From Extrovert to Introvert: There’s Something for Everyone on Samui
No doubt Koh Samui in Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations in South East Asia, and for a good reason – it is an absolutely gorgeous island. But be prepared to share your tropical island with thousands of others. Samui has well and truly been discovered years ago, and large parts of the island are very developed, and well, pretty packed with tourists. However, there are some quieter corners on Samui, if you know where to look. If you’re struggling to decide where to stay on Samui, read on.
We recently visited Samui, and whilst we were aware that the island is touristy and well developed, I don’t think we expected it to be quite THAT developed. Upon arrival we encountered hotel after hotel, restaurant after restaurant, night clubs, traffic jams, Tesco Lotus, Big C… you get the idea. Despite the natural beauty of the island I think we were a little let down by how developed and rather jam-packed with hotels Samui is, in parts. But as we got to know the island (and its personalities) better, we discovered there was a lot more to it than we initially thought.
If you prefer your travel destinations a little less developed and quieter (like we do), Samui can still offer that – if you choose where you stay with some care. There definitely are some ‘hidden gems’ around the island to suit those who are after a more secluded stay (just don’t expect a Robinson Crusoe experience). And of course if you like your holiday destination busy with many fellow travelers and a great nightlife, then Samui is definitely for you!
Where to stay on Koh Samui – The 3 Samui ‘personalities’
We chose to stay on Koh Samui as we wanted somewhere in Thailand that had good infrastructure and easy access to services (on top of being a gorgeous tropical island) . We were a little at loss when we started looking for accommodation on Samui as there are just so many options to choose from. Hence, I thought categorizing the beaches/villages into three ‘personality types’ would be a good start.
First – decide which ‘personality’ sounds like a good fit for you, and then start looking for accommodation in that area. Pretty much all the beaches have a wide range of accommodation options from budget to luxury.
The extrovert Samui – If you like it busy: Chaweng or Lamai
The two most popular and busiest beaches/towns on Samui, by far, are:
These two beaches are definitely the extrovert Samui. If you want to stay somewhere with lots of hotels, restaurants, nightlife and shopping, then choose either Chaweng, or the slightly quieter Lamai. Both beaches are absolutely gorgeous, but also rather packed with tourists, although apparently there are some quieter corners on both these beaches if you know where to look. Cheweng has the largest concentration of nightlife so if that’s your thing then you can pretty much stop reading now!
The laid-back Samui – If you like it ‘in-between’: Choeng Mon, Bang Rak, Bo Phut, Mae Name or Natien
If you want something a little more ‘in-between’ – still developed but less busy with a more laid-back attitude – then one of the below beaches might fit the bill:
- Choeng Mon Beach (northeastern tip of Samui, just north of Chaweng)
- Bang Rak (Big Buddha) Beach (north coast)
- Bo Phut Beach (north coast)
- Mae Nam Beach (north coast)
- Natien Beach (southeast coast).
These beaches still have quite a few hotels, restaurants, shopping and chilled out bars, but are definitely quieter than the extrovert Chaweng and Lamai. You can still find some very rustic bungalows dotted along the beach, in between the flashier resorts. There’s a lot of development going on in Samui, so these beaches will probably start looking quite different in the upcoming years.
We stayed in Bo Phut and found it a pleasant area. We generally like things a little less developed and quieter than what we found in Bo Phut, however we did enjoy having easy access to lots of restaurants and shops, and the ‘traditional’ Fishermans Village with its weekly walking street (great street food!). The beach isn’t one of the most striking on Samui, but still lovely indeed. We also enjoyed the local market and did most of our grocery shopping there, filling our bags every few days with some very cheap fresh veggies, beautiful fruit (pomelo and jack fruit to die for!), noodles, great spices and some amazingly yummy Thai desserts (think coconut cream ‘flan’).
The introvert Samui – If you like it quiet and secluded: Lipa Noi, Five Island Beach, Pang Ka Bay and Thong Tanote
For those who like their holiday destination a little more quiet and secluded should head over to the ‘hidden’ beaches in the west and southwest of Samui:
- Lipa Noi (west coast)
- Taling Ngam/Five Island Beach (west coast)
- Pang Ka Bay (southwest coast)
- Thong Tanote Beach (southwest corner of Samui).
These beaches are beautiful, with few people and much MUCH less development. So if you are looking for a peaceful, relaxing getaway then the west or southwest of Samui are probably for you. We thought this side of the island was like a different island altogether – the introvert Samui. Superbly relaxing and a much slower pace.
Bear in mind though – there are much fewer options for shopping and transportation in the west and southwest of Samui so you will need to rent some wheels of your own or be prepared to put aside some cash for taxi rides. If we ever return to Samui, we’ll definitely stay on this side of the island (or maybe Mae Nam, one of our ‘laid-back’ recommendations with a gorgeous, long beach).
If you know Samui, please let us know if we missed any hidden spots, beaches or any obvious Samui ‘personalities’!
Helpful resources:
Detailed map of Koh Samui
Great general info on Koh Samui and most of the beaches listed in this post: https://www.hotels.com/go/thailand/koh-samui
Also check out our Thailand travel videos on the Coconut Compass Youtube channel!
[…] island you’re staying on, you can have a very different holiday experience – see my post on the 3 personalities of Koh Samui. You can easily go and spend a day at any of the many beautiful beaches around the island if you […]