Welcome to Koh Samui, island of thousand charms.

Koh Samui is surely, with Phuket, the most famous destination in Thailand. it is even especially renowned as a perfect destination for a "wedding travel" (Robert de Niro even mention it several times in the movie "Meet the parents" with Ben Stiller) and many resorts offer a special "honey moon" package, including a wedding Buddhist ceremony with the monks.
As her sister from the Andaman sea, Koh samui is well known by travellers from the whole world since many years, and they are now almost 1,5 millions to visit it each year. Koh Samui quickly adapted itself to the tourism business, and after the building of the airport in the early 1990s, the island never ceased its ever growing development, welcoming more and more 5 stars hotels of international brands.
But Koh Samui is much calmer and less urbanized than Phuket, free of any tall building scratching the landscape, thanks to its local law prohibiting buildings taller than the coconut trees, Koh Samui had become more and more a favorite among young travellers and families, with an ever growing number of them every year. Moreover, as the health facilities are really impressive with international class hospitals, the island hosts more and more senior people who came to get retired in the tropics, safely and in serenety.
Easy to reach, only one hour away from Bangkok (with 17 flights a day), Koh Samui is also a favorite Week-end or holiday destination for expats living in Bangkok.
When you arrive in Koh Samui you will easilly understand its success, as it has all and everything to seduce the visitors. Stunning beaches, including the most famous of them, Chaweng, with its 7 km long stretch of white sand, attractions to fulfill your stay all days long, and a nightlife which has nothing to envy to Phuket or Bangkok, and wich offers even more, with the famous Full Moon Party of Koh Phangan, the neighbour island, not forgetting its splendid underwater wichh competes with those of the Andaman sea and some of the dive sites of the area are worldwide renowned by all diving lovers.

Koh Samui, never ending beaches

These are the beaches of Koh Samui that definitely brought it its fame.
Chaweng Beach, on the East coast, is the longest beach of Koh Samui with more than seven kilometers of white sand lined with bungalows and De luxe resorts, and it is also the most crowded. The tourism business is well running here and everything is planned to help you spend the best holidays of your life.
Chaweng Noi Beach is at the end of Chaweng beach as you can expect from its name (noi means small in thai) it is smaller in size than its elder sister and is a pleasant place of vacation, more quiet while not far from the buzzing centers.
Lamai Beach is the second most known beach of Koh Samui. It was indeed developped before Chaweng, but the airport being closer to Chaweng, it attracts now less people and Chaweng did catch up its late in development to finally overtake Lamai. The beach is superb, and gives a calmer or more family friendly picture of Koh Samui.
Hua Thanon, just south of Lamai, is a splendid cove, hydillic where high grade resorts will make you feel like a king.
Mae Nam, in the north, formerly was a priviliged place, far from the tourist development, a guenine eden with only few bungalows, a long beach and a stunning view over Koh Phangan, the Angthong Marine Park and... The sunset ! Nowadays, many high grade resorts have grown here, but the place still remains calm and magic.
Bophut Beach, East of Mae Nam on the same coast, is famous as the Wat Phra Yai hosting the "Big Buddha", a 12 meter high statue of Buddha protecting Koh Samui, is just nearby. It is a beautiful white sand beach, with view over Koh Phangan and the sunset, especially favorite of the french community, as they are many to come here every year, and even to have settled here.
Taling Ngam and Lipa Noi are the beaches of the South-West coast, they are less popular than other beaches of Koh Samui, but are still hosting many private villas and residential development.

Let's party in Koh Samui

As every guenine tourist place, Koh Samui does not only take care of your "sea and sun" lazy days, but also has in charge to make you spend crazy nights you will remember for a long time.
Chaweng Beach is, of course, THE place for nightlife in Koh Samui, with many high quality international restaurants, many bars, with or without hostesses, some with local rock bands playing live, and if you are lucky, you will even have the opportunity to attend the "samui Jazz festival", welcoming international renowned stars, which happens every year in november. You could start the evening in a cabaret with their "Lady-Boys" special shows, then spend the night in one of the numerous Clubs where international DJ are playing their tunes. And if you feel to hot, you can give a chance to the "Bar Ice" north of the lake, -7°C !
To compete with its little sister Koh Phangan, which hosts the famous Full Moon Party every month, Koh Samui organizes its "Black moon Party" and "Half moon Party", near the Chaweng Lake, where other parties take place on a regular basis.
Lamai also has a busy nightlife, with a wide choice of restaurants serving international food, many, many bars (with or without hostesses) and few nightclubs which will take you 'til the end of the night.
Mae Nam and Bophut are much more quiet, and even if you can find some quality bars with good music, the atmosphere is far less hot and firy than in Chaweng or Lamai. But you will have the opportunity to pamper yourself with excellent dinners on the beach in the trendy beach side restaurant of some of the many high grade resorts nestled in the area, or spend the night at the "fisherman's village" in Bophut, and enjoy its offer of restaurants and night bars, all beach side, with a stunning view over Koh Phangan and the sunset.
The other beaches are more calm and you will, most of the time, spend the night using your resort facilities ortherwise you will have to go out to look for some action.

