Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the comfortable island. It has its own airport, a ring road that gets you anywhere in an hour, and a coastline that runs from a full-scale resort strip to beaches with almost nothing on them. It asks less of you than the islands further out and gives back more than the mainland resorts — which is why people who intend to visit once keep returning.
The shape of the island
One road runs around the outside and almost everything sits on it. Chaweng is the long, busy beach on the east coast. Lamai is the next one south, quieter and cheaper. Bophut is on the north coast and holds Fisherman's Village. Maenam is further west along the same coast and is the quietest of the four. The interior is jungle, hills and waterfalls, and almost nobody stays there.
The beaches
Chaweng has the soft sand, the clear water, the beach bars and the nightlife, and the crowds that come with all of it. Lamai is a genuine alternative rather than a compromise — good swimming, fewer people, lower prices. Bophut is where the island is at its most charming, with the old shophouses of Fisherman's Village behind the sand. Maenam is flat, calm, family-shaped and has the best sunsets on the island.
What to see
The Big Buddha Temple, Wat Phra Yai, sits on a small island joined by a causeway at the north-east corner — twelve metres of gold and the island's most recognisable landmark. Hin Ta and Hin Yai, the grandfather and grandmother rocks near Lamai, come with a legend and a good stretch of coast. The Na Muang waterfalls are inland and are the easiest jungle you will ever reach. And Ang Thong Marine Park is the day out: forty-two islands, limestone cliffs and a hidden lagoon.
Eating and nights
Fisherman's Village at Bophut is the best evening on the island — restaurants and bars in old wooden shophouses with the water at the end of the street. Chaweng carries the nightlife, from beach parties to proper clubs. Lamai sits between the two, with a night market and a row of relaxed bars.
Getting there
Samui has its own airport with flights from Bangkok and further afield, which is the fast and expensive route. The cheaper one is a flight or train to Surat Thani and a ferry across, which also connects to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. The ferries run frequently and the crossing is short.
Practical notes
- December to April is the dry season here — note that the Gulf runs on a different calendar from the Andaman coast
- A rented scooter is how most people get around; the ring road is easy and the hills inland are not
- The island is more expensive than the mainland, and Chaweng is more expensive than the rest of it
Who the island suits
Samui is the easiest of the Gulf islands to arrive on and the easiest to spend a week on without a plan. It works for families, for couples and for anyone who wants a beach holiday with proper restaurants attached. It is a poor fit for anyone chasing somewhere undiscovered — that is what the islands further out are for, and Koh Phangan is a half-hour ferry away if you want a day of it.