PILLAR

Things to do in Koh Samui

The honest local list of things to do in Koh Samui; the famous spots worth it, the ones that aren't, and the quiet corners the tour buses miss.

Things To Do In Koh Samui

There are two lists of things to do in Koh Samui: the one every tour desk hands you, and the one locals actually do. This is the second one.

Yes, there's the Big Buddha, the waterfalls, and the obligatory boat trip to the marine park, and some of it genuinely earns the hype. But the island also rewards the people who skip a few postcard stops and go find a quiet beach, a proper local meal, or a viewpoint without a queue.

We live here, so below you'll get the straight version: what's worth your day, what's a tourist tax, and the things to do in Koh Samui that don't show up on the laminated menu. Pick by mood, not by checklist.

IN THIS PILLAR

18 articles

Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG19

Nathon, Koh Samui: Is the Island's Old Town Actually Worth the Trip?

Nathon, Koh Samui is the one part of the island that isn't performing for tourists. Here's what it actually is, when to go, and whether it's worth the drive.

Quiet Sino-Thai shophouse street in Koh Samui old town at golden hour, leading to a wooden ferry pier over a calm sea

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG15

Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui: The Honest Guide to the Prettier Temple

Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui, from two people who live one bay south. Hours, the actual dress code, what the eighteen arms mean, and why it beats Big Buddha for atmosphere.

A still, golden-hour mangrove lagoon on Koh Samui, calm reflective water edged by coconut palms

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG15

Things to Do in Lamai, Koh Samui: The Honest List

The honest guide to things to do in Lamai, Koh Samui, from two people who live one headland north. What's free, what the entry fees actually cost now, and what to skip.

Golden-hour low tide on a boulder-strewn tropical shore, shallow tide pools reflecting a warm sky, coconut palms and a green headland beyond

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG14

Ang Thong Marine Park, Koh Samui: What the Tour Brochures Leave Out

Ang Thong Marine Park, Koh Samui: what the day is actually like, the 300 baht fee that isn't in your tour price, and the six weeks a year the park is shut.

A steep jungle-covered limestone island rising from a calm glassy sea at golden hour

Koh Samui

Thailand

Sabai Sabai Samui

Come stay above the bay.

See the villa →
Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG12

Koh Samui Cycling & Mountain Biking: What's Actually Real Here

Koh Samui cycling and mountain biking, honestly assessed by a local. The real trails, the one operator still running, and the quad bikes pretending to be MTB.

A red-dirt jungle trail winding through coconut palms on a Koh Samui hillside, with a calm bay and green headland visible below

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
AUG2

Koh Samui Shopping: The Honest Guide

Koh Samui shopping, straight. The one real mall, the night markets actually worth your evening, and what's worth carrying home.

Golden-hour wooden shophouse market lane with woven baskets and crafts on display, palms framing a glimpse of the sea

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL25

Things to Do in Koh Samui at Night

The honest local's guide to things to do in Koh Samui at night, from the Soi Green Mango strip to the Friday market that's actually worth planning around.

Golden-hour granite boulders and turquoise surf at a quiet Koh Samui cove, coconut palms leaning in from the headland

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL24

Pig Island Koh Samui: Is It Actually Worth It?

Pig Island koh Samui, reviewed straight. What it actually is, what it costs, how to get there from Thong Krut Pier, and the ethics question everyone's too polite to ask.

A weathered wooden jetty leading out over calm turquoise water toward a small green island at golden hour, coconut palms leaning in from the shore

Koh Samui

Thailand

Sabai Sabai Samui

Come stay above the bay.

See the villa →
Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL23

Free Things to Do in Koh Samui

The genuinely free things to do in Koh Samui, from a couple who actually lives here. No tour desk upsell, no "hidden gem" nonsense.

Low-tide wet sand and shallow tide pools reflecting a warm golden-hour sky on a quiet Koh Samui beach

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL23

Na Muang Waterfall, Koh Samui: An Honest Local Guide

Na Muang Waterfall in Koh Samui, from a local: how the two falls differ, how long the hike really is, the elephant trek to skip, and whether it's worth it.

A small jungle cascade tumbling over mossy granite boulders into a clear pool, framed by ferns and coconut palms in warm afternoon light on Koh Samui

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL22

Big Buddha Koh Samui: The Honest Guide to the Island's Most Famous Temple

Big Buddha Koh Samui, from two people who live here. What to wear, when to go, whether it's free, and the two temples worth pairing with it.

A traditional wooden longtail boat moored in calm turquoise shallows off a quiet Koh Samui beach at golden hour, palms leaning in and a green headland beyond

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL22

The Best Viewpoints in Koh Samui, Ranked by People Who Live Up Here

The best viewpoints in Koh Samui, ranked honestly by two people who live here. Which are worth the climb, which are a tourist tax, and where to actually catch the sunset.

An elevated hillside viewpoint at golden hour looking down over a calm turquoise bay curving around a green headland, coconut palms framing the drop

Koh Samui

Thailand

Sabai Sabai Samui

Come stay above the bay.

See the villa →
Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL21

The Best Massage in Koh Samui: What to Book and What It Costs

An honest local guide to the best massage in Koh Samui: what an hour actually costs, how to tell a real relaxation shop from the other kind, and whether to book the beach mat, the neighbourhood shop, or the splurge spa.

A shaded villa terrace daybed with soft cushions and a folded towel at golden hour, an infinity-pool edge and a calm turquoise Koh Samui bay beyond

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL20

Non-Touristy Things to Do in Koh Samui

The non-touristy things to do in Koh Samui that we actually send people to. Jungle waterfalls, a mummified monk, quiet coves and viewpoints, from two people who live here.

A still golden-hour tropical lagoon edged by mangroves and leaning coconut palms, a secluded pale-sand shore beyond

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL17

Hin Ta Hin Yai, Koh Samui: The Rocks Everyone Photographs and Nobody Explains

A local's honest guide to Hin Ta Hin Yai Koh Samui, the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks. The legend, when to go, what it costs, and whether it's worth the stop.

Golden-hour coconut palm grove with a sandy footpath leading down to a calm turquoise bay and a green headland on the Koh Samui coast

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL15

Things to Do in Koh Samui With Kids

An honest, first-person guide to things to do in Koh Samui with kids. The calm beaches, the day trips actually worth the car ride, and the ones to skip.

Golden-hour infinity pool terrace overlooking a calm Koh Samui bay

Koh Samui

Thailand

Sabai Sabai Samui

Come stay above the bay.

See the villa →
Things to do in Koh Samui
JUL8

Things to Do in Koh Samui for Couples (By Two People Who Live Here)

The honest list of things to do in Koh Samui for couples, from two people who live here: sunrise on a quiet bay, Ang Thong by kayak, a forest spa, and where dinner actually earns the candle.

Two empty wooden sun loungers side by side on quiet pale sand at golden hour, seen framed through palm fronds, calm turquoise bay and a green headland beyond

Koh Samui

Thailand

Things to do in Koh Samui
JUN6

Rainy Day Things to Do in Koh Samui (From People Who Live Through It)

Rainy day things to do in Koh Samui from two people who live here. The real rainy season, the spa-cook-cinema plan that actually works, and when to just stay in.

Golden-hour view from a covered villa terrace over an infinity pool toward a calm Koh Samui bay and palms

Koh Samui

Thailand

Sabai Sabai Samui villa overlooking the infinity pool and the Gulf of Thailand

The Villa

Come stay above the bay.

Sabai Sabai is a three-bedroom villa on the cliffs above Chaweng Noi, with an infinity pool and the whole Gulf of Thailand below.

See the villa →