Koh Samui
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Logistics
Getting There
Koh Samui is one of the larger islands found in the Gulf of Thailand, located east of Krabi and Southeast of Bangkok. To reach Koh Samui, there are two main options: by plane to its very unique airport or by ferry. There are flights to the small airport, mainly from Bangkok, but a few from destinations like Chaing Mai, Phuket and Singapore. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from the coast or one of the other islands.
There are a variety of different ferry operators. These ferries can be booked in advance or day-of. In high season, it’s best to book in advance as some ferry services do sell out and thus your plans will be dependent on availability.
From Krabi: as Krabi is further inland, taking a direct ferry is not possible even though some ferry companies like Lomprayah High Speed Ferries, let you book a route from Krabi to Koh Samui. When you look closely at the journey, you’ll notice that the journey includes a bus transfer to the ferry port and then takes you onto the ferry to reach Koh Samui. If you are not a keen bus person, you can also book your own private transfer to the ferry port and only purchase a ferry ticket from the ferry dock. Note there is a main ferry port in Donsak Pier in Krabi, and another one approx. 7km away specifically for Lomprayah High Speed Ferries.
From other locations: look online to see what routes may be available to reach Koh Samui.
Koh Samui onward – Many of the ferries that go to Koh Samui continue onward to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
Getting Around
On the island of Koh Samui, there’s a variety of options when exploring the island and largely depends on where you will be staying.
Grab – the Thai version of Uber, this is nice as you can book your vehicle and be on your way. It will give you a price estimate, and you can either pay with credit card in the app or cash on arrival. It’s very cheap and easy to use!
Scooters – many will rent scooters to get around the area. For me, this is not the recommended option as it looks quite dangerous. With transport being very cheap and easy to come by, it did not feel worth using Scooters.
Transfers – if booking activities, many activity companies offer free transport if within a certain perimeter of the activity. Additionally, you can book transfers in advance with your hotel to assist in traveling to and from the airport and / or ferry terminal.
Tuk Tuk – be careful with these, but can be good for a short trip. Ask for the fare in advance to confirm what you’ll be paying
Accommodations
Anatara Lawana – found just northwest of Chaweng Beach, this luxury hotel is tucked away from the busy island. Due to its location with a small beach, not accessible easily from Chaweng Beach, helps keep it quiet and peaceful. The Anatara Lawana has many private villas with a few rooms, spread out across the property. With this style of rooms, it helps the resort keep its peaceful and calm essence. The luxury hotel offers rooms at a more affordable price than other luxury hotels on the island. It has a very nice infinity pool overlooking the ocean with beach beds dotted around the pool and onto the beach.
There is an expansive, included, breakfast buffet with some “made-to-order” options as well. The resort has a few restaurants including Treetops (fine dining), Oceankiss (breakfast and standard meals), The Singing Bird Lounge (cocktails), and Sandals (beach and pool bar).
The hotel offers daily activities including sunrise yoga, sunrise kayaking, Muay Thai classes, and more. It also has a lovely spa and a small gym facility available to guests.
It’s important to note that whenever leaving this hotel, it will require a taxi. It’s not nice to walk from the hotel itself. For us, it meant we enjoyed the hotel itself more which was very nice, but it was a bit of a bummer at times in the evenings that we always needed to use a taxi to leave
Anatara Bo Phut – A sister property to the Anatara Lawana, this location feels a bit busier due to its location and set-up of the hotel. Nevertheless, it’s an incredible property. For those looking for a bit more accessible right from their doorstep, the Bo Phut location may be better for you. From the beach, you can walk to a few beach bars and it’s easier to access restaurants in the area.
Bo Phut
Found in the northeast side of the island, this is a slightly nicer area than Chaweng, but still has a lot going in. This would be the area I’d recommend to have a good location, accessible to other parts of the island and within proximity to many good restaurants.
Things to do and see
Angthong National Marine Park
If you plan to do any day trips on Koh Samui, this is the one! Angthong National Park is located approx. an hour speedboat journey from Koh Samui. When looking for a trip to book, consider if you want a private, small group or large group option. Additionally, there will be options between speed boats or more of a larger slower boat. The duration of most day trips are 7.5+ hours. As we waited to book, we did not see anything shorter than this and ended up with a larger group trip. This would not be my first choice, but for a last minute booking, the tour we did was decent and cheap considering all that was included. Most trips like this include a snorkeling stop or kayaking option, a hike at Angthong National Park up to a gorgeous viewpoint, a stop for lunch at a restaurant on another island, and a stop at a small island with a lagoon located a short hike up.
A note on the hikes:
- The hike up to the viewpoint in Angthong National Park is not an easy hike. It’s a 30 minute climb straight up on rock stairs with some areas getting quite steep. Although I was able to do this fine in Birkenstocks and my swim gear, it is recommended to bring a pair of trainers. It is not for those that are not in fit shape and should be noted it really is about a 30 minute climb up which can be tiring on a hot day. That being said, there are viewpoints to stop along the way. For those interested in seeing a viewpoint, but not going to the top, you can climb to the second viewpoint and enjoy a similar view to the very top.
- The hike to the Lagoon on Ko Mae Ko is MUCH shorter. It is a 5 minute climb up on basically a series of ladders. After a few flights up, you’ll reach the viewpoint to overlook the lagoon and can then continue onward or simply turn around and head back down to the beach as I did.
