Koh Samui: 5 wonderful experiences on the trip to Thailand is written by Jacob Jørgensen.
Where is Koh Samui, Thailand's second largest island?
Koh Samui is one of the most visited of Thailand's southern islands. It is located in the Gulf of Thailand in the province of Surat Thani and is actually Thailand's second largest island, second only to Phuket. Here you can explore the many beaches and of course enjoy the sun.
The good thing about Koh Samui is that the island is easy to get to, as it has an international airport, and you can fly here both from Singapore and from Bangkok. Only Bangkok Airways flies to Koh Samui.
Koh Samui is also part of a fantastic island trio along with Koh Phangan og Koh Tao, both of which are close by. Here you will find even more beautiful beaches that you may not already know about. They are also definitely worth a visit and they are quite different from Koh Samui.
This island trio has a different climate than most of Thailand and is therefore also popular in the summer.
Koh Samui has relatively few permanent residents, while at the same time 2,5 million tourists come every year on an island the size of Møn or Langeland. This means that there are many visitors in most places on the island.
We have collected 5 highlights of Koh Samui in Thailand here.
This is where you should eat on Koh Samui
When there are many international visitors, there are also many good food places. And that is certainly the case on the beautiful island of Thailand, Koh Samui.
It is probably the Thai island where you can most easily find many really delicious food places; including a nice row Thai Michelin restaurants.
At the same time, there are tons of local restaurants and small eateries. The Thais themselves love to eat out, and they like to share that joy with travelers, so remember to go on a culinary discovery.
Very close to the airport is Chaweng, which has a wide and fine beach, and here you will therefore also find many good places to eat. Look at, for example TripAdvisor and find your new favorite.
The new and well-functioning Chaweng Villawee Hotel is set back from the main street, and the small road up to the hotel is full of really good local restaurants, both with seafood and traditional Thai food.
In Lamai Beach on the south coast is Annie Sweetery & Eatery, which is a very cozy European cafe with exceptionally delicious food, and it's even right on the main street behind the beach. They also have food for gluten allergy sufferers.
Annie is located right next to the lovely Pavilion Samui Villas & Resort and 100 meters from the Lamai Night Market, where there are a number of small stalls with street food and where you can often experience live music in the evening.
However, it is not at the Lamai Night Market that you will find the best local food.
There you have to walk 10 minutes away from the beach to the Lamai Fresh Food Market, where the locals themselves come and eat. There are also several cheap and good places to eat right around the market.
One of the best local fine dining restaurants is Nana Tam, just a 5-minute walk from Lamai Night Market. It is run by a group of sisters who are both skilled in the kitchen and provide really good service. At the same time, it is a really cozy place that is not more expensive than the others in the area.
Right across from Nana Tam is TJ Air Travel which is one of those local travel agencies that make traveling in Thailand so easy and here you can buy ferry tickets, transfers and flights at cheap prices and they have you covered 100% and your tickets.
If you get lost a little around town, you'll also come across a small French bakery, French Bakery La Fabrique Samui, which has some deliciously unhealthy pastries.
Koh Samui also has lovely beaches
There are hundreds of beaches on Koh Samui on all four sides of the island and the beaches are really different. Some have large rocks, others have the finest sand. Some Samui beaches get deep quickly and others are more child-friendly.
Beach pictures can easily be misleading, so if the beach is important to you, it's a good idea to research it thoroughly and not just rely on the hotel's pictures.
Silver Beach close to Lamai is one of the beaches we can recommend, and here you can sunbathe, snorkel, kayak and enjoy a fantastic Thai massage.
This beach is not very visited as it is behind a resort, so you can enjoy the silence of the beach.
Maenam Beach is clearly also worth a visit with a beautiful view of the neighboring island of Koh Phangan. Maenam Beach definitely deserves a place on the list of beaches you must visit on your travel to Thailand.
Chaweng Beach has fine sand, but is also the most visited. Lamai Beach is also nice, has somewhat coarser sand, and it is quite different how deep it is off the beach, so find your favorite spot.
This is what you must see on Koh Samui: Temples, waterfalls and jungle
Although Koh Samui may be best known for its chalky white sand beaches, the island also offers plenty of other experiences.
One of the most obvious cultural experiences on Koh Samui is a visit to some of the island's beautiful temples. The temple Wat Phra Yai – also known as the Big Buddha Temple – is definitely worth a visit. At the temple sits a 12 meter high golden Buddha that can be seen from several kilometers away, and it is quite a sight.
The temple Wat Plai Laem is definitely also worth a visit. Here an even taller statue stands guard – the 15 meter high statue representing Guanyin; the goddess of mercy and compassion.
