Beaches of Samui


Samui is surrounded by many beaches, usually fringed by swaying coconut palms, fine white sand, some deserted, some very natural like a castaway beach with ocean natural debris, some pristine, some very busy.

Chaweng



Samuis busiest beach, fine white sand around 7 kilometers long, sometimes a little surf, always many vendors selling tourist items, many hotels, bars all along the strip. Very enjoyable for kids but useless if you want to chill out!



Lamai

The second major beach down towards the south east of the island, a little less developed than Chaweng with an excellent white sand and a plethora of girlie bars nearby. Lamai is changing but the transition remains very evident.



Bophut Beach

Nearby to Big Budhha, roughly 2 k's of sandy beach fringed with palms and now for almost the entire length, bars and restaurants, especially along the Fishermans Village section. Despite that it is fairly quiet in comparison to Chaweng, a good place to chill.



Maenam Beach


This remains a tranquil area and is an ideal desert island beach, yet clean and well kept. There are some newer resorts, expensive ones, mixed in with the more traditional and cheaper resorts. An excellent beach upon which to rest and relax



Laem Yai Beach

Located on the very top of the West coast, covering an area ranging from just north of the Four Seasons Resort. continuing past The Passage resort and ending around the Mai Samui Resort, where they have a beach bar. The area around the hotels is nicely cleaned and is quite deserted. Using either of the hotels as a base whilst there is useful. Laem Yai is a sitting beach only as the water is quite rocky.



Mountain Viewpoints

There is a track leading from Lamai that goes right across the island to the northern and north west coastal towns. Best reached by experienced Jungle Tour operators with good four wheel drive vehicles, there are several viewpoints:- Yaod Khao - at 630 metres, the highest point of Samui- weather permitting the view is simply amazing!; Best Mountain Viewpoint- probably the other best known location; Woodland Park View; View Top ; Samui Gallery Hill.

If you attempt this trip on your own the chances are that you are going to get lost - so take the tour, at least for the first visit!

Best Mountain View Point can also be reached from a point just south of Nathon on the main ring road. The entrance road is on the left, just past Wat Chaeng temple. Look out for the sign "Tazan View" for the 5 or 6 kilometer drive, most of which is paved, but the last part is a steep and dusty track. Dusty that is, unless it has been raining, in which case we suggest booking a tour from Nathon! On a clear day you can see Phangan Island and there is (at the time of writing) a simple eatery where you are able to sit on the terrace eating your lunch whilst overlooking Bohput Bay and Maenem.