If you’re keen on kayaking and / or snorkeling, be sure to pick a trip which priortizes what you are interested in.
I would’ve preferred a small group or private tour for this day trip to be able to control the schedule a bit more. To be specific, the tour we did stopped awhile for snorkeling and at lunch, two spots my friend and I would’ve been happy to for go and instead have more time at the beaches or simply shorten the trip.
Chaweng Beach
Known for being the biggest beach area in Koh Samui, this is a common area for those looking for a bit of a beach party. It has a lot of beach clubs and is a longer beach on the island
Bo Phut
Nice area to grab dinner or drinks if not staying here. Fisherman’s village is in Bo Phut and it also has its own night market.
Spa
Remember you’re on vacation! Consider leaning into your relaxed side and booking a trip to the spa. You can opt for a traditional Thai Massage, which should be noted is not always what people would say as relaxing as the massage includes pulling your limbs in a lot of different directions. Do not worry, if this does not sound appealing, most spas offer a variety of services to pick from and you do not need to opt for the traditional option!
Koh Phangan or Koh Tao
Koh Phangan is about 30 – 60 minutes while Koh Tao is about 2 hours from Koh Samui. For those who are not staying overnight in either location, consider a day trip to one or both. There are organized day trips or you can leverage the local ferries to support your own trip.
Koh Phangan is known to be a party point, especially well-known as its home to the full-moon parties.
Koh Tao is a diver’s paradise. While it’s not a spot for the luxury lovers, it’s a gorgeous island and a prime diving spot.
Food and Drinks
Salefino
Dinner
Bo Phut
A small Italian restaurant in the Bo Phut area with a nice ambiance and beautiful view right on the water. It offers a nice spot to have dinner or a drink around sunset with it’s view. The menu is changing, but you can be sure there will be a variety of seafood pasta options.
Nahm
Dinner
Bo Phut
Found right on the water in the Bo Phut area, this is a phenomenal restaurant in the area. Make a table booking in advance to confirm your spot for dinner here. If possible, try to visit around sunset as it has a nice sunset with the sun setting behind the mountains in the background over the water.
The menu is varied here, with some favorites including the dumplings, fried cauliflower, pesto pasta, roasted broccoli among many other options. It’s not traditional Thai, so a nice way to change it up
Coco Tam’s
Drinks
Bo Phut
Found on the beach in Bo Phut, this is a great spot for a drink in the sunshine or as the sun begins to set. They have a bunch of comfy bean bags on the beach and overall a good apertif spot.
Jungle Club
Drinks
Chaweng Noi Beach
Never made it here unfortunately due to full bookings (so be sure to book in advance!) but this is a cool spot at a higher up point on the island for a good view and a meal or drink.
Other Notes
Duration
2 – 4 days is a perfect amount of time to spend on Koh Samui. For those looking to island hop and see a few different places, perhaps 2-3 nights provides what you need on Koh Samui. For those looking to just relax and enjoy a break, consider 3 – 4 nights to truly unwind at a nice resort
Vaccines
When traveling to a new place, it’s always a good idea to look into what the medical advice for travelers is in the destination at the time. The main precautions we were told to consider included Hep A, Typhoid, Tetatnus, and Rabis. Malaria was not recommended during the months we visited and thus was not needed. With this said, please consult medical resources for your own needs as this is only provided based on personal experience and I am not a medical professional.
Travel Visa
As of the beginning of 2025, a visa was not required for American travelers. However, we learned that there was expected to be a visa requirement put in place later in 2025. Thus, be sure to look up any visa requirements well in advance of travel.
Food and Drinks
Stomach bugs are one of the most common travel challenges when visiting Thailand. Thus, there’s precautions you can take to avoid falling victim to this on your trip.
Water: do not drink the tap water. There’s plenty of bottled water so purchase this and use this for drinking water. As the tap water is not safe for anyone to drink, most places make ice from filtered water, but just something to always be careful on.
Food:
- Stick to busier establishments
- Be very careful with street food
- Be cautious of unwashed fruits
- Be cautious of vegetables washed with water
- Pack some food poisoning relief medications to assist if you do get sick while traveling
- Wash your hands before eating, as a lot of food can be finger foods
Currency
Thai currency is THB. In 2025, approx. 500 tbh is $15
CASH: Whenever paying in small amounts, you’ll need cash and some places will only accept cash until a certain amount. With this in mind, plan to take out some cash shortly after arriving. We found we needed it for the Skytrain (as tickets were under the card limit), riverboat, taxis / grab, temples, and some other low cost tourist spots
AMEX credit cards are not accepted in most places
Safety
As a whole, Thailand is a very safe country. Like any foreign location, you need to take normal precautions and be careful when navigating unknown areas. That being said, as a whole, Thailand is known for being a safe destination for visitors.
Communication
English is found on many signs while in Thailand. However, we found that the English language is not widely spoken here at all. Many speak a bit to get by, but a lot of the people you will interact with will not speak English. Usually, the strongest English speakers worked at the hotels, but restaurants, tours, and drivers often did not speak much English. All Thai individuals we encountered were incredibly kind nevertheless.
Charging Appliances
Thailand uses a few different outlet types. Type A, type B, type C and type O are the commonly supported sockets in Thailand. These are similar to US and EU plugs, but best to be prepared with a multi-functional converter.