Koh Samui is one of the most popular islands in Thailand. As well as being the third largest in the country, it is the second most developed island behind Phuket, and the main island in the Gulf of Thailand, an important area for those traveling to this country during the western summer, as the monsoons are less aggressive there in July or August. And knowing where to stay in Koh Samui will help you find the best hotels and choose an area that you like.
As this is a Thai island with all the services of a big city (there are cinemas and shopping centers as well as huge hospitals), there are many areas to stay. Although here we detail the benefits of each place, in our Koh Samui guide you can find all the places on this island explained.
An initial recommendation: choosing where to sleep in Koh Samui will greatly affect your trip, as the distances are long and, without a motorbike or rental car, travel is expensive.
To make it easier for you to find a hotel in Koh Samui, we are going to offer you budget, moderate and star hotels, which are the most luxurious. This island may be one of the best in Thailand to treat yourself to its wide range of spectacular five-star hotels, but it is also suitable for finding cheap places in good condition.
Koh Samui’s quintessential beach area may not necessarily be the most beautiful or the best, but it is certainly the busiest and most popular, especially if you want to party at night. Historically, Chaweng was the most important long beach on Koh Samui, and was developed to accommodate mass tourism.
The good news is that Chaweng can be very diverse, and this area has it all. If you want nights that end in the early hours, a very backpacker atmosphere where sex tourism is also very visible, international fast food chains and a crowded beach, then stay in the center of this beach, always around where the popular Ark Bar is located. Of course, if one night you don’t want to go out and you find it impossible to sleep because of the hustle and bustle in the street, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
So, if you want to stay in Chaweng, the best option is to stay in Chaweng Noi, the continuation of this beach that is in a smaller place with less crowds. It is equally well located, has better hotels and even more competitive prices. And if you want to go out for a night of drinks (or much more), you are about 20 minutes away from where everything gets a little crazy.
Perhaps the most exclusive beach on Koh Samui if we consider the high prices and not the more isolated areas. Bo Phut is one of the three areas of the island that we could consider important in terms of size and tourist offer.
Bo Phut is a beach full of very luxurious but also expensive restaurants, but it is a place that will delight those families who want to take a break and are looking for elegant beach bars, space to play and hotels in good condition. It is a very beautiful location as well as exclusive, and that is why it is more expensive to stay here than in Chaweng.
There is a very nice fishing area in Bo Phut, and staying there is a good, even more relaxing option.
The longest and most diverse beach on Koh Samui, and certainly the most affordable of the three big ones, listed here before. Much quieter than Chaweng and certainly less pretentious than Bo Phut, on Lamai beach you will find restaurants of all kinds, cheap and expensive, and also a pretty nice little village where you can spend a good part of the day.
Perhaps the traditional backpacker of yesteryear looking for an affordable and well-connected place will find his place here, but also solo travelers or family travelers, because Lamai is a very long beach with few crowds where you can find everything. There are quiet spots and other very beautiful ones, and if you go as a couple we recommend staying at Silver Beach, which is a hidden cove in the Lamai area.
In any case, you will find from the cheapest to the best in this location.
The first of Koh Samui’s smaller, more secluded beaches, which is very popular with families is ChoengMon, an idyllic spot of sea and sand away from everything, where there is practically no one.
There are virtually no bars in this area, and it takes more than a quarter of an hour by road to reach the central Chaweng. However, it is quite popular for those looking for first-class accommodation, as in ChoengMon there is the prestigious Sala hotel, a five-star hotel of true Thai luxury. The rest of the accommodation is equally expensive, even the cheapest ones.
Another beach on Koh Samui where you will hardly find any tourists. Taling Ngam is known for being the sunset coast, and there you can enjoy the best sunsets. And in most of it there are very few tourists.
The biggest drawback of this location is undoubtedly how far away it is from everything. If you have a car, it won’t be a problem, but it’s a destination where it’s better to take it easy and spend the day without too much activity.
Coconut Beach is another of those secluded and very quiet places that we find in Koh Samui. Because that is what Mae Nam is known as, a peaceful area full of coconut trees.
Clean and well-kept, the beach is quite beautiful in this location. And it is certainly very famous for the presence of the W Samui hotel, a true icon of the island.
On the west coast of Koh Samui we find the two beach areas that are less crowded in terms of tourism, but which are very important because many boats dock there. Although many travelers arrive there and leave in terror, in reality others who are more relaxed and have time love this area.
If you are looking for friendly people, empty beaches and tranquility, a stop in Nathon or Lipa Noi are good options. But that is only temporary before tackling the rest of the island, as from here everything is very far away.
