Samui is an island located in the Gulf of Thailand and is a province of Thailand. It is located in the southeastern part of the country. It is considered the most popular tourist destination after Phuket, so Samui annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Samui is quite a large island with an area of almost 230 square kilometers. It is located 40 km from the southern mainland of Thailand and is extremely rich in natural and cultural attractions.
Geography of Samui
Around Samui there are about 60 small islands that are part of a national marine park. They are all uninhabited, overgrown with jungle. They try to keep them intact, only as carefully as possible to show the gimmick to tourists.
The total area of Samui is 228.7 km². The central part is mountainous and also overgrown with jungle, and on the coast there are lowlands. Along the coast there is a road that connects the beaches, settlements and towns in a circle.
On the southwest coast of Samui is the capital of the island of Naton. It is also the main port, and through it tourists enter the island and the local fish are exported. The island administration, stores, etc. are located here.
Samui on the world map
Samui on the map of Thailand
Map of Koh Samui
Climate on Koh Samui
Samui Island in Thailand is one of the best places in the world for a beach holiday. It has amazing sand, sea, scenery and a great climate. The island is a lot of sun and heat, but even in the rains there are enough fans to rest on Koh Samui.
Conventionally, the entire year on the island can be divided into the dry season and the rainy season. The dry or High season begins in mid-December and ends in late March. At this time, the air temperature is about +30C and sea water is about +28C.
It rains a little starting in April and continuing throughout the summer. But prices drop considerably, the number of tourists decreases, so for the economy holiday is perfect at this time. The air temperature rises by several degrees during the day.
From August to November begins a strong monsoon, the rain pours like a bucket, the air temperature during the day fluctuates around +27C. You can’t sunbathe on the beach anymore, but there are tourists who like to philosophize in the hotel at this time. In December, the rain stops.
History of Koh Samui
Historians believe that the first settlers appeared on the island of Samui in the 6th century AD. They were fishermen from Malaysia and China. In the 17th century, during the Chinese Ming Dynasty, it was plotted on Chinese geographical maps.
The exact origin of the name “Samui” is unknown, there is a version that it comes from the Chinese word “Saboei”, translated into Russian as “Sanctuary. Indeed, for a long time the islanders lived autonomously from the rest of the world.
During WW2 Samui was occupied by the Japanese. At the end of the war, the island again lived autonomously for a long time, almost on its own from Thailand. The first roads were built here only in the 1970s.
And in the 80s of the 20th century, tourists from all over the world discovered the delights of Thailand, in general, and Samui island, in particular. Today it is home to 45,000 indigenous people, the main income to them brings tourism, collecting coconuts and rubber.
About 10 years ago Samui received the status of an independent city, ie. continues to be an autonomous entity. The presence of tourists on the island not only brings in serious money, but also generates conflicts over the spoiling of once pristine nature.
Transport on Koh Samui
- International Airport. It is the only airport on Koh Samui, through which the island keeps in touch with the outside world by air transporting passengers and their cargo. It was built in the late 1980s and is located near Chaweng Beach. Built the airport Samui company Bangkok Airways, it has long been the only airline on the island. A second air carrier, Vai Airways International, appeared today. Flights fly to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.
- Ferry service. The second way to get to or from the island to mainland Thailand is by ferry or speed catamaran. Catamarans cover a distance of 40 km in 40 minutes and ferries in an hour and a half.
- Island transportation. The length of the island ring road is just over 50 km. It is completely asphalted, has a concrete surface and two lanes, one in each direction. Popular local road transport is the sontaneo, taximeter, and motorcycle cab.
Samui Beaches
The best beaches on Koh Samui are Lamai, Maenam and Chaweng. They successfully combine natural beauty and convenience, as well as the presence of beach infrastructure, hotels, restaurants, bars and stores for shopping. In total, the island has more than 30 beaches.
Bang Po
A great beach for those who vacation without children and do not like a large crowd. It is located in the north of Samui, has a dense development (hotels, restaurants, bars) and quality beach infrastructure. Nearby is a road.