The temple is surrounded by water, which only makes the spectacular sight even more beautiful. In the lakes around the temple there are an incredible number of fish and also turtles, which you can spend a long time observing.
Nathon Hainan Shrine, also known as Hainan Temple, is a Chinese temple with a huge and very impressive warrior statue guarding the temple out front. It is definitely also worth a visit if you want to see a traditional and very colorful Chinese temple.
Always remember to respect the dress code when visiting the temples. This usually means that shoulders and knees must be covered, and that swimwear is not allowed.
Koh Samui also offers many cool nature and animal experiences. For example, you can cool off at the beautiful Na Muang waterfall, go on a jungle safari and experience life underwater in the Ang Thong National Marine Park on a snorkelling trip.
If you need more speed over the field, you can also go on an off-road ATV ride through the jungle.
After a good long day on Koh Samui, it's time for a cold beer or a glass of white wine, and luckily there are plenty of places where you can enjoy a refreshment.
If you want to combine your drink with live music, there are also several places where you can do that. A good place is on the main streets of Chaweng Beach, where there are several rock bars. Lamai Night Market also often features live music.
Spa, wellness and yoga on the island
Thailand is known for massages, and if you love massages and wellness, there are also plenty of opportunities for that on Koh Samui. There are plenty of local massage places on the beach and along the high streets, and there are also more specialized clinics.
One of the best and most unique spa spots on the island is Tamarind Springs. As soon as you step into the green vacuum of relaxation, your pulse settles down. Tamarind Springs is located in the middle of a green oasis surrounded by lush forest and unique rock formations.
You can both get a wonderful massage or try their unique 'cave steam bath' with herbs inside the rocks. Or how about relaxing in the natural stone baths to the sound of running water over the rocks? It's safe to say that you really get into gear in this green spa oasis.
There are also plenty of opportunities to get into zen and find inner peace at one of Koh Samui's yoga spots.
At Marga Yoga on the west coast, plans are made for 'me time' and immersion. The small yoga studio is located in the middle of the beach, so you can do yoga to the sound of lapping waves. The place offers both individual lessons and yoga retreats, so you can get right down to gear.
If you are looking for the perfect place to recharge your mental batteries and expand your meditation and yoga practice, then Satva Samui is the place. The beautiful surroundings and the calm atmosphere make it easy to get down to speed and find inner peace while you practice yoga and meditation.
Samui hotels in stunning surroundings
There are lots of lovely ones hotels on Koh Samui, and since there is quite a lot of coastline, it is easy to find a hotel that is close to a bounty beach.
If you're looking for a hotel close to the airport that can do a little bit of everything, Chaweng Villawee Hotel is definitely a good bet. It is slightly set back from the main road, so it is quiet, and it is close to both the beach and several really good restaurants.
If the trip to Koh Samui is to be in the luxury class, then you can easily find one too high-end on Koh Samui. There are a host of luxurious hotels on the island where you can enjoy your holiday exclusively and get down to the nitty-gritty.
The hotel Pavilion Samui Villas & Resort is also really nice with a location right down to the beach, and several different pools to frolic in. The rooms are cozy, the staff helpful, and the hotel is only 100 meters from the well-known Lamai Night Market, where you can find both delicious street food and hear live music.
One of the most luxurious hotels on the island is Napasai, A Belmond Hotel, located right down to Maenam Beach. Both the service and the beautiful surroundings don't get much better. Shoulders drop as soon as you enter the hotel and it is an experience in itself to enjoy the fantastic view beyond havet from the delicious infinity pool.
Another luxury hotel that can also be clearly recommended is the Hansar Samui Resort & Spa. The hotel is located in the middle of Bo Phut beach, close to the well-known Fisherman's Market. There is the most beautiful view over the water from both the rooms and from the hotel pool. The hotel also has a lovely spa area that is definitely worth a visit.
You can find and book the wonderful hotels on Koh Samui right here.
Really good trip to Koh Samui in Thailand.
This is what you must see on Koh Samui in Thailand: Sightseeing
- Wat Phra Yai Big Buddha Temple – Buddhist temple
- Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park – underwater national park
- Secret Buddha Garden – private sculpture park full of Buddhas
- Na Muang Waterfall – refreshing and scenic waterfall
- Wat Plai Laem Buddhist Temple – Buddhist temple
- Silver Beach – delicious sandy beach
- Overlap Stone – rock stone with a great view
Did you know: Here are editor Anna's 7 favorite islands in Thailand
7: Koh Mai Thon south of Phuket
6: Koh Lao Lading at Krabi
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