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Koh Samui is a beautiful island north east off the coast of Phuket. It’s one of the only islands that actually has an airport so many travelers come here to get to Koh Phangan, which is only a half hour ferry ride from Koh Samui. This island was actually one of my favorites because it was small enough to ride a scooter around for the day but big enough so you could experience different beaches, temples, and towns throughout the whole island. We spent 4 nights here exploring what the island had to offer before heading off to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party.

Getting Here

Koh Samui is one of the few islands that has an airport so the best and most convenient way to get here is via plane. We flew from Phuket with Bangkok Airways for about $125. The flight was around 1 hour and I have to say how impressed I was with Bangkok Airways. Overall great service, receiving food and drinks through the flight. Upon arrival, we took a shared shuttle which you can book right when you arrive and they will drop you off directly at your hotel.

Location: Chaweng Beach

The island is quite big and there are some beautiful resorts and beach cottages all around the island. We stayed in Chaweng Beach which is only about 10 minutes from the airport and provides a long strip of restaurants, bars, and shopping. This is quite a busy area so if you want more seclusion then I suggest staying on another part of the island.

Accommodation: Hello Backpackers

The location of this hostel was probably the only benefit. Located right in the heart of Chaweng Beach, you are just steps from the beach and plenty of places to eat or enjoy the nightlife. The small common area provided a great spot to hang out and meet other travelers, however the area was way too small so sometimes we had to spill into the front, but the front of the hostel was where tourists booked tours and activities so it got awkward at some points since the manager didn’t seem to care. The amount of beds in each room were a bit cramped and the beds were absurdly hard.

• Cost per night: $13

Activities

Hire Scooters

As mentioned prior this island is small enough to take a scooter around to see majority of the island so if you have the time I definitely recommend it. The roads are quite busy on the east side of the island but it gets very rural on the west side. With our scooters we were able to check out the following:

1. Big Buddha

Located on the north side of the island, its a nice first stop towards the beginning of your tour around the island. Note that if you are female you must cover your shoulders and knees. You can rent some scarves and a skirt if you are not covered but you can easily see the Buddha from a far without going in.

2. Beaches

Being that it’s an island there are several beaches and stretches of beach you can stop at. We didn’t have much planned here in terms of which beaches to go to but just stopped whenever we needed to cool off. The west side of the island by far has the most beautiful and secluded beaches with one of my favorites being Nikki Beach.

3. Mummified Monk

There are a couple on the island but the most popular is at Wat Khunaram temple on the southern part of the island. Not a huge highlight in my opinion but this is definitely a popular tourist spot. I just find it a bit odd and strange especially since they put on some big shades across his eyes, which I found humorous.

4. Hin Ta & Hin Yai Rocks (Penis and Vagina Rocks)

Of course when I first heard of this I said what?! But yes it’s true, there’s a place on the island where these rock formations look like a penis and vagina so of course we gotta check it out! It’s a pretty cool spot where the rock formations are and provide a beautiful landscape overlooking the ocean and horizon, but the penis and vagina rocks are a bit overrated. They do in fact look like it but I think the view is what makes it. There’s also a really cool 420 bar in between the rocks hidden right on the beach in the crevices which looked awesome. The perfect place to just chill out and watch the sunset.

5. Laem Sor Pagoda – located on the southern tip of the island there is a temple located at the very top of a massive hill that provides a beautiful view of the ocean. Females must be covered, although it is a smaller temple so they do not provide scarves for you if need be. I just covered myself with a towel.

Island Hopping – Ang Thong National Park

We visited a couple of islands on our tour throughout the National Park. Our tour departed from Nathon Pier on the west side of the island. We went to one island where we were able to swim, snorkel, and hike up to a beautiful view point overlooking the other small islands. The hike up to the top had no formal steps or path, and only had rope to climb up some of the rocks. Some people completely avoided it and did not bother but I found it to be pretty fun and challenging.

The next spot we went to we kayaked through some gorges around an island reaching a beach for a pit stop. Here there was a green lagoon inside the middle of the island that we were able to hike up and over the top of. There were actual stairs and railing to hold onto to hike up so it made it pretty easy to get to and it was definitely worth it. The lagoon was quite big and very green on the inside, such a beautiful scenery. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach and swimming before heading back to Koh Samui.

• Cost: 1400baht (includes transportation, morning snacks, and buffet lunch)

Food

Night Markets – located on the west side of the island provides a large variety of food options from local vendors. The food was really nice and cheap! There was a live band there too playing English cover up songs. The ambiance was quite nice, which made for a nice evening out for dinner. Perfect if you want to experience the local cuisine and street food.

Nightlife

Ark Bar Beach Club – great place for a night time beach party, they had fire dancers and plenty of drinks and buckets along the beach. Not as epic as Koh Phangan but still a great time!