Cons of Bang Po: muddy bottom with lots of large stones and muddy water. Children on the beach will be uncomfortable. There is a coarse yellow sand and not too much entertainment, lovers of nightlife will be boring here.
Ban Tai
This place is beloved by parents with small children. There is a gentle shore and clean entrance to the shallow sea. Many palm groves that form a natural shade. There is a restaurant and a hotel “Mimosa”, where you can relax and spend the night.
Calm beach, where rarely come intruding salesmen with the goods or drunken young people with rumbling music, almost no partying. This beautiful place for a relaxing family vacation is located in the north of Samui.
Mae Nam
Another family beach, where you can inexpensively rent accommodation and stay for a few days. After sunset, all the inhabitants of the beach move to the local bars, but there is virtually no vibrant nightlife.
There are plenty of palm trees on May Nam, saving vacationers from the hot sun. The sand here is yellow and soft, the sea is deep enough, but there are shallow places for kids. Young people don’t stay here because. The mothers look at her with suspicion.
Chaweng Beach
One of the most beautiful and crowded beaches on Koh Samui. It has an excellent infrastructure and a large number of hotels and resorts for all tastes and wallets. Tourists on the beach can find everything you need for life and a comfortable holiday.
In the center of Chaweng, the sea is rapidly gaining depth. Sand – white and soft, clean entrance to the water. Vacationers are offered a variety of water activities to choose from. There are magnificent seascapes at your disposal, as well as restaurants with good food and bars.
Lamai Beach
This is the second most popular beach on Koh Samui. It is very long, so it is conventionally divided into three parts. Its central part is probably the best part. In addition to the natural beauty, there is a hypermarket Tesco.
Lamai is not for those looking for peace and quiet. There is a first-class tourist infrastructure, a lot of entertainment, as well as hotels and houses where you can rent accommodation. The sand on the beach is yellowish, the sea water is clean. But there is little natural shade.
Koh Samui Attractions
If you get bored with a beach holiday, your vacation to Koh Samui can diversify the sightseeing, there are very many of them and they are mostly near the beaches.
Read more about the attractions of Samui here.
Big Buddha
This huge monument is 12 meters high and is located on the small island of Faan, near the coast of Samui. It connects to the big island with a dam. You can pray at the Buddha temple, strike the bell, talk to the monks.
Near the temple of the Big Buddha is a small market where you can find many souvenirs. You will take them back to Russia and remember your visit to this unique Samui attraction forever.
Wat Kunaram
A local man served in this Buddhist temple practically all his life and achieved sainthood. When he died, his body did not begin to rot and decay, but was immediately mummified. The islanders are sure that this is a consequence of his holy life.
Since then, for many years now, the mummy of this saint has been near Kunaram Temple, and every believer or tourist can examine it and see the imperishable relics. Here you can get a wrist bracelet with special protection.
Play Laem.
This temple was built very recently with donations. Plai Laem is the most beautiful and largest Buddhist attraction in Samui. In the architecture of the temple intertwined styles of China, India and Thailand.
The three styles symbolize the three branches of Buddhism. There are no heresies or sectarians in Southeast Asia; everyone can adhere to the Buddhism they like. In the center of the temple is a statue of the Hindu deity Guanyin, who embodies mercy.
Angtong Park
In the northwest near the island of Samui in the sea you can see the archipelago, consisting of many microscopic islets. This is a national marine park under the protection of the state, which requires a particular environmental cleanliness here.
Around the archipelago is amazingly clear water, which you can safely drink from the palms of your hands. The scenic beauty of the islands is so incredible that it’s impossible to take your eyes off them. Not only tourists come here, artists and filmmakers can’t leave.
Buddha Garden
In the center of Koh Samui, in the jungle-covered mountains, you can see a unique creation of human hands. In the middle of the 20th century an old man lived here, after he was 70 years old, he suddenly decided to create a large sculpture garden near his house.
These are sculptures of Buddha, other mythical deities, real and imaginary animals and birds, snakes and frogs, his own handcrafted stone. After the sculptor’s death, he was buried with his wife in the same garden.
