Koh Samui’s one of the most popular islands in Thailand for a reason. Well, for many reasons: White-sand beaches with pristine, clear waters; a great mix of local flavor and Western conveniences; the timeless hospitality of the Thai people, to name just a few. If you find yourself on Koh Samui and want to spice your trip up a bit, take one (or more!) of these excursions to nearby destinations.
Full Moon Party at Koh Phagnan
Koh Samui is home to its fair share of parties, particularly at busier beaches like Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach, where huge crowds of foreigners like to keep the music pumping all night. If you’re looking for a truly wild party, however, you’ll want to continue past Koh Samui and take a ferry to Koh Phagnan.
Specifically, you’ll want to arrive at Haad Rin beach, which during the day isn’t terribly distinguishable from any other beach in this region: Picturesque, idyllic, name your adjective. If you happen to be visiting on the day of a particular month when the moon is fullest in the sky, however, you sholdn’t plan on going to bed: Thailand’s famous Full Moon parties last all night – and then some.
Scuba Diving in Koh Tao
As you stare down into the clear water around Koh Samui, it’s difficult not to image what sorts of beautiful fish, coral and other wildlife exist beneath the surface. If you aren’t a licensed scuba diver, you might feel like you don’t have a chance of seeing it without your own eyes.
The good news is that Koh Tao, which is a short longtail boat ride from Koh Samui, is one of the best places in Thailand to get your scuba license, with dozens of schools and hundreds of instructors. It also happens to be one of the cheapest, with Level 1 courses frequently available for under 300 USD.
Even better, unlike Koh Phagnan, which is really better as an overnight trip, you can visit Koh Tao for the day and return to your Koh Samui hotel – provided, of course, you’re just diving and not getting certified.
Authentic Southern Thailand in Surat Thani
If you don’t fly directly to Koh Samui from Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand, a common way you’ll enter is via the mainland city of Surat Thani. What you might not realize during your brief time in this unassuming city – Thailand’s eighth-largest – is that it’s the perfect place to experience authentic southern Thailand, if only due to the small number of tourists here. What Surat Thani lacks in attractions, it more than makes up for in personality, whether you practice your Thai with locals or even stay with one of them in their home for the night.
No matter which of these Koh Samui excursions you choose, you’ll gain an appreciation not only for the beauty of the place you run off to but also, the uniqueness of Koh Samui – how many other paradise islands can claim to have such a diversity of activities so close to them?
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
