Samui’s towns and beaches

Koh Samui is the 3rd largest island in Thailand, located within the calm waters of the Gulf of Thailand. This beautiful tropical paradise has been charming its visitors ever since the first tourists arrived in 1971. Originally established as a coconut plantation, the body of the island has been basically divided into beaches, with each one maintaining its own special atmosphere and attraction.

Its hinterland consists of forested hills of limestone and granite, and the shoreline is made up of countless palm-fringed beaches and bays. Those who experience Samui are rewarded with an idyllic tropical retreat featuring white-sand beaches, a sapphire-blue sea, an abundance of tantalising Thai cuisine, and an extraordinarily warm and friendly native people.

Koh Samui is 21 kilometres at its widest point and 25 at its longest, taking only about an hour to drive around. There is one major road, which circumvents the island, the ‘Ring Road’, while smaller roads track off to various areas of attraction and accommodation.

There is something for everyone on Samui. Sophisticated retail outlets and a buzzing nightlife give way, for those with a sense of adventure, to the dramatic scenery and remote natural retreats still found within the interior. Rice paddies, jungle mountainsides, and the never-ending coconut plantations remain to this day, the beauty of Koh Samui. Source