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My Favorite Samui Beaches

Text by Jens from Kohsamui.org

I have six favorite beaches on Koh Samui: Lamai, Ao Tong Takian, Chaweng, Choeng Mon, Maenam and Lipa Noi. This is why:

Lamai beach - Hat Lamai

Lamai is found at the South-East coast of Samui island. I walked on this fine beach first time in May 1990. And since then it has been hundreds of walks here I guess. It stretch from Hinta Hinyai (Grandmother and Grandfather rock) in the South of Lamai to the Jungle Park Resort in the North. The beach do not look that different today, compared with 15 years ago, but of course the resorts and hotels do, at least most of them. Lamai is a wide beach and personally I prefer swimming on the South and middle part, as there are more stones at the seabed at the Northern part and it's normally more shallow there as well.

Silver beach - Ao Tong Takian

Located on the East coast of the island, not far away from Lamai. As a matter of fact it's just a few minutes of walk. The beach is rather small, but really beautiful and surrounded by hilltops and coconut trees. There are four small resorts at the beach and also Thai traditional massage provided under a big tree. Be a little careful when swimming and walking in the water though, Ao Tong Takian has a lot of corals and stones on it's sea bed. If you are snorkeling here, you will probably find some colorful fishes or/and harmless black sea cucumbers.

Chaweng beach - Hat Chaweng

Chaweng is located on the East coast of Samui, just North of Lamai, Ao Tong Takian and Chaweng Noi. And yes, Chaweng beach is more busy and crowded than any other beach in the region, with the exception of Hat Rin (Koh Phangan) at full moon. But walking on Chaweng beach is still a very pleasant experience. The sand is as white as before and the water is often clear. You will find people from all over the world doing water sports, improving their tan, talking to new friends or just sleeping after a hard night at Soi Green Mango. It is one of the longest beaches on the island and it is definitely worth a day if you can deal with some people around you. At nighttime, many of the beach bars often has small parties with music, grilled food and affordable refreshments.

Choeng Mon beach - Hat Choeng Mon

Choeng Mon is located on the North-East tip of the Island in a nice bay, not so far away from Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem. This is a beach suitable for people who prefer to having a relaxed time. It is an almost an idyllic beach and a small island is found just outside the Southern part of it.

Maenam beach - Maenam

A beach located in the North of Samui island. For the visitor who prefer relaxation and sunshine more than beach bars and jet skis. A stunning view over Koh Phangan island is also seen from Maenam. In low season you can find days when you feel almost alone here. Many resorts with reasonable prices are also found here.

Lipa Noi

A rather shallow but nice beach on the West coast of the island. Lipa Noi has inviting white sand and are a perfect beach for picnics, families and children, as this is a relaxed beach, without crowds of people and the sea bed is also nice. It is located not so far from Nathon, which makes it a good alternative for people staying there and on other locations on the North-West coast, as well as for people who want to just relax and have a day off.