Ban Tai Beach
Just a moments walk from Baan Tropicana is Ban Tai beach, a 2-km-long strip of pristine white sand located between Bang Por and Maenam beaches on the Northern coast. With it's majestic sunsets and views to Koh Phangan and Ang Thong National Marine Park it's hard to match. It is often mistakenly called Bang Por from which is only separated by a tiny rocky cape. Facing north, this beach is a haven of tranquility.
You can find cool independent beach bars and restaurants on Ban Tai beach, and if you're looking for one of the perfect places on Koh Samui to catch a sunset, this is it. Not only does the sky turn into an incredible rainbow of reds and yellows as the evening rolls in, but the reflection on the beach means you'll get the illusion of walking on perfect pink sands.
Bang Por Beach
Bang Por beach sits right between the Gulf of Thailand and the thick tropical rain forest, offering an almost hidden stretch of soft white sand for those looking to relax. At almost 11-km-long, this is Koh Samui's longest shoreline, but since it's located on the northwest coast (away from the main areas), it doesn't receive as many tourists. If you're looking for a quieter destination with great prices and local food, this is the place.
Compared to other beaches on the island, Bang Por like Ban Tai has seen little development. Local fishermen still visit the bay, and the food choices around are more of the local, simple variety set in thatch-roof shacks. Plus, majestic sunsets and the splendid view of Ko Phanagn across the water is hard to match.
Maenam Beach
Maenam just a few moments drive from Ban tai, is popular with backpackers and offers everything that you would expect of such a title – budget shopping, fun activities and its fair share of rough-and-ready bars and restaurants. However, the other end of the spectrum is also very well catered for, with fine dining options and a quiet, sophisticated nightlife.
Maenam has a fresh food market, 7 Eleven's, a variety of shops, pharmacies, banks, Exchange booths, a small Mini C supermarket, a gas filling station and a post office.
There's also a peaceful beach with excellent views to Koh Phangan. Maenam beach is almost 7-km-long, so most people stick to one area rather than trying to explore the whole length of it. Head towards the end of it in either direction, and you'll find a lot more privacy.
Samui Immigration
Samui Immigration re-located it's offices from Nathon to Maenam in 2016. The new building is substantially bigger, with air conditioning, comfortable chairs and facilities including passport photo service and photo copy machines, there's also a restaurant onsite and an ample sized parking area. Samui Immigration office process all types of visas from simple tourist extensions to long term visas, open Monday-Friday from 08.30am - 16.30pm except on public holidays.
Maenam Pier
Maenam Pier has 2 other names: Pralarn Pier and Lomprayah Ferry Pier (the company that operates ferries from this pier). It's located towards the western end of Maenam Beach in Koh Samui. Maenam Pier serves Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Donsak Pier, and Chumphon. There are 2 ferries for each of these destinations scheduled for 8 am and 12.30 pm. The pier has an open-sided restaurant overlooking the sea, with Koh Phangan in the distance.
Bophut Beach
Bophut is really 2 places: Bophut Beach, which sweeps down several kilometres between Bangrak and Maenam beaches, and the charming Fisherman’s Village. The latter is perhaps one of the oldest places on the island and takes up the eastern section of the beach. It has a reputation that stretches way beyond Samui for being the most elegant and well-preserved place on the island. Bophut Beach itself is a 3-km-long strip lined with resorts for all budget levels. You can enjoy a great view of Koh Phangan, located some 12 km north of the beach.
Fisherman's Village
Despite its quietness, Ban Tai’s location a not so far distance from Fisherman's Village permits guests to enjoy the liveliness of events such as Fisherman's Village Walking Street.
Fisherman's Village in Samui just a few minutes drive from Baan Tropicana is a historical part of Bophut, with rustic-style buildings housing boutique stores, trendy restaurants and a small selection of hotels lining the narrow Beach Road. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the whole area becomes the site of the Fisherman's Village Walking Street market, attracting huge numbers of shoppers from across the island for the impressive variety of wares and the lively atmosphere.
This old part of Bophut Beach takes its name from the fact that it was once home to a thriving fishing community. The fishermen have moved on and the main pier has collapsed, but the old wooden shophouses remain, with a warren of narrow alleys running between many of them, giving the village a charming old look and feel.
