Koh Samui – Tropical Haven
The beaches are of course the major draw for Koh Samui. Chaweng beach on the eastern coast of the island is the most popular. The 7km stretch of white sands is the action centre of the island with restaurants, pubs, bars and shopping. This is the place where you can experience the best of the nightlife on the island. While there are some sophisticated lounge bars and nightclubs, the streets such as Soi Green Mango and Soi Reggae are where you can walk on the wild side. Here, you will find go-go bars, cabaret shows and other entertainment where you can meet or pick up beautiful girls. Chaweng is also where you will find most of the budget hotels that are located on the island of Koh Samui. Lamai beach further south is a less chaotic version of Chaweng but also has many options for shopping, eating out and nightlife. If you are looking for peaceful beaches, the ones located to the north of the island on the map – Choeng Mon, Big Buddha, Bo Phut, Lipa Noi and Maenam – are the best options.  Besides the beaches, there are enough Koh Samui
attractions for tourists
to keep them busy and entertained. The island has diversity in its offerings, from sights that showcase the culture and religion of the country to places of scenic natural beauty. Popular cultural sights include the Big Buddha statue and the temple of Wat Plai Leam nearby, and the Secret Buddha Garden located high on the hills.
Besides this, there are several natural sights such as the Hin Ta and Hin Yai Rock formation on Lamai Beach and the stunning Na Muang waterfall that give visitors a chance to experience the wonders of nature. Most of these sights can be covered on half day tours. There are also tours to other popular tourist attractions, including the aquarium and tiger show at Hua Tanon, the monkey show at Bo Phut, lady boy cabaret shows at Chaweng and the snake farm at Baan Taling Ngam. Koh Samui is surrounded by around sixty smaller islands, all of which form the Ang Thong Marine National Park. This makes it an ideal base for scuba diving, snorkelling and island exploration.  The tropical waters and the dense jungles make for
interesting tours
to explore the natural habitat. Popular choices for full day tours of Koh Samui are to the islands of Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan, a speedboat trip to Ang Thong Marine Park, Long tail boat ride to Coral Island, around the island charter tours, jungle safari by jeep and an elephant-back trek through the rainforest.
For an active tourist, there are plenty of things to do in Koh Samui. Besides snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking and other water based activities; the island also offers a variety of land based activities from interesting eco adventure tours to a peaceful round of golf in one of the most scenic courses that you have ever played on. The festivals in Thailand also offer tourists the chance to get a glimpse of the local culture, which is very different from the cosmopolitan outlook that exists on the island. The Thai New Year’s day, Songkran, which is celebrated from April 13th to 15th every year, is a good time to visit the island to take part in the water fights that are part of the festivities. During the New Year Koh Samui also has a unique Buffalo Fighting Festival where bulls are adorned with painted leaves and ribbons before they lock horns and fight each other until the weaker bull loosens the grip and walks away. It is a spectator sport, which takes place in stadiums with the crowds cheering on their favourite bull. The owner of the champion walks away with over a million Thai baht. Visitors whose idea of a perfect vacation involves shopping will not be disappointed either. Whichever town you choose as your base, there will be many places where you can enjoy that perfect shopping experience on the island of Koh Samui. From department stores such as Big C and Tesco Lotus to shopping malls, pharmacies, boutiques, jewellery stores and stalls along the beach, you will be able to find anything you need. For branded shopping, the shopping malls are best while market and street stalls are good for bargain shopping for handicrafts, garments and accessories.  Whatever your interests or ideas for an ideal vacation might be, the island can offer the perfect mix. If you are looking at options on
how to get to there,
there are flights from Don Muang airport in Bangkok as well as other cities in the region such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur that connect to the Samui Airport that is owned and managed by Bangkok Airways.
If you are travelling on a budget, buses and trains from Bangkok will bring you to Surat Thani, the nearest city on the mainland, from where a one to two hour ferry ride will get you to the island. So if you are planning a trip to Thailand, a visit to the warm waters of Koh Samui is a sure way of enjoying the best that Thailand has to offer, with the most gorgeous scenery as a backdrop. What more could you ask for!
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It is Thailand’s second largest island, and its unspoiled beauty makes tourism a major industry and revenue earner. With a wide range of
