Koh Samui is Thailand’s second biggest island; it is however, the most popular island to visit in the Kingdom. Koh Samui is only behind Phuket in terms of attracting tourists to its beaches. Since two backpackers ‘discovered’ Koh Samui in 1971 it has been a firm favorite with those seeking sun, sand and fun. Several celebrities have bought luxury villas on the island and for many more Koh Samui is simply paradise.
Despite its location deep in the south of the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is easy to get to thanks to frequent Bangkok Airways flights between Bangkok and Samui Airport. The journey takes just over 1 hour and there are now connecting flights to many destinations in the world.
The infrastructure on Koh Samui is excellent. The roads are all paved. There are plenty of taxis, songthaew buses and moped taxis. There are two international hospitals and a number of large supermarkets. There is even an international school for the children of expats.
The main tourist hub on the island is Chaweng. It is a town with many shops, bars, restaurants and nightspots. The beach at Chaweng has the finest white sand on the island and is perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Farther out from the coast are corals and islands to snorkel. Chaweng accommodation ranges from budget bungalows to luxury resorts. There is a room to suit everyone’s wallet in Chaweng. For many there is nothing better than spending the day lounging around the beach or pool and enjoying the lively nightlife after hours.
Just south of Chaweng is the second most popular tourist area – Lamai. It has a smaller town and some good value resorts. The beach at Lamai is also of the highest quality. Lamai is also notable for having women’s Muay Thai fight nights.
Other notable beaches on the island include Bophut and Maenam. Bophut has the boutique area of Fisherman’s Village where several of the shops and bars have maintained the original Chinese wooden architecture. Maenam has a very long beach with views of nearby Koh Phangan. Maenam is popular with those wanting to catch a boat to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party.
There is a full size golf course in Koh Samui, a zoo, a butterfly garden, canopy ziplines, several scuba dive shops, a go cart track, a snake farm and several waterfalls. For those seeking to detox many resorts specialize in wellness programs.
Whatever your notion of a perfect beach holiday is, there is place in Koh Samui that can make that dream a reality.