This beautiful tropical island has been charming its visitors ever since the first tourists arrived in 1971. Those who experience Samui are rewarded with an idyllic tropical retreat with little traffic, white-sand beaches, a sapphire-blue sea, water sports, adventure activities, an abundance of tantalising Thai cuisine and an unusually warm and friendly people.
Koh Samui is just 21 kilometres at its widest point and 25 at its longest. The island consists of forests hills of limestone and granite, and the shoreline is made up of countless palm-fringed beaches and bays. The weather is warm and sunny for much of the year and the fine sand beaches are busiest from December to March, also throughout July and August.
The most beautiful and busiest beaches are at Chaweng and Lamai on the east coast, where you can find a wide range of accommodation, restaurants and nightspots to suit every taste. Bophut and Maenam, on the calmer north coast facing Koh Phangan, are also popular beaches offering a quieter, gentler holiday experience. For complete solitude you can even escape into an entirely different atmosphere among the orchards in the mountains or experience Samui as it was twenty years ago by wandering among the coconut plantations of the South. Samui is made for tourists, with its boutique hotels and restaurants, fun and varied night life, and range of day time activities.
Samui's natural attractions include the coral beds at Laem Sed and Tong Takien, the Hin Lat and Na Muang waterfalls and the phallic rock formations at the southern end of Lamai bay. Beyond the main island are many others well worth exploring - Koh Phangan (world famous for its monthly Full Moon Parties), Koh Tao (one of the best diving locations in Thailand) and Ang Thong National Marine Park (a compact archipelago of small and virtually untouched islands which are best explored by sea kayak).
At any time of the year visitors will be satisfied with the weather in Samui and the coastal area. During the high season, from December to February, the weather temperatures on Samui hover at around 30 degrees centigrade, short tropical downpours can still occur. March to June can get very hot indeed, up to 40 degrees centigrade, which is well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and there is little or no rain during these months. The wind picks up again in May, and this is a popular time for off-season visits. During July to September is slightly cooler, with a mini monsoon season that brings occasional storms and periods of heavy rain. October and November see more rain than other months, although even then it doesn't normally fall every day.
Koh Samui Info
| Country |
Thailand |
| Airports |
Koh Samui (USM) |
| GMT |
+ 7 hours |
| Currency |
Thai Baht (THB) |
