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A Summer's Full of Things to Do
on Koh Samui Island, Thailand!
 One of the most frequently cited reasons for visiting the lovely
island of Koh Samui is for the sandy beaches with plenty of sunshine
and crystal clear water clarity. But, there are so many more things
to do on Koh Samui island! Koh Samui is the 3rd biggest island and
yet is still small by island standards, being only about 21 km x 25
km at the longest measurements.
We'll review some "Things to do on Koh Samui" in the article that
follows... keep in mind that there are more things to do than we
could ever tell you about. You'll find your own things to do, as we
found things that we like to do.
Koh Samui Beaches are world renowned. Personally I've only been to
about 8 different beaches, but there are so many more to see.
Chaweng beach is the beach that you'll see the most people
(tourists). There are a lot of things worth doing from there, there are
jet skis that you can rent, snorkeling equipment, floats, bars, and
lots to eat right on the beach. You'll be approached by locals
selling everything from fruit to dresses and games for the kids. If
you are considering bringing your kids to Koh Samui you'll be able
to find things for them to do here on Chaweng. Other beaches are
less crowded and maybe less hot as you might find some more palm
trees around than Chaweng has. Lamai beach, Tong Takien, and some of
the beaches on the South and West sides of Koh Samui might be more
to your liking. Chaweng beach is convenient because EVERYTHING you
could need is within walking distance - great Indian food, Haagen
Dazs, McDonalds, Starbucks coffee, Internet... Just about anything
you could WANT to do can be found here in Chaweng. It's the
tourist's central area.
There is a Koh Samui Go Kart Track which is something to do for kids
and adults alike... It's found close to Chaweng beach. It's a simple
go kart track with two types of karts available. One type for kids:
slowwwww. One type for adults: fast. The karts range in price from
300 to 400 baht for 10 minutes of circling the kart track. It looks
pretty safe, though of course that's your call. If there is a rowdy
group on the track you might wanna sit it out for a half hour until
they retire their go kart licenses. Go karts might seem like no big
deal, but take your kid with you and you'll have a different
perspective. It's a great thing to do if you have some down-time.
We've talked about the Big Buddha on this site in a couple of
places. We've showed you video and some photos too. The big buddha
is something the whole family can do... it's located close to Bophut
Beach in Koh Samui's northeast region. The Buddha can be seen from
the airport and from some of the roads around the island. Not only
is it BIG, but, it's located on a hill which makes it BIGGER. The
best photos are taken in the early morning when the sun is hitting
the front of the Buddha... In the afternoon the structure is quite
hot to walk around in your bare-feet, but you are requested to do so
to show respect. There are many donation opportunities and some of
them even offer you a fortune. You should try it just for the
experience. What's 5 baht?
Great Waterfalls - I've been to 7 waterfalls on Koh Samui and
enjoyed every one of them. Nam Muang 1 and 2 are pretty easy to
reach and don't require too much effort to get there. Nam Muang 2 is
a pretty good hike through the woods and up a hill and not all that
many people make it up to see the upper levels there. If hiking
through the woods is on your list of things to do in Koh Samui then
you'll want to hit ALL the waterfalls! Wear your mosquito lotion and
BRING lots of water for the hike as the humidity is unforgiving
during summer and even sometimes during winter on Samui!
Internet - There are some broadband internet places on Samui, we
also have written about those on this site. The internet connections
are "iffy" as they seem to be affected by rain and wind. In the
afternoons when the kids get on the internet at the internet cafes
and at their homes the speed takes a hit. There is an excellent
internet facility that offers desktop and notebook computers at
their facility.
See "Broadband Internet on Koh Samui > "
There is some bowling (10-pin) if that's among your things to do.
The atmosphere is not unlike a disco or science fiction type setup.
Bowling is open from 10 am until at least midnight, but perhaps
later. Prices are relatively harmless being about a 100 baht per
person. There are 12 lanes and the staff needs to clear your balls
once you've finished. They're trying to maximize throughput there so
your pins are cleared QUICKLY, and maybe before you've scored your
throw! Bowling sounds boring, but it's SOMETHING TO DO.
Monkey training schools and demonstrations. There are a few of these
around the island. You can see how smart the monkeys are and how
agile they are as they fly up the trees and grab coconuts so old
guys like me don't have to use a bamboo ladder and risk life and
limb. The kids love these shows and there's opportunities for photos
with the monkeys too. They are well trained and if you're looking
for something easy-going to do on Samui, this is a nice activity
especially for the kids.
There is a shooting gallery near Chaweng beach and it's open from 9
am to 6 pm. They have many types of guns including pistols and
rifles. The charge is a bit steep for shooting though. Costs start
from 300 baht for 10 shots and go up quickly from there. There are
packages available and you can shoot some interesting guns there.
The staff doesn't appear all that concerned about gun safety, so
watch yourself. Maybe not a good place for kids!
 Spas for sitting, getting a massage, getting a colonic... lots of
spa things to do on Koh Samui. All the major hotels on Koh Samui
have spas as they realize the value of them. Some resorts even have
a sign on the outside of their resort advertising their spas. They
are big business here on Samui, and why not? They are very
inexpensive compared to a tourist's home country and the quality of
them is pretty legendary too. It's easy to spend 1000 baht for 30
minutes or an hour and it goes up from there. Or you can have a two
hour Thai massage at the beach for about 300 baht - depending what
type of massage you choose!
Awesome spa we have experience with: Tamarind Retreat Spa is located
near Lamai beach and has a very picturesque setting. Their steam
room is built around a very large granite stone and sports a cool
pool that borders it. There is an assortment of massage and spa
treatments available. Prices start at just 1500 baht and an
appointment is almost never needed. During high season you might
want to stop in and let them know when you want to stop by, just to
ensure availability. and a cool pool that also runs alongside in the
open.
Buddhist temples - there are quite a few Buddhist temples around the
island besides "Big Buddha". If you like things to do like walk
around the temples you'll have fun. You should explore smaller roads
that have signs for temples. We've seen some that are definitely not
on the tourist track. Especially cool was the mummified monk temple
- which is between the ferry and Lamai beach.
Day Trips - A whole range of day trips are available from Samui to
outlying islands. Your hotel WILL have an assortment of brochures
and you'll be overwhelmed by travel agencies as you walk around
Chaweng. No shortage of things to do off-island if you have the
time. Some of the locations like the national park - are a must see!
Pool (billiards) - Lamai and Chaweng are the night spots with more
to do at night than all the other areas of Samui combined. In fact,
Lamai might have more to do at night if you're into the bar scene.
Besides this short review there are MANY things to do on Koh Samui.
Fishing, running, shell collecting, watching the sunset, taking
photos, shopping in the local areas, eating great local food,
climbing boulders, and so many more things... you must come to
experience it!
Here are my
"favorite things to do on Koh Samui" > "
Ko
Samui Maps >
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