Koh Samui Overview Travel Guide

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Koh Samui, with its swaying palm trees, white sand beaches, and virgin rainforests. Koh Samui, with its warm, welcoming inhabitants who are always ready to celebrate the joys of living. Koh Samui, where just one visit will leave you with enough memories to warm you through the coldest, darkest days of winter... [more]

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Experience Koh Samui's favorite sights as others see them. Let our visual picture tour of Koh Samui help you choose the best places to visit in Koh Samui:

We warn you: One visit to Koh Samui is never enough. The island is as bewitching as it is beautiful.

Koh Samui: Background

At well over 20 km, Koh Samui is the third largest island of Thailand; only Phuket and Koh Chang are larger. It nestles in an archipelago of 80 islands, of which only 6 are inhabited.

Until the early 21st century Samui was a sleepy little paradise that exported coconuts. Once the world discovered its pristine, palm tree-lined beaches, tourism turned the once sleepy island into a sought-after vacation destination. It has attracted a growing crowd of ex-pats who have fallen in love with its sweeping white sand beaches, its orderly towns and villages, and the warm, perfect weather.

Finding a good quality place to stay isn't difficult. This island of approximately 40,000 has approximately 500 registered bungalows and hotels that can accommodate over 600,000 people. There are dozens of 5-star hotels and villas for rent for very reasonable prices.

If you would like to buy your own piece of paradise-either as a holiday home or your home away from home-the real estate agents on Koh Samui can assist you.

Koh Samui in Modern Times

The tsunami of 2004, which caused so much loss of life in other parts of Thailand, passed Samui by. While other parts of Thailand suffer from haphazard overdevelopment, Samui is that rarest of rarities: it has somehow made the transition from sleepy paradise to luxurious destination with extreme grace.

It major industry is still exporting coconuts-approximately 2 million of them to Bangkok every month-with tourism coming in a close second. Tourism will no doubt take the number one place in industry in the coming years-the island is so beautiful more people are bound to explore its green shores.