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Travel guide
Koh Samui
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: January to April, and July to August
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Welcome
Koh Samui, in a few days
Koh Samui is 228 km² of coconut groves and hills, 35 km off the Gulf of Thailand coast, circled by a 51 km ring road. It has the seven kilometres of Chaweng beach, a 12-metre golden Big Buddha and the 42 islets of Ang Thong. Its seasons run against the rest of Thailand: the good months are January to April and midsummer.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai) free · about 45 minA 12-metre seated golden Buddha from 1972 on Koh Faan islet, reached by a causeway and a naga-lined stairway, looking over Bangrak Bay.
- Afternoon · Bophut Fisherman's Village free · an eveningA street of old Sino-Thai wooden shophouses on the north coast, now full of restaurants and galleries, on a beach facing Koh Phangan.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Chaweng Regent Beach Resort€90 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Chaweng Beach free · half a daySeven kilometres of fine white sand on the east coast, sheltered by a reef; the island's most built-up beach, backed by a busy bar street.
- Afternoon · Silver Beach (Crystal Bay) free · 2 to 3 hA 250-metre cove between granite headlands near Lamai, with clear shallow water and reef fish round the rocks: the island's easiest snorkelling.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort€150 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks free · a few minutesThe Grandfather and Grandmother rocks at the south end of Lamai beach, granite shaped unmistakably like male and female genitals, with a local legend attached.
- Afternoon · Na Muang Waterfalls free · 2 to 3 hTwo falls on one river in the wooded south; 18-metre Na Muang 1 is by the car park, with a pool among purple rocks.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Chaweng Garden Beach Resort€90 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Secret Buddha Garden (Tarnim Magic Garden) · about 1 hHigh in the hills, a fruit farmer's stone statues of musicians, dancers, animals and deities line a forest stream, carved from 1976 until his death.
- Afternoon · Ang Thong Marine Park · a full dayForty-two jungle-covered limestone islets 30 km west, a national park since 1980; day trips visit an enclosed emerald lake and a steep viewpoint.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Bandara Resort€120 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Pad thai: fried noodles with tamarind and crushed peanuts, the street dish everyone starts on.
- Tom yum: hot and sour prawn soup, sharp with lemongrass and lime.
- Green or red curry: coconut milk poured over a paste pounded that morning.
- Mango sticky rice: sweet glutinous rice, ripe mango and coconut cream.
- Som tam: shredded green papaya pounded with chilli. Ask for it mild and mean it.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Ignore the tuk-tuk driver who tells you a temple is closed and offers to take you somewhere better.
- Agree the tuk-tuk fare before you get in, or insist on the meter in a taxi.
- Do not drink the tap water. Ice with a hole through it is factory made and fine.
- Temples ask for covered shoulders and knees. Carry something to put on at the door.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Thai
| English | Thai |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดี (sawasdee) |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณ (khop khun) |
| Please | กรุณา (karuna) |
| Yes | ใช่ (chai) |
| No | ไม่ (mai) |
| Excuse me | ขอโทษ (kho thot) |
| Goodbye | ลาก่อน (laa kon) |
| Do you speak English? | พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม (phut angkrit dai mai?) |
| I don't understand | ไม่เข้าใจ (mai khao jai) |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่ (thao rai?) |
| Where are the toilets? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน (hong nam yu thi nai?) |
| The bill, please | เช็คบิล (chek bin) |
| Help! | ช่วยด้วย (chuay duay!) |
| Cheers! | ไชโย (chai yo!) |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyThai baht (THB, ฿)
BudgetAbout €80 a day, mid-range
Best seasonJanuary to April, and July to August
PlugA/B/C · 230V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingRound up, or 10%
Emergency191 / 1669
Entry30 days visa-free for tourism with a passport for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, down from 60 days since 15 September 2026; an extension can be requested at an immigration office. Everyone must also fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online in the three days before arrival.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Malaria only in a few rural border areas, so ask about your route. Dengue is present: use repellent, day and night.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/koh-samui
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.