Trips to Koh Samui

Ko Samui offers beautiful long beaches lined with swaying coconut palms. You can find both tranquility and vibrant nightlife, a variety of shopping, and a wide range of restaurants. Choose from different beaches, each with its own unique character. Traveling between beaches is easy with the local buses.

Beaches for Every Taste

Chaweng Beach is the liveliest, possibly because it is the longest and has the most hotels. Despite this, there is plenty of room for your towel. If you want to sit comfortably, visit a beach bar, order a drink, and enjoy their seating. There are numerous beach vendors and water sports like jet-skiing, paragliding, and sailing available. A short distance south is the quieter, coarser Lamai Beach, which is generously long with fewer sunbeds and vendors. Another favorite is Choeng Mon Beach, a beautiful crescent-shaped beach with towering palms and a few hotels, providing a cozy, peaceful atmosphere.

Main Street, Hotels, and Beaches

Ko Samui is one of Thailand's trendiest islands and also one of the largest. There are about 20 beaches on the island. A paved main road encircles the island and runs through the villages with moderate traffic. In the larger villages, it's lively, cheerful, and occasionally charmingly bustling. The largest variety of amenities is found at Chaweng Beach. Lamai Beach also offers many restaurants and bars. In the quaint Choeng Mon area, you'll find a limited selection of restaurants and shopping. However, you're only 15 minutes by local bus from Chaweng Beach.

Explore the Island on Your Own

Worth a visit is the large Big Buddha statue on the northern part of the island. Inland, you can find small and larger waterfalls with natural pools that are often available for swimming.

To the west lies the Ang Thong Marine National Park. The archipelago consists of about 42 uninhabited islands with stunning natural scenery both above and below the water.

The island is perfectly sized to be explored on your own by local bus, taxi, or scooter. The traffic is calmer than in many other tourist spots, and distances are pleasantly short. Along the roads, there are small, simple eateries, and you're never far from a refreshing dip in the sea.

Coconuts, Pineapple, and Shopping

Ko Samui tempts visitors with a delightful mix of local specialties, Indian food, and a very international cuisine. For a cozy meal, you can easily find a charming beach restaurant. Dig your feet into the sand and enjoy the sound of the waves for a guaranteed enjoyable experience.

Chaweng Beach offers a small market place with simple Thai eateries behind the main street, across the bridge. Not far away is the lively bar area. Shopping spans over 5 km lined with shops.

Recommended

• Wonderful fishing village Bho Phut, offering cozy restaurants and bars with a local atmosphere.

• The Sportsman’s Bar with large TV screens showing current sports, a great vibe, air conditioning, and good beer.

Chaweng Beach Road

• Baan Hoa Tho village, home to the island’s sea gypsies, offers a completely different experience.

• Scooter rental prices range from around THB 150-250/day. Fuel is extra. Check insurance and helmet availability!

Good to Know

TRANSFER: Ko Samui airport is 10-25 minutes by minibus from the various beaches where the hotels are located. There's no need to book a transfer in advance. Minibuses and taxis are available outside the arrival hall. Minibus prices start from around THB 250/person/way. Taxis are slightly more expensive but negotiable. Combine Ko Samui with Phuket via a domestic flight, approximately 1 hour, or a combination of boat and car transfer, totaling about 5 hours.

SWIMMING: Chaweng offers fine sand beaches. Lamai has coarser sand. Beaches on the north side also have coarser sand. There is a significant difference between high and low tide.

LOWEST RAINFALL: January-May