The 8 Best Koh Samui beaches For 2024
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It’s always epic to find a sweet beach in Thailand. That’s why I have created this list of the best beaches on Koh Samui for you. Who doesn’t love a good beach? Everyone in this world would jump onto any opportunity to visit one of Thailand’s best beaches. And not without basis as it allows you to take a much-needed break from your hectic routine and give you a deserved rest. We stayed on Koh Samui for 3 nights and got to see the best beaches on offer on this well-visited Thai island. Furthermore, there are beaches such as Lamai beach, Chaweng beach and Bo Phut beach. But I will run through all these awesome Koh Samui beaches within this post.
Koh Samui is now a well developed Thai island and I have been there twice now and each time there is new shops and bars added etc. There is even a tesco now on Koh Samui. The beaches are epic, like the best beaches on Koh Tao and the awesome beaches on Koh Phangan. The neighbouring island to Koh Samui. If you are visiting Thailand and have planned your vacation in Koh Samui and you want to know the best beaches to visit.
The Thai island is the best and sweetest place for your Thailand holidays or backpacking. You can discover what to do in Phi Phi during your stay there. This island is perfect for beaches, snorkelling, epic accommodation, the viewpoints and more.
Are you backpacking around Thailand and looking for awesome places to see? You need to check out the jungle elephant sanctuary Phuket and Maya Bay on your travels!
The 8 best beaches in Koh Samui, Thailand
Now Koh Samui being the enormous island it is, is a tourist magnet tends to get a bit crowded and is no longer the idea, quiet and peaceful haven it once used to be and so it can be tricky to find the ideal beach for your perfect dream travel trip. To ease your tension and fears we bring you the best beaches in Koh Samui so that you can easily have your pick and not go wrong with whichever decision you make.
a map of Koh Samui
Why don’t you check out how to get from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan and the other islands.
Here are some of the Best Beaches in Koh Samui:
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Chaweng Beach
If you don’t mind the crowd and want to enjoy mind boggling views, then Chaweng beach is probably the best choice for you.
Chaweng is probably the most famous name out of all the beaches on this beautiful island and rightfully so as it has a lot of attraction, it’s not far away from the airport and offers the most luxuries.
It has its characteristic white sand which stretches for 7 km with the sea and makes for a wonderful view. There are well built resorts and hotels for the tourists but most of Chaweng crowd is made of young adults and hence it also has a large variety of well-equipped bars.
But that is not it in fact if you want a little bit of privacy there are villas on rent on the beach that you can acquire and around Chaweng beach and other parts of Koh Samui. If you want a little alone time this is your best bet as other than early morning this beach usually tends to be crowded and full of people sunbathing and enjoying other activities like watersports and swimming.
So, if you are looking to enjoy, meet new people and socialise then the beach on Chaweng is definitely the ideal place for you and if you are in a mood for a party don’t forget to visit Ark Bar.
Are you visiting the awesome Koh Phangan? Check out the best beaches in Koh Phangan on your travels.
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Lamai Beach
The amazing Lamai beach comes at 2nd on our list and while it is not the most luxurious like Chaweng, it is a lot quitter and much more peaceful. It is also a lot more affordable with relatively cheaper accommodation options than Chaweng. Due to the less crowd you can easily go for a quiet stroll during the day light and enjoy a leisurely swim in the ocean without any hassle or worrying about overcrowding and diminishing of your personal space. Despite all the peace and tranquillity, the town of Lamai itself is a little bit lazy and quiet in the day.
It is the night when the town really comes to life. You have music that can be heard all over the town and there are local bars where the locals dance and amuse you with their tradition and culture. Right next to these bars are restaurants and hotels for tourists to eat and drink and enjoy all sorts of cuisine.
The Lamai town is a bit crowded due this but if you just stay at the beachside and stick to those resorts then Lamai Beach is the perfect venue for you as it is social and lively yet still peaceful and relaxing. With the famous rocks of Koh Samui is known for (Hin Ta and Hin Yai) being located at the far side end of the beach.
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BoPhut Beach
Next on the list comes the Bophut Beach. A 2 km stretching along the shoreline beach it was also the home to the famous traditional Fisherman’s Village. Now a days you will find many boutique resorts, restaurants and a bunch of activities to enjoy. This is the best place to enjoy the magical view of Koh Samui all the while enjoying the peace and quiet you crave.