Koh Samui, nature and discovery

Wat Phra Yai is the most famous temple of Koh Samui as it hosts the famous "Big Buddha", a 12 m high statue of a meditating Buddha, the most renowned attraction of Koh Samui. It is located on a tiny island, near Bophut, linked to Koh Samui by a road.
Wat Khun Aram, in the south, near Hua Thanon, is known for its petrified monk, Loung Por Daeng, buddhist monk of Samui wich died meditating and the body did not degrade, it is exhibited to show the power of the Buddhism path.
Wat Kiri Wongkaram is also known for a similar curiosity, a mommified monk, Loung Por Ruam, who was venerated and was embalmed after his death to be exposed to the public behind a glass window. There are of course other interesting temples in Koh Samui, like Wat Bophut, or Wat Silangu which is supposed to hosts a guenine relic of the Buddha, Wat Laem Sor with its splendid Chedi, or Wat Samui.
If you like waterfalls, Na Muang 1 and 2 will satisfy your hunger, these are two tall waterfalls, in the center of Koh Samui, in the National Park, a pleasant walk in the jungle rewarded by a bath in the clear water of the natural pool below the waterfalls.
Hin Ta & Hin Yai, litterally grand-pa and grand-ma, are rock formations with explicit sexual shapes, in the south of Lamai, a natural curiosity which is very famous among visitors.
Samui Butterfly Garden is in Hua Thanon, an excellent walk in a tropical garden, surrounded by free butterflies of all colors and shapes. Up the garden, there is a small interesting museum with many different kind of tropical insects exposed.
Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo, not far from the Butterfly garden, displays a splendid aquarium with tropical species, including sharks of different kinds, there are also big cats and bird show (including parrots).
The Snake Farm is the unavoidable attraction of Koh Samui, with impressive snakes show, including some of the most dangerous of the world. Do not miss the opportunity to be shooted with a snake around the neck !
The Crocodile Farm & Reptile zoo, offers various crocodiles shows, including not less than 5 different species of these impressive reptiles.
The Monkey Theater, located between Chaweng and Bophut, offers various shows with the famous monkeys who are trained to harvest the coconut from the trees.

Koh Samui, activities of all kind

Beside the lazy days on the beach or aside the swimming pool, Koh Samui offers countless activities to satisfy the most active of you..
Of course, scuba diving will make you discover the underwater among the most beautiful of the world, overtaking those of the nevertheless splendid Andaman sea, with 5 stars dive sites. Many diving schools offer day trips to the different interesting sites, you will even be able to reach these sites onboard a traditional chines junk, for a day trip or a few days cruise.
Angthong Marine Park, between Samui and the mainland is an absolutely stunning site, a protected group of virgin, wild and uninhabited islands, daily excursions are organized from Koh Samui and allows you to visit the park and even roam around the different islands, sea kayaking.
Water sports lovers won't be disapointed neither, as jet-ski, sea kayaking and sailing is widely and easilly available here. a pleasant and exclusive way to go around Koh Samui and make the full tour of it.
Golf. Golf players will also be able to practice and choose a green, as there are now two 18 holes golf courses in Koh Samui, both in the north of the island, with a gorgeous view over Koh Phangan. the oldest, "Santhiburi Country club" is located in Mae Nam, the other is the "Bophut hills Golf club".
Thai Boxing. Koh samui is known since a long time to be an important center for thai boxing training and you will find many schools to practice and improve your high kick.
You will also enjoy Karting and Paintball, experiment firearms at Samui Shooting range, go for an elephant trekking or a horse riding, try bungy jumping or cable riding... And you can even leave more erudite and learn Thai cooking or fruit carving at the famous "Sitca" school of Chaweng.