Koh Samui Beaches

The many resorts and guesthouses in Chaweng, the busiest beach on Samui, give the place a carnival-like atmosphere and the east coast town is busy all year round.

The whole central part of Chaweng Beach is lined with resorts, restaurants and bars and as a result it becomes quite active after dark with sets of lounging cushions and low tables for dining laid out on the sand while ambient music drifts through the night air. Further inland on the town's high street, there is also a hot nightlife and shopping scene. By day, the beaches are busy, by night the bars. (Read more...)

Lamai is the second busiest beach on Samui and it has a fairly decent nightlife to complement its resorts and guesthouses. Lamai is six kilometres south of Chaweng and the beach is unprotected by a reef. In parts, there are rocks to negotiate and things are a little rougher here, swimming wise, with much deeper water than Chaweng.

Southern Lamai is home to the Grandma and the Grandpa rocks – Hin Ta and Hin Yai – a curious pair of large granite rocks strongly resembling male and female genitalia. In town things are a little cheaper than at Chaweng and certainly more relaxed, with several trendy bars and pubs. (Read more...)

Big Buddha Beach, situated nearby Samui's airport, is a good point of departure for speedboats and vessels bound for nearby Had Rin on Koh Pha Ngan where the world-famous full moon parties are held. This beach is the location of the large Buddha image visible for miles around and also the venue of the Secret Garden, a Sunday afternoon open-mike music jam that has been running for years.

There's a good choice of dive shops and several distinctive bars and restaurants as well as a good Thai food cooking school. Breezy and cool, Big Buddha Beach is more spread out than Chaweng. (Read more...)

Maenam has five kilometres of appealing, palm-shaded sandy beach and is a tranquil spot. Not overly developed, Maenam is nevertheless home to a few upscale resorts on the beach itself and their subsequent satellite businesses. There is a pier here for boats bound for Khoh Tao and Khoh Pha Ngan and clustered around the pier are most of the area's dive shops, cafés and restaurants.

Maenam has the feel of an old fishing village and there is an old Chinese Temple plus rows of original shophouses. Not a noted nightspot, Maenam Beach is a good place for a quiet day out with the family. (Read more...)

Bo Phut was once a charming little northerly facing fisherman's village. Nowadays it is home to chic boutiques, trendy bars and groovy bistros with a few jewelry outlets thrown in. Nevertheless it still retains its charm and is well worth a visit for a few hours. (Read more...)

Westerly facing, with fine white sand, the sea at Lipa Noi is free from rocks and coral and it is shallow for 100 metres out, making it the ideal swimming and children's beach. Lipa Noi is a residential area and there is little nightlife here except for a few seafood outlets with bars attached.

The sunset here is spectacular and the whole area has more of a natural feel than the resort towns on the island's east coast. Most Thai residents of Lipa Noi carry on as if the tourist boom had never happened and this, along with lovely countryside and the beach, combines to make a very charming place. (Read more...)

Nathon is the island's commercial hub and home to its governmental offices. Taling Ngam on Samui's southwest coast is lovely and quiet with a limited amount of resorts and bars. A good sunset viewing spot, you'll be able to spend quality and peaceful time there.

With Samui's ring road making getting around relatively simple, exploring the island's beaches is lots of fun. (Read more...)