Koh Samui Travel Guide – The Sweetest Island Award

After our visit to Bangkok, we explored Koh Phangan and then Koh Samui. Koh Samui, where we spent four days, was our last stop in Thailand. It seems we saved the best for last. With its island nature, cuisine, and a bit more settled and developed atmosphere compared to Koh Phangan, it became our favorite. I happily award Koh Samui the title of the sweetest island. 🙂

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Transportation

You can reach Koh Samui by both sea and air. Our holiday plan was Bangkok -> Koh Samui -> Koh Phangan -> Koh Samui -> Bangkok. Therefore, we experienced both air and sea travel for Koh Samui.

Only one airline flies from Bangkok to Koh Samui: Bangkok Airways. Therefore, the prices are a bit higher compared to other domestic flights in Thailand. Our travel dates coincided with the Thai New Year, and as a result, ticket prices were very high. An internal flight was almost the same price as a Dubai – Bangkok flight ticket. My advice is not to leave arranging Thailand domestic flights to the last minute and to check in advance.

After our Koh Phangan trip, we took a ferry to Koh Samui and disembarked at Bangrak Seatran Pier. We bought our ferry tickets, including hotel transportation, from this site.

During our stay in Koh Samui, we didn’t rent a vehicle on the island and used minibuses when needed. Since minibuses run frequently and usually go to every area, we didn’t face any transportation issues on the island.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Accommodation

Koh Samui, after Phuket, is the largest island in Thailand. There are so many hotels on the island that it’s impossible not to get lost among the accommodation options. We wanted our hotel to have good facilities, a beachfront location, and be in the city center so that we could explore on foot. Among the hotels that met these criteria, Hansar Samui in the Fisherman Village area was the one that we liked the most. You can check the details of our hotel stay here.

I recommend selecting your options based on your own criteria and how you plan to spend time on the island. You can check all accommodation options on the island here.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Places to Visit

Fisherman’s Village

Located at the northernmost part of the island, Fisherman’s Village is one of the most touristy areas in Koh Samui. There are dozens of restaurants, shops, markets, and spa centers. It’s like a small fishing village that lives up to its name. Since we stayed in this area, we explored every corner of Fisherman’s Village.

In Fisherman’s Village, a Night Market is set up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I recommend stopping by this market if you want to buy souvenirs, eat local food, or have a quick cocktail on the go.

Bo Phut Beach

A beautiful beach adorned with palm trees located in Fisherman’s Village. There are dozens of establishments along the shore. You can sit in any of them, enjoy the sea and the sun, or sit in the public area and relax as you wish.

Chaweng Beach

Chaweng Beach is famous for its beautiful beach during the day and lively bars at night. This area can be considered the most popular in the island. We explored the colorful streets of this area after dinner, and the atmosphere was quite lively. Rows of bars, each with its own music and entertainment spilling onto the street, filled the night with a lively vibe.

Chaweng Night Market

The same market set up in Fisherman’s Village is also set up in the Chaweng area. We bought nice souvenirs for our friends and family from here.

Maenam Beach

This beach was the best place we saw to watch the sunset in Koh Samui. We recommend visiting this beach, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from Fisherman’s Village. Especially at the end of the beach, we watched a sunset show like a postcard from a café under a lighted tree. 🙂

Supermarkets

I recommend taking some time to visit the nearest supermarket. In my opinion, supermarkets tell a lot about the culture and habits of countries. I went to two different supermarkets, and both had very large chip and noodle sections. The cosmetic shelves were a completely different world filled with skin whitening creams. I saw matcha-flavored Magnum ice cream in the ice cream section and didn’t miss it; it was delicious. If you have time, I definitely recommend taking a look at the supermarkets.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Activities

There are many activities you can do in Koh Samui. For example, exploring the waterfalls on the island, snorkeling tours, ATV rides, visiting the elephant orphanage and spending a day with elephants, etc. You can check all activities you can do on the island from below mentioned two platforms and buy tickets online. If you have enough time in Koh Samui and haven’t seen Koh Phangan, I recommend visiting it while you’re here. You can check the details of a day trip to Koh Phangan here.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Dining & Food and Drink

Nirvana

Located in Fisherman’s Village, we went to this restaurant for our first dinner. It was a restaurant run by a German elderly man, making perfect Thai dishes with a seaside view. I loved the food. The seafood was also very delicious. Honestly, my favorite Thai dish in Fisherman’s Village was here, so I’m putting it at the top of the list.

