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With its dancing girls and fast food joints of Chaweng, it is easy to see why some people call Koh Samui in Thailand slightly tacky.
However, in comparison, the sunsets and less crowded beaches of Lamai let the island regain its paradise title again!
Here are the best things to do in Koh Samui, with the aid of a scooter hire.
What to Do in Koh Samui
1. Big Buddha and Guan Yin
These massive and colourful statues are located at Koh Samui’s Wat Plai Laem in the Northeast of the island.
Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion and the Buddha highlight the influence of China on Koh Samui and make for some pretty cool shots.
18 armed Guan Yin
2. Beach Party, Koh Samui
Chaweng is where you will find most of the nightlife in Koh Samui!
Laze by the pool as DJs play at Arc or go bar hopping through town.
Now I know what you’re thinking about packing – surely we just take our bikinis and shorts, yes?
Not quite, the north is cooler (do not miss Pai in the mountains!), but fear not, here’s a Thailand packing list.
3. Lamai Lazing
We spent a solid few days sunbathing by the pool, buzzing about on the moped, eating (expensive) French breakfasts and dining out by the beach and by the cliffside.
I recommend making the effort to get up at 5 am and visiting the beach for the sunrise…
4. Phallic Rock in Koh Samui
One of Koh Samui’s popular tourist spots is the Grandmother and Grandfather rock (Hin Ta and Hin Yai), mainly down to their phallic aesthetics!
5. Na Muang Waterfalls
Na Muang Waterfalls, two waterfalls located in the south of the island, are popular Koh Samui attractions.
We hired a scooter to get around Koh Samui, which is recommended.
Na Muang Waterfall 1 (18 metres high) is the closest to the entrance, the second (80 metres high) is a 20 – 30 minute walk, or alternatively, you can pay to arrive by 4×4 (safety not included).
Warning – these do not compare to the waterfall we experienced in the north of the country on the way to northern Pai!
Please, please, please do not ride the elephants here (or anywhere in Thailand).
Visit the Elephant Nature Park to see elephants humanely.
How great is Pinterest?!
Why not pin to your Thailand board…
I just wanted to pass on a bit of information for anyone planning to visit Koh Samui. Please please avoid using the restaurant delivery service Hangover Samui. I used to to place an order and received the delivery after 2 hours and with an item missing. Because it was a large order I didn’t realize I was missing an item until a couple hours later. I reached out to the company to try to resolve this and get a refund but was responded by Jason via email who refused to provide a refund and then accused me of lying. He then proceeded to call me an asshole. I am blown away by this level of rudeness and just wanted to share this with others considering ever ordering from them.
Yikes. Thanks for the update!
I love Thailand, ko samui is my favorite place..
Really?! I liked the cocktails.