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Best Beaches in Koh Samui

One of the largest and most popular beaches in Koh Samui, Chaweng Beach attracts tourists all year round. With lines of coconut trees for miles and clean, white sand, this beach is the perfect choice for beach lovers.

And you will easily find a suitable stay option very close to the beach. From budget guest houses for backpackers to premium resorts for families, everything is available at a stone’s throw. The beach offers a lot to experience and explore. Some activities may require prior booking. Check with your travel agent for details.

Location: Surat Thani

Activities: Whether looking for a lazy beach vacation or a holiday filled with adventure, Chaweng Beach is the perfect destination for both. The clean blue water and white sand gives you the perfect opportunity to take long walks and soak in the gorgeous sunset.

But if you want an adrenaline rush, explore the diving and snorkelling options. Push the envelope a little further and experience elephant trekking and tree-top cable rides.

Distance from Koh Samui: 17.3 km

The second most popular of the Koh Samui beaches after Chaweng, Lamai Beach offers the best of amenities to tourists. Although the sunset is gorgeous, but if you can make it early to the beach then you can witness the most beautiful sunrise of your lifetime. Hire a deckchair and enjoy the breeze or get into the water for a relaxing swim.

Location: Surat Thani

Activities:  Like most beaches in Koh Samui, the best way to explore this beach as well is to hire a jeep or a motorbike. Visit the nearby fishing village of Hua Thanon. The Wat Lamai Temple is an architecture to behold and a popular site for religious and social ceremonies.

If you are there during one of these ceremonies, don’t miss it. Once you have had enough of surrounding sightseeing, go for a dive in the beach, or explore the walking street to pick up local knick-knacks and souvenirs. Don’t miss the performance by Ovada Showband, a five-piece live Phillipino band.

Distance from Koh Samui: 10.1 km

Bophut Beach is one of the remaining Koh Samui Beaches that maintains the original Thai-Chinese culture.

Originally known as the Fisherman’s Village, Bophut is fast becoming a major tourist attraction. If travelling with your family or with young children, this is the perfect location.

Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani

Activities: Jet skiing is the most popular attraction at this beach. It is different from other beaches in Koh Samui as it also offers a go-cart track. Come here to relax with a beautiful sunset, Thai massage, manicure and pedicure.

If you are here on a Friday, don’t miss the Friday Walking Market with a wide variety of food to taste and knick-knacks to buy. Also enjoy live music and performances. Head out to anyone of the many small cafes for a taste of authentic Thai food.

Distance from Koh Samui: 11.5 km

Clean white sand and blue water without any corals or rocks makes Lipa Noi Beach one of the most suitable beaches in Koh Samui for children and senior citizens.

Its distance from the main island makes it suitable for those who wish to escape the city crowd. The beach is very well connected through ferry or you can hire a scooter to explore the beach.

Location: Ko Samui District, Surat Thani

Activities: Unlike other Koh Samui Beaches, this is not a regular tourist spot. And it is exactly this that makes it the ideal choice for those looking for ‘me’ time or a romantic spot undisturbed by tourists.

The clean sand is ideal for long walks and the sunset is mesmerising. Take a short ride to the mesmerising Na Muang Waterfall or learn more about the southeastern Thai culture at the Dusit Dhewa Samui Cultural and Fine Art Centre.

Distance from Koh Samui: 26.7 km

White sand and lines of coconut trees makes Maenam Beach perfect for long walks and lazy vacations. The name literally means ‘mother water’.

The beach keeps up to its name with clean, blue water and long stretches of cafes serving local food. The gorgeous view of the Koh Phangan makes it a must-visit beach. Of all the Koh Samui beaches, Maenam gives you the perfect balance of lazy and fun.

Location: 2 Tambon Mae Nam, Amphoe Ko Samui, Chang Wat, Surat Thani

Activities: Take a lazy, long walk, and enjoy the breath-taking sunset. The Pink Elephant Waterpark nearby is a great stop for adventure lovers.

But you should visit the beach on Thursday and explore the Maenam Walking Street. Local food stalls, souvenir shops, handicraft purchases and much more to add to your Instagram feed.

Distance from Koh Samui: 13.1 km

This tropical beach paradise is one of the most secluded beaches in Koh Samui, also making it one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in Thailand.

Known to locals as the Haad Thong Ta-khian or ‘the beach of the Ta-khian trees’, this is the ideal vacation location for honeymoon couples and group of friends. Not a very big beach, it has plenty to offer in way of both entertainment and relaxation.

Location: Maret, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani

Activities: Popular for water activities, choose from swimming, snorkelling or simply sunbathing. You can also go kayaking and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings.

Beach massage parlours offer the perfect opportunity to get relaxing massages, manicures and pedicures. Choose an accommodation close to the beach and enjoy local food and easy access to all amenities without staying in the middle of the crowd.

Distance from Koh Samui: 10.2 km

If you are looking for beaches in Koh Samui that are not very far from the thoroughfare but is not extremely noisy and crowded, Choeng Mon Beach should be on your list. Located close to Chaweng, the beach is protected from noisy tourists by intervening coastlines.

It is best suited for family vacations and for those who love luxurious holidays. With not much night life, it is ideal for those who want to get away from their busy city lives.

Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani

Activities: This beach is extremely popular for a wide variety of water activities. Relax while swimming or kayaking, and enjoy the underwater world by scuba diving or snorkelling.

Enjoy your meals at quaint little cafes and restaurants with live musical performances by Filipino bands and dance performances by Thai troupes.

Distance from Koh Samui: 19.2 km

Ironically called the Secret Beach, Samrong Beach is secluded from tourists but very well connected to all modes of transport and the market.

The clear water gives you a view of the beautiful coral reefs. The beach offers a number of affordable accommodation options that make it easy for you to walk to the beach without having to encounter crowds.

Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani

Activities: Enjoy kayaking, play beach volleyball or simply sunbathe surrounded by mesmerising natural beauty. Explore the beach on foot or hire a motorbike or car. You can also head out a little and visit a mini golf course and enjoy an amusing game of football-golf.

If you are staying at one of the hotels that share the beach, you can enjoy cool cocktails and relax in deckchairs.

Distance from Koh Samui: 19.8 km

When speaking of beaches in Koh Samui, Taling Ngam beach is usually not on the list. But if you miss it, it will be your loss. Go kayaking over crystal clear water and witness gorgeous and colourful coral reefs.

When visiting this wild beach, don’t go looking for organised cafes and stalls. But be prepared to be blown away with nature’s beauty. This beach also gives you the advantage of visiting five tiny neighbouring isles.

Location: Surat Thani

Activities: Head out to Taling Ngam for a dose of colourful corals and long, sandy beach. Enjoy the clean blue of the archipelago Ang Thong National Marine Park. Visit the surrounding tiny five isles of Koh Thalu, Koh Din, Koh Chetta Mun, Koh Mae Koh and Koh Malaeng Pong.

Enjoy the serenity of the Buddha Magic Garden and offer your prayers at the Wat Nara Charoensuk temple.

Distance from Koh Samui: 22 km

Standing at the opposite end of Bang Por beach, Ban Tai beach is exactly opposite in nature. The white beach offers ample opportunity for long walks and lazy afternoons.

One of the longest beaches in Thailand, it still offers ample entertainment options for tourists of all age groups. The beach is particularly beautiful on a moonlit night.

Location: Surat Thani

Activities: If you are feeling lazy, simply sunbathe and get that perfect tan. But if you are feeling a little adventurous, choose to swim or snorkel. Go diving and then enjoy zipline adventures in the surrounding Ban Tai forest.

Animal and bird safaris are also arranged on special request. It is also popular amongst those who love a night life. Enquire about the popular Full Moon Party that has now become a monthly affair.

Distance from Koh Samui: 14.7 km

Thongson Bay's beach is made up of grey, thin sand with little stones and seashell dust strewn about and the water is turbid and shallow. The path to the beach is meandering, passing through a grove of coconut palm trees before going around the walls of the spa-hotel ‘Melati.' After that, sand replaces pavement and the path continues through a forest of coconut palm trees.

Only kayaks are available among all the beach activities. The beach's low waves, combined with its ease of access and relative bustle, make it ideal for family vacations. Thongson Bay is a well-kept secret among visitors, the kind of beach where, if you arrive early enough, you can find yourself almost alone.

Because the area is undeveloped, you can get away from the crowds while still having access to basic amenities like renting a sun lounger, grabbing a bite to eat, or renting a kayak to explore the quiet seas. 

Location: Thongson Bay Beach, Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani, Thailand

Activities: Beach entertainment, kayaking, scuba diving, 

Distance from Koh Samui: 19.5 Km

Coral Cove Beach in southwestern Koh Samui, has reddish sand and clear, deep seas, making it perfect for a day of swimming and relaxing. It's the ideal spot for those who value their privacy. The clean seas are ideal for snorkelling, with coral and schools of tropical fish visible along the coast of Coral Cove Beach.

The rock formations on either end are ideal for open-air rock climbing. So, if you want a more tranquil beach but still want to take advantage of excellent snorkelling and paddleboarding, this is the spot for you. Look for the darker features in the water near the coast to a few hundred yards off - these are the rocks around which the fish swim.

Chaweng Beach's bars are only ten minutes away for people who want to experience the thriving nightlife at one of the best beaches in Koh Samui

Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84310, Thailand

Activities: Birdwatching, Canoeing/Kayaking, Fishing, Scenic Drives, Snorkelling, Swimming, Walking tours

Distance from Koh Samui: 12.1 Km

The long, sweeping beach of Big Buddha is flanked with low- to mid-cost bungalow operations, many of which include great restaurants and some of the lavish spas. Even at shallow water, you may swim freely here, something local kids and employees of water sports centres on the Bang Rak shore enjoy doing.

There are also English pubs, such as the Elephant & Castle and Brahms & Liszt; a sailors' hangout, The BBC; tapas bar Saboey; and a slew of cheap and cheerful beer bars, all contending for visitors and serving the area's cuisine. It's also the finest spot in the north island for catching a ferry or a motorboat to Koh Pha Ngan's Had Rin.

At dusk, the magnificent Big Buddha Temple creates a tremendously evocative atmosphere, while the taverns and clubs that line one of the best beaches in Koh Samui add a light touch to the area.

Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320, Thailand

Activities: Kayaking, snorkelling, scuba diving

Distance from Koh Samui: 14.4 Km