The Ultimate Koh Samui Travel Guide with Activities, Hotels and Food

Here’s my ultimate Koh Samui travel guide:

Make sure Koh Samui is on your Thailand travel list because you will have the best time! Here’s everything you need to know about travelling to Koh Samui in my ultimate Koh Samui Travel Guide and what makes this special Thai island a must visit destination.

I visited Koh Samui for two weeks in March, keep in mind that the best time to visit Koh Samui is between November and April.

This page contains affiliate links, if you purchase any of my recommendations I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks, as always, for your support.

snorkelling boat tour

Ultimate Koh Samui Travel Guide Table of Contents

How to get to Koh Samui

You can’t fly direct to Koh Samui from the UK. We flew to Bangkok and from there took the short flight to the island. Koh Samui airport is actually beautiful as it’s mostly outdoors so it really is a lovely welcome to Koh Samui. If you’re staying in a hotel, the hotel may be able to arrange driver pick-up at the airport.

I was surprised that Koh Samui is not a very walkable place to visit. Most tourists hire scooters during their Koh Samui visit. We ended up walking as most of the activities do provide hotel pick-up so we never had to walk too far.

Where to stay in Koh Samui

sunset Chaweng beach Palm trees

We stayed at both ends of Chaweng Beach and this is a great base to explore Koh Samui. The main areas tourists like to stay at when visiting Koh Samui are:

  • Chaweng Beach – Best for nightlife and first-time visitors
  • Lamai Beach – Relaxed area with good restaurants
  • Bophut & Fisherman’s Village – Famous for nightlife and an amazing Night Markey

Here are the best hotels for your ultimate Koh Samui Travel Guide:

Luxury Koh Samui hotel resorts

If Koh Samui is your bucket list or honeymoon travel destination these luxury Koh Samui hotels will make your stay extra special.

Budget Koh Samui hotels

If you are travelling to Koh Samui on a budget there is plenty of budget accommodation to choose from as the hostels can be just as beautiful.

Best Koh Samui activities and tours

I love how there are so many activities and tours to do in Koh Samui, there really is something for everyone.

Best Koh Samui Day Trips

pig island tour swing on beach island

Best Food activities

Fisherman’s village night market street food

Best Koh Samui activities

national marine park day trip

Koh Samui restaurants you need to book

Thai food pineapple fried rice

As a foodie I scout out the best restaurants and food experiences on my travels. Here are the Koh Samui restaurants I visited and personally recommend. I recommend making a reservation at all of these restaurants in advance during busier travel periods.

  • Best for atmosphere: Cocoon Viewpoint
  • Best for views: The Roof, Samui
  • Best for bucket list experience: Tree Tops Samui
  • Best for date night: Supattra Thai Dining
  • Best for street food: Fisherman’s Village night market
  • Best for exciting Thai food: Phensiri Thai restaurant

FAQs About Visiting Koh Samui

  • Can I fly direct to Koh Samui? You will most likely need to change flights such as at Bangkok but it’s a short flight to Koh Samui from there
  • Is Koh Samui a party island? There are certainly no shortage of bars and clubs on the island but there are quieter parts of Koh Samui too and luxury resorts where you can have a more relaxing time.
  • Do I need to book restaurants and experiences in advance? I recommend booking ahead to avoid disappointment.

Koh Samui needs to be on your travel bucket list. This was my first time visiting Thailand and I’m so pleased I got to see Koh Samui with such a wide range of food and experiences.

If you’ve been to Koh Samui please share your recommendations in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow @BoopFoodie on instagram, TikTok and YouTube for more individual restaurant and experience videos.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *