My much awaited visit to Koh Samui was, unfortunately, a bit underwhelming. To be fair, I think I've been spoilt by the many other beautiful beaches in Thailand I've visited and loved and which, I feel, have much more to offer than Samui.
Don't get me wrong- if you haven't been to many beach destinations you would probably love it here, but for me it was good not great. The beaches were lovely but we were there 3 days and had pretty much seen everything of interest by day 2!
Cost wise Samui caters to all budgets, from the backpacker to the high end traveler, but I felt overall our trip to the island was more expensive than other Thai beach cities as flights and local transportation were very expensive- most visitors opt to rent a car or scooter locally for their trip as it works out a lot cheaper.
Below is an overview of the places we enjoyed visiting during our stay- the more well known places can get really crowded so plan to go as early as possible if you want some peace and quiet!!
Coco Tams- a great bar/ restaurant on Bo Put Beach
We came here twice as we loved the sunsets and the vibe in the evenings. There is seating in the restaurant as well as more relaxed bean bags on the beach. Sheesha is available only in the beach area and there is an awesome fire show every evening .
Great place to dig you feet into the sand, sip on a cocktail and watch the sun go down!
Hinta- Hinyai ( Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks)
Natural rock formations known for bearing a resemblance to male and female genitalia- yet another example of Thailand's obsession with the phalic symbol! The beauty of this location, however, far exceeds the symbolic rocks- the ocean view from on top is lovely but do climb down to the crystal clear rock pools below and enjoy a wade or swim - super refreshing and peaceful as most tourists just come for pictures of the rocks and rarely venture down!
Overlap Stone
A huge balancing rock which offers arguably the best views in Samui. Not many people know about this so its fairly peaceful which is awesome! The access is not very well defined but once you are close, people will guide you to the small parking area( basically an enterprising landowner making some money by allowing people to park on his bit of land!). From here it's a short hike through what feels like someone's backyard to get to the stone. A nominal fee to the homeowners allows you access to the path leading to the stone but please note there are no safety rails or boundaries anywhere so exercise caution and keep a tight hold of younger visitors- you are pretty much on your own in terms of safety!
Take your time at the rock- soak in the views and enjoy the tranquility before taking some photos and heading back.
Na Muang Waterfalls 1
A beautiful waterfall with a large pool at the base -great for a swim! Very popular spot with locals and tourists alike so go early to enjoy some peace and quiet!
Na Muang Waterfalls 2
A 30 minute hike or a short drive away is falls number 2- more peaceful as tends to have less visitors than falls 1. Could be because it has more rock formations and is surrounded by lush vegetation so is more hidden. There is also no big pool to swim in but it's still nice to visit and a good drenching under the water is definitely possible!
Day Trip to the Ang Thong Marine Park
We opted for a full day small group tour on a wooden boat as we wanted the trip to be more leisurely, but there are companies which offer speedboat tours and private tours too.
A relaxed and lazy way to spend the day while exploring some of the islands of the Ang Thong Marine Park. Throw in some snorkeling, swimming and kayaking and all in all it was a great experience! Don't expect to see too much variety of marine life but the experience is fun!
There were a few other attractions we visited on the island but nothing noteworthy.
My opinion- Koh Samui is overrated and overpriced. There are much nicer islands to visit in Thailand but because of accessibility with many direct international flights, it has become the hub of tourism. I am happy to have visited as it was on my bucket list but I'm in no hurry to return.