Travel to Koh Samui, Thailand

Koh Samui is a premier travel destination of Thailand and is located in the Gulf of Thailand, about 35 km northeast from Surat Thani. It's surrounded by about sixty other islands, most of which containing Ang Thong National Marine Park. This region also includes other famous travel destinations such as Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Tao and Ko Nang Yuan.
Koh Samui is a roughly circular island and it's about 15 km wide. Its central part is an uninhabitable mountain jungle and the various lowland areas are connected together by a single road that covers the circumference of the island.
There is just one town named Na Thon, located on the western coast of the island, that has a major port for fishing and transportation. Each beach from Koh Samui can be considered a town due to the large number of hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars that have sprung up in recent years.

Beaches & vacation resort

Koh Samui is mostly visited by travelers wanting to "get away from all", so its main attractions are its white sand beaches and the warm sea.
The beach called Chaweng covers most of the island's eastern coast and represent the most crowded and vacationers saturated destination on the island. The beach itself, generally clean, suffers from overcrowding, there being a vast numbers of vacationers year-round. There was built up a huge Western-style tourist town, full of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, markets and nightclubs.
Also on the eastern coast is Lamai, smaller than Chaweng, but with cleaner and less crowded beaches. On the northern coast of island is Maenam, which offers spectacular views of Koh Phangan to the north and Ang Thong National Marine Park to the east. The waters are calm and clean, being protected by the currents. Much less crowded than Lamai and Chaweng, Maenam's restaurants and bars offer more from the local Thai flavor, as well as more reasonably priced food. Maenam is quieter and more relaxed, so it's a perfect travel destination if you want to spend a peaceful vacation in Thailand.
Bophut is the next beach near Maenam. Its lifestyle is more relaxed and more traditional than on the larger beaches, referring to itself as "Fisherman's Village". It's very popular vacation area for French tourists and has a few good French-owned restaurants.
Bangrak is often known by the name "Big Buddha Beach", due to the 19 meter statue which overlooks the area. Bangrak is very close to the airport, still is one of the calmest beaches from Koh Samui.
Choeng Mon is one of the smallest beaches and lies in a secluded bay on the northeastern shore of the island, making it perfect for those who want peace and quiet all day. There are a few small restaurants and a couple shops, in addition to the luxurious and expensive hotels that surround the bay.
Ao Tong Takian is also a small beach located to the north from Lamai beach. It's very popular among travelers due to its white sand and for this reason is also known as "Silver Beach". Here you'll find a few vacation resorts: La Mer Samui Resort, Samui Yacht Club, Tong Ta Kian Villa, Silver Beach and Crystal Bay.
Big Buddha is a high statue of Buddha, it lies at temple Wat Phra Yai and represent the main attractions for vacationers. Koh Samui has other impressive temples too, including Wat Khunaram, where can be seen the mummified body of Loung Pordaeng, a monk who died in a meditating position.
The mountain jungle in the interior of the island is an excellent travel destination for those who want adventure. Here can be found the magnificent gardens built by legendary farmer Nim Thongsuk. You'll see in the area the impressive waterfalls from Na Muang and the most amazing views over the Ang Thong archipelago. Due to the jungle it's clever to take a tour of this mountains with an experienced guide...
Beside temples, numerous animal attractions are available on the island, including a crocodile farm, monkey zoo, elephant trekking, a snake farm, an aquarium and a butterfly garden.
Most vacationers which travel to Koh Samui take a day trip to the beautiful Ang Thong National Marine Park at least once during their stay on this island.