Koh Samui

Beach life is what a stay on Koh Samui is built around. The east coast holds the island's two long, busy beaches: Chaweng, a broad curve of fine white sand with clear water, and Lamai just south, a little rougher in character. For quieter water, Choeng Mon in the northeast is a sheltered bay that suits slow swimming, while Bophut, Maenam and Bang Po on the north coast are calmer and gentler, though the water there turns shallow and less clear at low tide. Small coves such as Silver Beach between Chaweng and Lamai are the prettiest spots for a swim among boulders.

The sea stays around 28°C to 29°C all year. The best months are roughly January to September; from October to December the northeast monsoon brings heavy rain and choppier water on the east coast, when the north and west shores stay calmer. The sunset-facing west coast is quieter and more local, with fewer beaches worth staying on.

Eating on Samui means Thai cooking with a southern accent: fiery curries, coconut-rich soups, and seafood grilled on the beach in the evening. The best meals tend to come from the simplest places, roadside stalls and family kitchens away from the main strips, and from the night markets, where Lamai, Maenam and the walking street in Fisherman's Village at Bophut fill with grilled squid, papaya salad, roti and fruit shakes. The Chaweng strip is heavy with menus aimed at visitors, and quality there is uneven.

There is a tier of polished restaurants in the hillside resorts and along the Bophut waterfront, often with sea views, but the island has no great depth of cuisine beyond Thai and grilled fish.

Samui's sights fit comfortably into a half-day loop. The gilded Big Buddha at Wat Phra Yai sits on a small islet joined by a causeway in the northeast, and nearby Wat Plai Laem has a many-armed figure of Guanyin standing in a lake. In the south, Wat Khunaram keeps the mummified body of a revered monk seated in a glass case. Fisherman's Village in Bophut has a lane of old Chinese wooden shophouses that hints at the island's past as a coconut-trading outpost. Beyond these there are no museums of note or historic towns; this is not a place to visit for heritage.

Chaweng is where the island goes out. Beach bars, open-fronted bars along the main road and a cluster of clubs in the lanes behind the sand keep nights running well past midnight through the high season. Beach clubs put on fire shows and DJs, and the crowd is young, international and out to celebrate being on vacation. Lamai has a smaller, rougher bar scene, while Bophut and Fisherman's Village are for quieter drinks by the water.

Much of the night out is generic and parts of it are seedy. If you want a bigger party, the famous monthly full moon parties at Haad Rin on neighbouring Koh Phangan are a short boat ride away. The north and west coasts go quiet after dinner.

The highlight is Ang Thong National Marine Park, a scatter of over forty limestone islands west of Samui with sheer cliffs, an emerald saltwater lake inside one island and a steep viewpoint climb above the bays. Boat trips run there for kayaking and snorkelling in calm months. Divers head north towards Koh Tao and the pinnacles around Sail Rock, which are among the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand.

On Samui itself the jungle-covered interior rises to modest hills, with the Na Muang waterfalls, a few rough hiking tracks and quad or jeep routes through coconut plantations. The coast is pretty rather than dramatic, and heat and monsoon rain limit long walks.

Day outings from Samui are island-hopping rather than sightseeing. Koh Phangan, about half an hour to an hour by boat, has its own small port town at Thong Sala, quieter beaches and a looser, backpacker character. Koh Tao, around one and a half to two hours away, makes a full day with the sandbar islets of Koh Nang Yuan off its coast. The mainland at Surat Thani and Don Sak is an ordinary transport hub with little to see. There are no historic towns, wine regions or major heritage sites within easy reach.

Samui works well for a family beach stay if the base is chosen carefully. Choeng Mon, Bophut and Maenam have calmer, shallower water and a slower feel than Chaweng, whose nightlife and traffic sit badly with small children. Many resorts are built for families, with large pools and children's clubs, and Thai staff are famously warm with children.

Beyond the beach the offer is thin: a few small animal parks and a water park, elephant sanctuaries, boat trips to Ang Thong for older children. The ring road is busy and dangerous for scooters, pavements are scarce, and the midday heat and the autumn rains limit what can be done outside.

One ring road of about 51km circles the island and links every beach, so distances are short: Chaweng to Bophut or Lamai takes around a quarter of an hour. Public transport is limited to shared pickup trucks called songthaews that run along the main road, with no fixed timetable. Taxis rarely use the meter and fares are negotiated. Most visitors hire a car, take a ride-hailing car or rent a scooter; scooters are popular but accidents on the hills and wet roads are common. Within each beach area walking is easy, but between them it is not, and boats to the other islands leave from piers on the north and west coasts.

Shopping here is mostly beachwear, linen, souvenirs and tailored suits. The Friday walking street in Fisherman's Village at Bophut is the most pleasant browse, with stalls of crafts, clothes and coconut-wood homeware along the old waterfront lane, and Lamai and Maenam have their own weekly markets. Chaweng has a large modern shopping mall with international chains and a run of roadside stalls selling copies. There is no luxury shopping or design scene, and the island's crafts are limited.

Samui is one of the most expensive places to stay in Thailand, though still cheaper than most Western beach resorts. Hillside villas and beachfront resorts are priced for international travellers, imported drinks and restaurant meals on the main strips cost well above mainland levels, and taxis are notoriously dear. Getting there costs more too, since flights into the island's small airport are limited.

Balancing that, simple bungalows and guesthouses back from the beach, night-market food, local restaurants and massages remain cheap, and the north and west coasts are cheaper than Chaweng. A visitor who eats locally and avoids resorts can keep costs modest.

Live performance on Samui is entertainment for visitors: Muay Thai fight nights at small stadiums around Chaweng and Lamai, ladyboy cabaret shows, fire dancers on the beach and cover bands in bars. There is no theatre, concert hall or classical programme, and no live-music scene of any reputation. Visitors who want serious performance will not find it on the island.

Samui is one of Asia's established places for retreat stays. Lamai and the hills above it have long been known for detox and fasting programmes, and across the island there are yoga and meditation retreats, holistic health centres and lavish hillside resort spas looking over the Gulf of Thailand. Traditional Thai massage is everywhere, from simple beachside mats to quiet garden salons, and it costs little.

The pace on the north and west coasts, around Maenam, Bang Po and Lipa Noi, is genuinely slow, with long empty afternoons and early nights. There are no thermal springs or bathing tradition, and Chaweng is noisy, so the restorative stay is about choosing the right corner of the island.