Travellers can holiday on Koh Samui Island all year and 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, mostly in December, but this is still considered the best season for Europeans to visit as the weather in Samui is cooler than later in the year. The seas at this time of the year are calm and generally clear, and the breezes are light.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui Island offers a well developed infrastructure of hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars and tour operators, in addition to many other services.Information on tourist attractions on Samui can be obtained from any of the many tourist services and tour agents that are often located in hotel lobbies or nearby in tourist centres, such as Chaweng main street, Lamai and other focal points. Free maps are widely distributed as well as a number of local magazines such as Samui Guide which is packed with Samui tourist information on what to see and do, events and activities, services, shopping and sightseeing attractions. Hiring a small motorbike to explore the island’s sights by yourself is very feasible and practical provided you take care of the poor driving habits on the island. Samui is a honeymooners paradise and newly weds can have the oppotunity to be spoilt and well relaxed.
There are plenty of activities to keep you amused when you get tired of lounging on the lovely beaches, and these include diving, fishing, mountain biking, golf and healthy pursuits such as yoga, massage and day spa treatment. Taking a day course in Thai cooking, or getting your Openwater Diving certification are also popular and affordable here.
Shopping is another big attraction if you are a tourist in Samui. Although the island doesn’t rival Bangkok for choice or Chiang Mai for price, there are several day and night markets and plenty of shops in the main centres, particularly Chaweng with a good choice of cheap clothing, souvenirs and gifts, art and décor, food and more. By night Samui continues to entertain and continue with its leisure character. Restaurants are numerous and boast a wide selection of Thai, seafood and international cuisine, sometimes right on the beach, and when you’ve had your fill there are all sorts of bars to keep you occupied.
Koh Samui Activities
- Diving and snorkelling from beginner to advanced
- Eco tours – full day and half day
- Elephant trekking
- Monkey shows
- Massage
- Golf and Mini golf
- Kayaking in Ang Thong National Park
- Thai cooking classes
- Cinema
Koh Samui Waterfalls
Waterfalls are another great attraction on Samui and there are plenty of them, tumbling out of the hilly interior after the rainy season. In the dry season, from about March until September, they all by dry up, but retain a cool climate in their gorges which supports a wonderful eco-system.
Diving Sites in Koh Samui
The abundant underwater reefs and rocks off Koh Samui teem with colourful marine life and diving is one of the key attractions of Thai islands. Relatively shallow waters, particularly off Koh Tao which is perfect for beginners, there are also several more challenging open sea sites that appeal to advanced scuba divers.
