What to Visit in Koh Samui, Thailand ? – Page 3

Note : You are on Page 3 about Koh Samui. Start with Page 1.  

Maps – Orientation

Map 1 : Transport to the islands

Map 2 : Koh Samui – Overview

Map 3 : Koh Samui – Beaches

Map 4 : Koh Samui – Main Attractions

Map 5 : Interactive Map

What to Visit in Koh Samui ?

  1. I have ordered the attractions this way : Starting from the upper right corner of the island and going clockwise.
  2. There are more attractions on the right side of the island, but the south and east have very nice beaches. There are more people on the right side of Koh Samui.

Big Buddha Temple – Wat Phra Yai

A Buddhist temple. There is here a big Buddha statue (12 meters ) in gold color. Built in 1972.

After you climb the stairs, to the statue, there is a nice view over the sea.

And downstairs, there are nice statues in the sea

Little Boats

And a chicken on a boat

Some cafés and souvenirs for tourists

How to arrive ?

  • Location : See Location on Google Maps or on the Maps above.
  • Located on the north east corner of Koh Samui. It is relatively close to Chaweng Beach (Chaweng is considered the center of Koh Samui) and close to the airport.
  • See how to move in Koh Samui, on the first page.

Wat Plai Laem

A Buddhist temple that incorporates elements of Chinese and Thai culture.

A huge foot attracted my attention

There are several statues in the compound.

It is nice to look at the details in the Buddhist temples.

Food and colorful drinks are often present near the statues in Buddhist temples.

The total length of visit is about 30 minutes.

You can also give food to the big fishes in the water (fish food is sold).

How to arrive ?

Pagoda Khao Hua Jook

A great viewpoint over the airport and over the lake. It is a Buddhist temple.

If you are patient, you will see airplanes arriving and departing (at a frequency of about every 30 minutes)

There is also a sign with the name of the place, for making photos.

On the other side, there is a view over the lake (of Chaweng beach)

And if you are lucky, a cat will sit beside you

It is a temple. If you take off your shoes you can visit inside the building.

The temple closes in the evening, so don’t arrive too late

The face of this guard will make you understand that it is closed

How to arrive ?

Lad Koh View Point

It is a viewpoint on the road between Chaweng beach and Lamai beach. You don’t need to walk, just stop your motorbike on the parking place, beside the road.

How to arrive ?

Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks (Hin Ta Hin Yai)

Rocks on the sea that have some forms.

Near Lamai beach

Not amazing in my opinion, but still nice.

How to arrive ?

Wat Ratchathammaram

A Buddhist temple. Located beside the main road so you just need to park your vehicle and watch it. Close to Lamai beach. Very close to Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks.

There is a view over the sea.

How to arrive ?

Guan Yu Shrine

Another attraction that is exactly on the main road. You just need to stop your vehicle and watch the statue. Located close to Lamai beach and very close to Hua Thanon – Muslim Village.
It is a big statue of Guan Yu. (16 meters). Guan Yu was a Chinese military general.

How to arrive ?

Lamai Viewpoint & Valentine Stone

This is a “Tourist Trap”. For a better viewpoint, head to Overlap Stone 1 and Stone 2.

It is a café located on a hill with a view over Lamai beach area. There is also a Zip line activity.
You arrive to the café with a sort of cable car or you can climb by foot.

I call it a tourist trap because :

1. The view is nice, but it is not a very high point.

2. The entrance is relatively expensive. 200 Baht (at the time of writing).

3. The funny cable car doesn’t take you the all climb, you need to climb by foot about a third of the way.

4. When you arrive upstairs, there is only a café and they expect you to buy a drink.

Still : It is a very easy access attraction from Lamai beach, adequate for the all family. Maybe children will like the cable car

How to arrive ?

Overlap Stone 1 and Stone 2

These are viewpoints over the zone of Lamai beach. Just 2 Km from the main road.

In both places, there are big stones that stand one over the other. “Stone 2” is at a higher altitude  (than “Stone 1”).
Stone 1 is the more easy and “official” visit.

The entry price to “stone 1” is 200 Baht (at the time of writing).

Overlap Stone 2

If you plane to arrive to “stone 2”, you can skip the visit to “stone 1”.
The road to “stone 2 ” is at the right of the entrance to “stone 1”. You can see the road on the following picture.

You drive with the motorbike just a little bit.

Then you need to park the motorbike and continue to climb by foot. About 15 minutes climb. There are signs.

The climb is easy.

Upstairs, you will encounter a man that manage a kiosk and collects an entry fee of 20 Baht (price at the time of writing).

The entry price includes free bananas.

The view is very nice

There are 2 direction of view.

You can climb on certain rocks in order to get the best view.

How to arrive ?

Hua Thanon – Village

A Muslim village, near Lamai beach.

The most prominent building is the beautiful Mosque

There are prayers on Fridays

If you stay quiet, you can watch the prayer

A big part of the village people are working in fishing

There are some animals

There is a restaurant. A Halal restaurant, I guess.

And there is this little cute cat.

How to arrive ?

Na Muang Waterfalls

A nice waterfall with a very easy access. Just 1 Km from the main road in the south of the island. No need for hiking, the waterfall is near the parking.

It is possible to swim in the pond of the waterfall

There is also an elephant camp. You can ride on an elephant (if you pay).

Or you can give food to the elephants

Note : There is the upper part of this waterfall. Na Muang 2 waterfall. You arrive to this waterfall from another part of the road. This one requires some hiking.

How to arrive ?

More Waterfalls

There are more waterfalls in Koh Samui. Hin Lat Waterfall and Mountain Waterfall and Khun Si Waterfall.
These waterfalls are located in the center of the island and are more distant from the main road. You need to do a little hiking to reach them.

Tarnim Magic Garden

A river and some houses and statues in the forest, on a mountain.  An atmosphere of a fairy tale.

This is a very touristic place, don’t be afraid of the forest.

A good place for taking photos

It is a small place, you will probably stay less than 1 hour. There is a café at the entrance.

The road that leads to the place is nice

How to arrive ?

Continue to Page 4 – What to Visit in Koh Samui – Part 2

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