Samui beach by beach
By Andrew Bond
Excellent beaches are Samui's speciality
So, you’re heading for Samui but not sure which beach is best for you? There’s plenty of fantastic beaches to choose from luckily, but each has a different character and vibe. Chaweng is the most popular, but perhaps a bit too full-on for a romantic holiday. Mae Nam on the other hand is quiet and relaxed, while Lamai is for the night owls, and Choeng Mon, well, let’s just say it’s exclusive.
Here’s a run down, beach by beach of Samui’s best strips of sand.
Chaweng Beach
This is where the action is, and the most people. It’s a popular beach for good reason, since it’s perhaps the nicest beach, and has the best facilities. There’s plenty of room for everyone, but wander inland to the main street and you might find your impression of paradise spoilt. Chaweng is great if you can’t do without your Starbucks, Swensens, Shopping and internet café. Fortunately they are removed from the beach, so you get the best of both world’s. In the evenings the North end of the beach becomes an al fresco dining experience with restaurants and bars suddenly laid out on the beach, while you dine seated on cushions. You’ll find the biggest choice of accommodation here but the places with beachfront are the among the most expensive on the island. It’s also close to the airport (but undisturbed by noisy planes).
Lamai Beach
South of Chaweng and the only other beach on the sought-after East coast is another long roomy strip that is lined with resorts, and slightly cheaper than Chaweng. It too has a choice of facilities such as beach loungers, jetskis and the like. The commercial centre of Lamai is quieter and more refined than Chaweng, with a decidedly village feel at the southern end of the main street. There’s less traffic by day but it does get busy at night since the middle sector of the road is dominated by girlie bars, which is either a good reason to avoid, or make a bee-line for this area. The beach, luckily, remains family friendly. Lamai is best placed for exploring the quiet and undeveloped south of the island but is quite far from the airport. More on Lamai.
Big Buddha
This sweeping beach stretches from the iconic Big Buddha and includes a small pier for the ferries to Haad Rin on Koh Pha Ngan, so it’s a good bet if that’s where you’re heading. It’s close to the airport and comprises of many affordable resorts and bungalows right on the beach. North facing, it’s beach isn’t as good for swimming as those on the east coast, but it’s still pretty paradise-like. It is however quiet with no real nightlife (Chaweng is close enough) or town centre. More on Big Buddha beach.
Lamai beach is Samui’s second best
Bo Phut
Lying just west of Big Buddha, this is another sweeping North coast beach with views of Koh Pha Ngan. This is a step up from Big Buddha beach and has a nice low-key centre at Fisherman’s Wharf village, that is just big enough to supply services without ruining that ‘island’ atmosphere. Most the accommodation here is right on the beach and affordable, and you can wander this beach for miles. More on Bo Phut beach.
Mae Nam
The final beach in the trio of commercial North coast beaches, this is where you stay to really avoid the party atmosphere seen in Chaweng (a 20 minute bike ride away). Almost all resorts front the beach and you’re confined to the beach. If you tire of your resort’s restaurant you might have to stroll some way along this lengthy beach to find another.More on Mae Nam.
Bang Po
This beach in the extreme Northeast of the island is dominated by private villas but does have some quiet resorts. You’re miles from the action here but it’s a relaxing experience where you rarely leave the bit of beach in front of your villa. It’s nearest to the island’s Thai town of Nai Thon which is where ferries come and go from, as well as being a curiosity.
Choeng Mon
A tiny horseshoe shaped beach considered exclusive since it hosts only a handful of upmarket or pricey resorts. It’s nice for a day trip away from Chaweng, but has limited facilities. The atmosphere here is relaxed, yet it’s within easy distance of the action at Chaweng.
North Chaweng
An extension of Chaweng, around a rocky headland, this beach is the domain of upmarket hotels and resorts, popular for a family or package visit. It’s excluded from the bustle of Chaweng but close enough to walk there via the beach.
Taling Ngam
Located remotely in the south of the island this windswept, wild beach is how Samui was before the arrival of tourism, and is now being developed for private villas but has a few resorts on the beach or set back in the coconut groves, for a really undisturbed experience away from the bustle on the rest of the island.
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