Big Buddha Bay
This north-eastern area has only recently gained popularity, with most of the clientele being budget travellers and backpackers. The beach is conveniently situated, being close both to the Koh Samui Airport and the ferry to Had Rin on Koh Phangan, Choeng Mon Beach, Bangrak and Bophut. It is also home to several cultural attractions, including the titular Big Buddha.
Big Buddha
The Big Buddha on the northern coast of Koh Samui is one of Thailand's famous shrines and probably Samui's best-known landmark. The 12-metre-tall golden Buddha statue can be seen from several kilometres away. The Buddha figure sits in the Mara posture, depicting a time during Buddha's journey to enlightenment where he successfully subdued temptations and dangers thrust at him. The pose is a symbol of steadfastness, purity and enlightenment.
Bangrak Pier
Bangrak Pier is also known as Big Buddha Pier, as it's just south of Koh Fan, a small island that hosts Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple). It has several restaurants and bakeries, along with a sound system playing music and announcing ferry departures. Bangrak Pier has the advantage of being the closest port to Chaweng Beach and Koh Samui International Airport. You can get to Donsak Pier on the mainland, as well as Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. Bangrak town has become a lively and popular area, with cafés, restaurants, bars and beautiful sunny views across the bay.
Wat Plai Laem
Wat Plai Laem is a Buddhist temple compound on Samui's northeast coast, which features a striking white, 18-armed image of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion. Close to the Big Buddha temple, Wat Plai Laem offers visitors a view into Chinese-Thai beliefs as well as some elaborate Buddhist art and architecture.
Wat Plai Laem is a living and active temple. It's where devotees come daily to pay homage to Guanyin and the Buddha, who is also depicted in a number of statues and murals around the temple. The art techniques used in its creation are centuries old and based on ancient beliefs. Adding to its feel of tranquillity, the temple is surrounded by a lake, which is teeming with fish. Visitors who make a donation to the temple are given a bag of food to feed the fish.
Samui Airport
Samui International Airport (USM) is one of the best-looking airports in Thailand. It's privately owned and run by Bangkok Airways. The airport is located between Bophut and Chaweng beaches. Opened in 1989, it has a strong tropical touch as most of the buildings have bamboo-and-thatch features. The 2 terminals are open-sided, with plenty of tropical flowers that give travelers a beach holiday vibe. There are few air-conditioned areas, except for the offices and gift shops. Mostly serving domestic flights, Samui Airport is considered an international airport as it also receives flights from Singapore and Hong Kong.
Bangkok Hospital - Koh Samui
If you do have the misfortune of requiring emergency healthcare there are a number of hospitals in Koh Samui that meet the needs of tourists. Bangkok Hospital being one of them, is an internationally accredited hospital providing accident and emergency, general healthcare services and cosmetic surgery located in Koh Samui. More than three fifths of their patients are foreigners and most of them are tourists.
Chaweng
Chaweng is Koh Samui's biggest resort town, best known for being home to the largest shopping complex in southern Thailand, a wide range of hotels in all price points, and lots of things to do and places to eat. Although Chaweng is also well known for its nightlife, this also includes a softer side of late-night cafes, live music venues that stay open well past midnight, and plenty of oceanside restaurants to lounge under the light of the moon.
When it comes to daytime entertainment, Chaweng has lots of different things to offer as well. Petchbuncha Boxing Stadium has live muay Thai fights three times per week, and it's a great place to get an introduction to the sport. The secluded Wat Khao Hua Jook temple (which contains a replica of Buddha's footprint) and the 90,000-square-meter Central Festival Samui shopping center are also popular attractions here.
Soi Green Mango - Chewang
Soi Green Mango is the epicentre of Samui's nightlife, home to drinking, loud music and good times. The highlight of the street is the namesake establishment at the very end of the road – The Green Mango Club, which has been an institution of Chaweng’s nightlife for decades.
There are a good few beer bars and a modest choice of nightclubs and has a lot to offer once it comes to life after midnight. Soi Green Mango forms a loop heading inland off the northern end of Chaweng Beach Road. The entrance is lit by bright signs and banners.
