Ko Samui
This beach in the south of the Muslim village of Ban Hua Thanon offers an authentic picture of a real Thai fishing community. Ancient, disintegrating…
Must-see attractions in Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf
Ko Pha-Ngan
Linked to the Shrine of Our Lady Guan Yin Phangan by a small path at the back, this wát near the outskirts of Chalok Lam sits in a serene, forested…
Ko Samui
The most arresting statue on the island is the thousand-arm Guanyin (Kwan Im), the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, displayed with 18 arms in a fan…
Ko Samui
It's quite a hike on foot, but a scooter can whisk you up most of the way to this viewpoint among the trees just before the Tan Rua waterfall. The…
Ko Samui
This small green-tiled church north of Na Thon is an interesting Catholic outpost on the island. Visitors can simply push down the latch and let…
Surat Thani
This tiny museum housed inside a beautiful wooden hall is part of the Wat Sai complex. Built in 1932, it was occupied by Japanese troops during WWII in…
Ko Tao
Long before Ko Tao was inhabited by people, in 1899, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited the island, and as seems to have been a habit of his, he carved…
Ko Samui
This temple (the name means Snake Stone) on the south side of Rte 4169 has a recently built red-clay temple hall, decorated with a fascinating display of…
Ko Samui
The only rum distillery in Thailand produces Caribbean agricole-style spirits (distilled from fresh, fermented sugarcane juice) in a variety of all…
Ko Samui
This tiny museum is a nod to Ko Samui's history as one of Thailand's premiere coconut supplying islands. As well as the chance to become educated on Samui…
Ko Pha-Ngan
The terrific Domsila Viewpoint – offering a rocky perch with superb, panoramic views over the island – is a 15-minute, root-choked climb up from Nam Tok…
Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf
Located 8km west of town on the road connecting Yala to Hat Yai (Rte 409), this Srivijaya-period cave temple features a reclining Buddha that dates back…
Ko Samui
This golden pagoda – gloriously illuminated at night – sits on top of the hill north of Chaweng Lake, offering spectacular panoramic views over the island…
Ko Pha-Ngan
Than Sadet has a string of waterfalls down to the beach at Ao Thong Reng, and this is the best. Deang features a sequence of falls, a pool for swimming in…
Surat Thani
The beautiful green Island park of Ko Lamphu on the river Mae Nam Tapi is neatly landscaped around a central lake. There are various sports courts …
Ko Samui
A short walk up dilapidated wooden steps and past the Mae Nam Viewpoint is this lovely waterfall, spilling down through tendrils of green foliage…
Ko Pha-Ngan
A short walk or scooter ride east of Ban Chalok Lam in the island's north, Hat Khom is a little-visited and desirable 500m length of sand. Water taxis…
Surat Thani
Enter via the narrow alley on Na Mueng street, topped by a beautiful sitting Buddha gate, heading straight for the doors of the white temple. Once there,…
Ko Samui
Near the wát þàh (forest temple) of the same name, this waterfall is reached after a mildly strenuous 30-minute hike over streams and boulders. The reward…
Ko Tao
With glorious vistas from up high, this viewpoint can be reached by motorbike but it’s not advisable for inexperienced two wheelers. Arguably it’s more…
Ang Thong Marine National Park
With an ethereal minty tint, the Emerald Lake (also called the Blue Lagoon or Inner Sea) on Ko Mae Ko is a large lake in the middle of the island that…
Ko Tao
Come sunset, this terrace across from Ko Nang Yuan in the northwest of the island offers pleasant views over the islands as they are bathed in the crimson…
Ko Tao
This lovely bay on the east of the island across from Sairee Beach is boulder-strewn and the water is beautifully clear with excellent snorkelling. The…
Ko Tao
Way down in the south of the island on the eastern shore of Ao Chalok Ban Kao, this beach is quiet with much smaller crowds and offers excellent…
Ko Samui
For the best views over the island, take your scooter up to the View Top near the Mae Nam Viewpoint. There are some pretty steep switchbacks, but you'll…
Ko Pha-Ngan
Also known as Sunrise Beach, aka Full Moon Party Beach, this is actually one of Ko Pha-Ngan's cleanest and most pleasant beaches, because much of the…
Ko Samui
This great viewpoint, a short distance south from Dr Frogs at the top of the hill on the way to Lamai, looks out onto supreme views of the Gulf of…
Ko Samui
This lovely beach at the southwest corner of the island is even lovelier at low tide, when the water recedes to reveal a huge plateau of sand stretching…
Ko Samui
Fronted by a pair of golden Chinese lions and adorned with bright coiling dragons, this is probably the most colourful Chinese temple (and guildhall) on…
Ko Tao
This lovely little sheltered bay with coral reefs on the east coast is a charmer and the snorkelling is excellent for exploring its sandy depths and…
Ko Pha-Ngan
This lovely white-sand beach can only be reached on foot or by boat, lending it a gorgeous sense of seclusion. Most visitors arrive by boat, as the walk…
Ko Pha-Ngan
This slim, pretty beach on the northwest coast is fronted by shallow, blue water – a clutch of photogenic long-tail boats tend to park at the southern end…
Ko Samui
This 5km stretch of sand sees relatively low visitor numbers, making it easy to find somewhere to sunbathe or go swimming. It's a standout beach, with…
Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf
Towards the southern end of Th Pichitbumrung stands Yum Iyah Mosque, a mosque built in the Sumatran style and known locally as the 'old central mosque'…
Ko Tao
This superb viewpoint in the middle of the island affords gloriously sprawling views of the west and northwest of the island from near two large boulders…
Ko Samui
With four dragons coiling up its pillars, two inside and two outside, this very colourful temple in the heart of the village is worth a visit; the Chinese…
Ko Samui
The mummified remains of the temple's former abbot who foresaw his own death in 1973, Luang Phaw Daeng, is the key reason worshippers visit this small…
Ko Pha-Ngan
This lovely beach south of Hat Rin, on the southeastern tip of the island, basks in gorgeous sunsets. At the southern end of the beach, you can follow the…
Ko Samui
Lovely for sunrise, by evening this is the busiest and loudest beach on Ko Samui, and during the day it's often hopping too, thanks to the sheer number of…
Ko Pha-Ngan
This small and traditional settlement has a very small one-hall temple at its heart next to the Chedi Wat Nai; there are no other standout sights, but the…