Butterfly Garden
Samui is home to a variety of insects, both beautiful and disgusting to the human eye. To admire or be horrified by them, you can go to the butterfly garden or the museum of insects, located on the east coast of the island.
Here you will learn a lot about tropical insects, and you are sure to become interested in them. And as a gift, you will be invited to a local viewing platform to enjoy the views of the beaches of this coast of Samui. Tourists have left a lot of positive feedback about this place.
Zoo
Next to the butterfly garden is the local zoo. It is small in size, but it contains real Bengal tigers, primates, and unique tropical birds. Your children will love visiting this zoo.
The tigers give daily performances for visitors, but children will be much more interesting to play with the little tigers, to feed them with milk from a bottle with a pacifier. A visit to the zoo is always a special delight for kids.
Na Muang Falls
This natural attraction is located in the middle of the island in the mountains, in the middle of the jungle. There, one local river produces two beautiful waterfalls, and each of them creates several cascades. Not far is the safari park of the same name.
After watching the splendor of the water flowing down from the rocks, you can go to a nearby elephant farm to ride elephants, watch the show of these natural giants, etc.
Lamai Temple
It is a significant center of cult and social life for Thais on the island. In fact, we have the local cathedral in front of us. Buddhist rituals, festivals, celebrations, bazaars, weddings, and funerals are regularly held here.
Lamai Temple is a place where foreigners should behave with emphasized deference to the faithful. Local monks will tell tourists a lot of interesting stories of Samui. Next to the temple there is a pond with fish, children are allowed to feed them.
Paradise Park
It is a huge zoo located in the center of the small island of Khao Pom, not far from the coast of Samui Island. It is very similar to the biblical paradise in that here, among the beautiful trees and flowers, a person can walk alongside wild animals.
These animals have long been fed all kinds of treats, and they shamelessly beg people for more, but do not show aggression. Paradise Park is a wonderful natural attraction on Koh Samui for families.
Koh Samui Entertainment
- SPA salons are therapeutic procedures, their purpose is to improve the health of the patient’s body. Various therapeutic and cosmetic preparations, massages, therapeutic diet, etc. are used for this purpose. Samui has a large number of centers where spa treatments are offered.
- Riding elephants and horses. This is one of the main attractions on Koh Samui, which is loved by adults and children alike. Even more interesting – to communicate with the little elephant. There are also horse farms on the island, as well as horses that can take anyone for a ride.
- Diving. The Andaman Sea, Gulf of Thailand is a great place to learn to dive, many turn into real professionals there. There is a beautiful underwater world here, just a delight and a look.
- Thai massage. This is a truly fabulous massage that can completely relax your body. Many people come to Thailand just for this pleasure. Only here you can find a real and quite inexpensive Thai massage.
- Excursions. To get to know the island better, tours of Samui will help perfectly. Itinerary you can make yourself, ask for help from a professional guide or a local. Get an unforgettable experience.
- Thai Boxing. Today there are many fans of various martial arts in Russia, but Thai boxing is very special if you watch it in its homeland in Thailand or become a Thai boxer yourself. It’s a very exciting sport.
- Wakeboarding. One of the most popular water sports in Thailand, in general, and on Samui, in particular. On the island there are many sports camps, where you can join a wakeboarding.
- Waterparks. This is a sought-after family activity that has a place in Samui. The local water park has a lot of roller coasters and other types of water activities, so you can spend the whole day here and not notice how the time flew by.
- Nightlife on the island. Young people from all over the world rush to the clubs and bars of the island at night. All this is abundantly available on Koh Samui. Most of these establishments are on local beaches, so some vacationers get stuck on them for days at a time.
- Golf. This sport is quite popular on Koh Samui. There are 18-hole golf courses and smaller courses for mini-golf, soccer, etc. Such entertainment is a pleasure for both beginners and professionals on vacation.
Samui Video Tour
Tourists are delighted with the snow-white beaches, coral reefs, ancient Buddhist temples, good tourist infrastructure and quite democratic prices. Particularly popular with the Russians is the island of Samui.