The sand is here is of a yellowish hue and the beach is an ideal place to enjoy a good and relaxing swim and as mentioned before you can also enjoy a bunch of watersports here like jet ski, boating and paragliding and also visit the trademark Angthong Marine park.
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Lipa Noi Beach
Lipa Noi beach is our top pick of the lot, located near the car ferry the sleepy stretch of Lipa Noi is one of the best beaches in Koh Samui.
It may not have the aesthetically pleasing white shores of Chaweng, but it has a serene, quiet and a soothing location for you to relax and let go of all the burdens of this world.
The most famous resort of the area is none other than the Nikki Beach Resort but there are other smaller places you can enjoy too. One of these is the retro Bar where you can find awesome cocktails to enjoy in a laid back environment. The biggest asset of Lipa Noi are its magnificent and magical sunsets, it faces the north of the island and hence you can enjoy the sunsets like no other place on the island. If you are looking for a laid back and secluded vacation Lipa Noi is the ideal location for you.
If you’re staying on Koh Samui, you should check out the best Koh Samui markets
Love amazing Thai islands? check out the best things to do on Koh Tao
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Choeng Mon beach
Choeng Mon beach is one of the quiter beaches of Koh Samui to visit and is made up of a series of bays on the north-western tip of the island. This cool beach is more of a resort beach. You can see the activities taken place but you generally won’t be allowed to join in.
This is still a topnkoh samui beach to visit and chill out with a beer. Or its a good beach to visit if you’re on a family holiday to Koh Samui.
Check out the best snorkelling beach on Koh Tao
Interested in travel photography? You should check out the Panasonic Lumix FZ82 review post. Which is my awesome travel camera!
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Silver beach
Silver beach is one that’s quite popular among travelers. It is a 250m-long tropical beach paradise set in a charming little bay facing northeast located just north of Lamai Beach, there are cliffs separating Lamai from the more popular Chaweng area on the east coast of Koh Samui.
We spent a couple of hours here. It’s a nice little beach on Koh Samui for snorkelling etc.
If you love amazing beaches you should check out the best things to do in Phi Phi.
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Maenam Beach
Maenam Beach does not have any particular attractions or any glamour like its predecessors on this list, but it has one thing going for it and that is the balance it provides between a beautiful beachside and a lot of top notch restaurants while not being crowded.
There are affordable and budget friendly bungalows you can rent and enjoy the 5 km long beach. the beige coloured beach provides the perfect convenient yet still quiet and relaxing option for the tourists.
Visiting Krabi? Check out the 4 island tour Krabi
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Taling Ngam Beach
This Koh Samui beach has epic palm trees fringing its edge. The Taling Ngam beach is the most picturesque Koh Samui beach. You can see awesome views of Angthong Marine National Park and you also have the options of cheap bungalows and seafood restaurants.
It’s easy to get to to Talig Ngam Beach by scooter.
Other Koh Samui beaches
These were some of the beaches we think are worth visiting on the island of Koh Samui but if you don’t fancy any of them or they don’t suit what you want exactly out of your ideal location then there are other beaches as well that you can enjoy which have their own perks and attractions. Beaches such as:
Where to stay on Koh Samui?
Here is some awesome hostels and hotels on Koh Samui;
How to get to Koh Samui?
The best way is to travel from Surat Thani to Koh Samui. Or, many backpackers travel from Bangkok to Koh Samui. But, whichever route you choose
Summary
Koh Samui is one of my favourite places to visit in Thailand and there is plenty to do on this awesome Thai island for all types of visitors. Also, plenty of the hotels on Koh Samui are amazing and cheap, so it’s a backpackers dream destination.
Also, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are only are ferry ride from Koh Samui and we visited these amazing islands as well.
If you’re wondering how long to spend on Koh Samui? I would suggest just doing 3 nights on Koh Samui, as this is all you need to see everything this vibrant Thai island has to offer.
Here’s handy guide on how to get from Phuket to Koh Samui.
Other places to visit in Thailand;
- best things to do in Phi Phi
- the best beaches on Koh Tao
- the James Bond island movie tour
- Ao Nang to Koh Lanta
- best secret beach on Koh Samui
- Best things to do Koh Tao
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