Visit Thailand's Kho Samui's Beaches

Kho Samui Beaches White Sand and Blue Sea Paradise

Oct 21, 2008

A little over twenty years ago Thailand's third largest island, Kho Samui, was a quiet backwater known only by the local fishing communities and the odd back packer.

As word spread about Samui’s pristine beauty, friendly inhabitants, unsophisticated charm and its cheapness this Thai Bali H’ai was discovered by the travelling classes looking for a different retreat for just two weeks of the year.

Getting to Kho Samui

There are three ways of getting to the island, the cheapest is by long distance coaches leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal every night on a bus-boat package for 900 baht for the preferable VIP bus. Both drop off at Surat Thani where the island ferry departs to Samui’s main port of Na Thon.

Thai railways have a good overnight train-bus-ferry service from Bangkok. A second class sleeper costs about 800 baht and a first class one slightly more.

Bangkok Airways flies 20 times a day to the island with Thai Airways having fewer flights. Samui Airport is a small comfortable Disneyesque place and its opening increased the number of holidaymakers to the island.

Flying to the island from Bangkok’s Suanarbwmi Airport takes just under an hour but is 100 times more expensive than of the train.

Independent travellers use regular ferries between Surat Thani and the island the journey lasts about six hours. Perhaps the better choice is the overnight ferry to Na Thon.

3,000,000 Coconuts

Once on Samuii the main method of transport is the songthaew these converted pickup trucks will take you anywhere on the island. The more adventurous, or reckless, use the many cheap motorcycle taxis. Metered air-conditioned taxis are also available, they are legally obliged to use the meter but finding a driver who will readily do so may be difficult. So hard bargaining is the order of the day.

Na Thon is the island’s busting, frenetic main town and has most of the island’s facilities, like the main post office, large banks, ATMs, supermarkets and clinics and hospitals. Na Thon is an ideal spring board to explore the rest of the island.

Even though Samui has developed rapidly over the last decade or so there have been valiant efforts to preserve the beaches and the interior also.

Samui is famed for its clear and clean deep azure waters, its snowy white-coloured sand and its palm fringed beaches. Indeed the island’s beaches have so many palm trees that they yield a monthly harvest of 3,000,000 coconuts.

Chaweng, Lamai, Coral Cove

Samui has some spectacular beaches the most popular and most developed being Chaweng this six kilometre long white sand beach gently slopes into the crystal blue waters of the Gulf while a lush curtain of palms offers an idea l image of a perfect tropical beach. Lamai Beach just a few kilometers along the coast offers a less hectic night life and is the perfect quieter, less busy beach and beach activities.

Cove-like north Chaweng beach is more peaceful than the rest of the strand. The headland that forms the most northerly part of the beach gives Chaweng protection from the winters’ north-easterly winds.

Travelling a few kilometers south and the views afforded of Coral Cove and its beach is arrestingly beautiful. Coral Cove is also a perfect spot for coral snorkelling.

Samui may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it has a lot to offer those seeking a beach holiday with some exciting night life.

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