoy the freedom to wander the deck. It is a good choice for a first evening, for an anniversary or for a gentle night after a long day on a speedboat.

Timing matters. Sunset on Samui falls at roughly the same time of day all year, at around six in the evening, so the pickup is normally mid-afternoon, and you should allow for the drive to the pier through the island's ring road traffic. Sit on the side of the boat that faces the horizon and arrive on deck early to secure a spot.

Conditions on the water change with the season: in the dry months the sea is calmer and the sunsets are often clearer, while in the wetter months from roughly October to December, cloud or showers can hide the sun and swell can lead to a rescheduled or cancelled sailing. Choose a booking with free cancellation or flexible rescheduling, and check the weather on the day.

Practical details are simple. Dress is casual, with a light layer for the breeze once the sun is down, flat shoes for a moving deck and a little insect repellent for the pier. Drinks are often charged separately from the buffet, so carry some cash, and tell the operator in advance about dietary needs, since a buffet will not suit every restriction without notice.

The cruise is a poor fit for anyone prone to seasickness on a moving boat, although the pace is gentle, and it is less suited to very small children who will find the evening late.

Combine it sensibly. A day trip to Ang Thong or Koh Tao is the wrong pairing, because both involve early starts and tired travellers, but a cruise on the evening after a lazy beach day or a cooking class works very well. If you only have one sunset on the island and no hotel with a west-facing terrace, this is the most reliable way to spend it, and it is the natural counterpart to the daytime boat trips elsewhere in this guide.