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Bophut Beach on the north coast of Koh Samui
The golden seated Big Buddha of Wat Phra Yai against a blue sky on Koh Samui
The white 18-armed Guanyin of Wat Plai Laem standing over the lake
Water dropping over dark rock into the pool at Na Muang 1 waterfall
Visitors walking between stalls at a night market on Koh Samui

Things to do on Koh Samui: 8 experiences

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Photo: Anthony Byrne, Public domain

Bang Rak, Koh Samui

Climb to the Big Buddha of Wat Phra Yai at Bang Rak

Check dates and prices

Photo: Golfer70, CC BY-SA 3.0

Plai Laem, Koh Samui

See the 18-armed Guanyin on the lake at Wat Plai Laem

Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0

Na Muang, Koh Samui

Swim below Na Muang 1 and hike up to Na Muang 2

Photo: yeowatzup, CC BY 2.0

Bophut, Koh Samui

Eat along the Fisherman's Village walking street in Bophut

Photo: Per Meistrup, CC BY-SA 4.0

Koh Samui is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket, about 35 km north-east of Surat Thani in the Gulf of Thailand, and the largest of the Chumphon Archipelago; its district also takes in the Ang Thong islands. A 51 km ring road circles it, linking the busy east coast beaches of Chaweng and Lamai with the quieter north at Mae Nam, Bophut, Bang Rak and Choeng Mon, and the still calmer west around Nathon, the old port.

Hainanese traders settled here from the 19th century and started its cotton and coconut plantations, and century-old Chinese shophouses still line Bophut's Fisherman's Village. Today Samui is the Gulf's hub, with its own airport and ferries on to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

8 things to do in Koh Samui

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The golden seated Big Buddha of Wat Phra Yai against a blue sky on Koh Samui

Climb to the Big Buddha of Wat Phra Yai at Bang Rak

Bang Rak, Koh Samui

About an hour, more with Wat Plai LaemGo alone or with a tour

Samui's landmark: a golden seated Buddha from 1972 on the island's north-east tip, above the beach named after it.

Check dates and pricesBig Buddha and temples cultural tour
Been there?
The white 18-armed Guanyin of Wat Plai Laem standing over the lake

See the 18-armed Guanyin on the lake at Wat Plai Laem

Plai Laem, Koh Samui

30 to 45 minutesFree

A Thai-Chinese temple built around a lake, where a white goddess of mercy with 18 arms stands on the water.

Been there?

Pay your respects to the mummified monk of Wat Khunaram

Route 4169, Koh Samui

30 minutesFree

A temple on Samui's south coast keeps a monk who died in meditation in 1973 on view, at his own request.

Been there?
Visitors walking between stalls at a night market on Koh Samui

Eat along the Fisherman's Village walking street in Bophut

Bophut, Koh Samui

1.5 to 3 hoursFree

Three nights a week Bophut's old seafront lanes, lined with century-old Chinese shophouses, close to traffic and fill with stalls.

Been there?
Water dropping over dark rock into the pool at Na Muang 1 waterfall

Swim below Na Muang 1 and hike up to Na Muang 2

Na Muang, Koh Samui

1 to 2 hours, 3 to 4 with Na Muang 2Free

Two waterfalls over purple-grey rock in Samui's interior: one with a pool to swim in, the other a steep hike higher.

Been there?
Granite boulders and surf at the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks at the south end of Lamai

Laugh at the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks at Lamai

Lamai, Koh Samui

30 minutesFree

Two granite formations shaped by wind and sea into unmistakably human anatomy, Samui's most photographed roadside stop.

Been there?

Snorkel off Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, south of Samui

South of Koh Samui

Half a dayBook ahead

Samui's own bays are silty, so the easy snorkelling is on two small islands about 15 minutes off its south coast.

Check dates and pricesPig Island and Koh Tan by speedboat
Been there?

Dive or freedive Sail Rock, the granite pinnacle off Samui

Gulf of Thailand, off Koh Samui

A full dayBook ahead

A granite pinnacle in open water between Samui and Koh Tao, with a vertical chimney to swim through and whale sharks in season.

Check dates and pricesDay trip diving at Sail Rock
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Koh Samui yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Samui has its own airport. Otherwise fly to Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat or Chumphon and take a bus and ferry; car ferries from Don Sak pier near Surat Thani reach Nathon and Lipa Noi. Lomprayah also sells bus and catamaran tickets from Bangkok.

  • Getting around

    The 51 km ring road links everything. Shared songthaews run as group taxis along it; taxis rarely use their meters, so agree the fare first. Scooters are rented everywhere, but ride only if you are experienced.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, four days fits it: one for the north-east temples and Bophut, one for the south loop with Na Muang, Wat Khunaram and Lamai, one on the water at Koh Tan or Sail Rock, and one for the beach.

  • When to go

    The Gulf islands get their main rains from about November to February, when the waterfalls run strongest and seas can be rough. The rest of the year is drier; whale sharks visit Sail Rock from March to May.

  • Where to base yourself

    Chaweng for nightlife and the most hotels, Lamai for a slightly calmer version, Bophut and Mae Nam on the north coast for quieter beaches and the ferries, and the west coast for space and sunsets.

Questions travellers ask

Is the snorkelling good on Koh Samui?

Not straight off the island: the shallow bays leave silt in the water. Take a boat to Koh Tan and Koh Madsum to the south, to Ang Thong Marine Park, or go to Koh Tao for clearer water.

Which beach should I stay on?

Chaweng is the largest and liveliest, Lamai a little calmer, and the north coast villages of Mae Nam, Bophut, Bang Rak and Choeng Mon quieter, with Bophut's Fisherman's Village for evenings.

Can I visit Koh Phangan or Koh Tao from Samui?

Yes. Ferries leave from Bang Rak, Mae Nam and Nathon piers. Koh Phangan works as a day trip; Koh Tao is further and rewards a night or two.

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