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



Samui's 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! The Northern stretch is probably the quietest part, where you will find some pricey dining options. The Central area is very busy with many bathers, jet skis, clubs, bars and beach side dining at night. The Southern stretch is a little more exclusive and can witness some strong currents and large waves starting in November, through to March.



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 with some great places to eat and an old but fascinating temple at the west end. Never crowded, this beach comes very highly recommended.



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, unless you venture further out. There is roughly 400 metres of beach frontage, with great sunset views towards the outer islands and Koh Phangnan. A quiet area, well removed from main roads and traffic, its appeal owing all to its unspoilt nature- a real getaway to sit and contemplate renewal of the soul. The narrow public access road runs through the Mai Samui and the beach can be accessed just past the hotel. A little further on are some small local restaurants that have appeared recently, presumeably to take advantage of the hotels guests as customers.






Nathon Beach

Often overlooked by the beach brigade, accessed easily by the side of a hotel that is located just before the Sunset Restaurant on the Nathon one way system, Nathon beach has fine white sand and there are no rocks or coral in the water, making it one of the best beaches for children on the island. The water is also very shallow for up to 100 metres or so, ideal too for kite surfing practice! A few luxury bungalows for the villa rental trade, some smaller bungalow resorts and the Big John Seafood restaurant can be found here.

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The Western & Southern Beaches

Blessed with fantastic sunsets the north western beaches, such as the shallow waters of Lipa Noi, where you will find the Nikki Beach Resort, and nearby Bang Por, are not crowded or developed much, retaining a real tropical island feel, great places to take a picnic. Taling Ngam, a little further down south, also has great sunset views. Check out too the Five Islands area.

Down South, where you will also find The Tiger Zoo and Aquarium, are the beaches of Hua Thanon, Thong Krut and Bank Kao. Maybe plan a day out taking in some of these quieter beaches with visits to the Zoo, the Butterfly Garden and some excellent temples in the vicinity.