Reggae Street - Chewang
Like Green Mango, Soi Reggae has become a hub for nightlife in Chaweng, featuring Muay Thai bouts at Samui International Muay Thai Stadium, nightclubs, karaoke and the pink-neon-lit beer bars which are an inevitable part of the nightlife across Thailand.
The 200-metre road leading up to Reggae Pub the entertainment venue at the end of the street in which the street is named after, you'll come across an unavoidable gauntlet of small beer bars, with loud music and a throng of people. However, they can be fun places to enjoy a few laughs, a few games of pool and cold beverages.
Lat Ko Viewpoint
Lat Ko Viewpoint is one of the best and most straightforward places in Samui to get a great panoramic view of the sea and the beautiful east coast of the island. Located right by the side of the Ring Road between Lamai and Chaweng, you can park your bike and walk along the paved path overlooking the coastline, going down to the coast.
The greyish beige of the boulders, the turquoise water, and the clear blue skies above Chaweng offer a really pleasant sight. The location of Lat Ko Viewpoint also allows you to catch the stunning sunrise here.
> Open in Google Maps
Silver Beach
Silver Beach or Crystal Bay is a 250-metre-long tropical beach paradise set in a charming little bay facing northeast of Koh Samui. Also known as Haad Thong Ta-khian the beach hosts 4 long-established hotels and restaurants, which occupy the full length of the beach.
You can still access Silver Beach for free, even if you’re not a hotel guest. Silver Beach offers a quiet escape under the swaying palm trees, and it's perfect for couples and those looking for a calmer getaway. You can always grab a motorbike taxi for a 10-minute ride to Lamai beach if you're looking for a more lively (and busier) destination.
Lamai
Lamai is Koh Samui's second-largest resort town after Chaweng. This eastern resort town, south of Chaweng Beach, has a similar sort of vibe to its northerly neighbour, but on a smaller scale. Like in Chaweng, its nightlife is still a major draw and there are plenty of great dining, entertainment and accommodation options. The older of Koh Samui’s more popular destinations, it has a cheap and cheerful atmosphere and some truly unique attractions.
Nightlife in Lamai features an eclectic choice of places offering impressive after-dark entertainment despite its relatively small size. Of course, the nightlife here is not as busy as Chaweng's but a few long-established venues do their best to prove otherwise. From wooden beachside venues to trendy clubs, you'll find them all here, a place for partygoers in Koh Samui.
Lamai Beach itself is lovely – a stunning crescent of palm-fringed powdery white sand. There's a deep central stretch of water that’s great for swimming and water sports. Large granite boulders are the landmarks of Lamai Beach – the most famous of them being Hin Ta and Hin Yai, at the southern end of the beach.
Hin Ta Hin Yai
The Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks are some fascinating rock formations at the southern end of Lamai Beach on Koh Samui. The views from the rocks and the area around them are spectacular, stretching across the sea to nearby islands. The pristine waters here are so clear that colourful marine life can often be seen from the surface.
Taling Ngam Beach
Located in the less touristy southwest corner of Koh Samui, Taling Ngam remains a mostly wild beach. This means little development, only a few hotels and restaurants opening up over the sand, and a sometimes unkept coastline – palm branches, coral pieces, and coconuts can often be found on the sand.
The ocean is shallow near the coast, but rent a kayak and find your way to deeper azure waters for great swimming, diving, or just some leisurely paddling. In the distance, you'll be able to see some of the archipelagos that make up Ang Thong National Marine Park. Taling Ngam Beach also offers some impressive sunsets,
Nathon Pier
The Nathon Pier mainly serves the Seatran and Lomprayah ferry companies. There's a ferry departing for Donsak on the mainland every hour between 5 am and 7 pm. Located on the west coast of Koh Samui, Nathon is the capital town of Koh Samui. It hosts all the official administration offices, as well as the main ferry pier on the island.
Useful Links:
7/21 Moo 5, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84330, Thailand
+66 (0) 64 160 0381
Contact@Baantropicana
facebook@Baantropicana
baantropicana721@gmail.com
Baan Tropicana
7/21 Moo 5, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84330, Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 64 160 0381
Contact@Baantropicana
facebook/Baantropicana