Coco Tam’s

One of the most popular places in Fisherman’s Village. Therefore, finding a place was a bit difficult. You can come here in the late afternoon and watch the sunset. If you stay until the evening, there is also a fire and light show on the beach. We didn’t try their meals because I challenged myself to only eat Thai dishes during our time in Thailand. 🙂 We tried their cocktails and snacks; I recommend their cocktails made from fresh passion fruit.

Ark Store Bar

We followed the sound of live music while wandering the streets of Chaweng Beach and ended up here. It was a pleasant bar, but there wasn’t much that set it apart from the surrounding bars, in my opinion. Almost every place here is almost the same; you can sit wherever you set your eyes.

ArkBar Beach Club

We came here after Ark Store Bar around 11 pm. We tried delicious cocktails made from fresh passion fruit and mango under a lighted tree on the beach. There was a DJ, and the music was really good. A small note; besides mobile vendors, there were also guys carrying chameleons on their shoulders. If you like chameleons and want to take a memorable photo, you can do this for a small tip.

20 Stories

We sat on the beach side of this restaurant. Both the food and the ambiance were great. It was like a moment in my mind immortalized.

For food, we chose a seafood menu that included shrimp, lobster, mussels, and more. They were all very fresh and delicious. You really must taste seafood in this island country.

The Hut Cafe

This place is more casual and much more economical than other places in the region. We tried shrimp Pad Thai and pineapple fried rice, accompanied by coconut water. The meals were excellent; this place is truly a value for money.

Nana Beach

We accidentally discovered this place while going to Maenam Beach to watch the sunset. You should definitely come here for an afternoon sunset + cocktail. There is a fire and light show on the beach after the sun sets.

Crepes a Day

A fantastic creperie we discovered on the way back from Maenam Beach to Fisherman’s Village. The reviews were quite good, so if you happen to pass by, you can take a short dessert break and give this place a chance.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Massage Saloons

During our four days in Koh Samui, we had a massage every day. There are many massage saloons in Fisherman’s Village. If you come to this area, you can add a massage to your plan.

Cyan Spa

This became our favorite massage saloon. They have a separate section for foot massage with a sea view, and the sounds at the entrance do not enter inside. Therefore, you can enjoy the massage in peace with both the beautiful view and the massage. We were very satisfied with this place; we even spent our last hour before going to the airport having a massage here.

Sakura

We went to Sakura for a full-body Thai massage. The place where the massage was done didn’t seem very hygienic to us. Although the upper floor was noisy and divided into sections with curtains, it was not isolated. Downstairs, like Cyan Spa, Sakura also had a section with a view for those getting a foot massage, but it wasn’t separate, meaning that section didn’t have a door. Therefore, those getting a massage were doing so amid all the coming and going, toilet commotion. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Koh Samui Travel Guide: Notes & Recommendations & Conclusion

• I pinned the places to visit and restaurants in order on Google Maps. If you save the map below, you can easily access the locations even without internet.
• I recommend buying Tiger Balm from these markets. It’s really good and effective, in case you have flu. Also, you must try banana chips; we even bought some as souvenirs. 🙂
• In some areas along the beach, jet skis can make noise and disturb, and the waste they produce can pollute the sea. My recommendation is to swim in areas away from them.
• We used the canoe at our hotel and did canoeing along the shoreline; it was very enjoyable to see the entire shoreline from the sea. Definitely ask about the sports activities of the hotel where you will stay.
• As I mentioned in my previous Bangkok article, the credit card option is almost non-existent. Make sure to have cash with you. Also, keep in mind that exchange offices do not exchange amounts less than 50 USD.
• You can find my other articles about Thailand, where I talked about Bangkok and Koh Phangan trips, here.