Koh Samui
Koh Samui is an island off the coast of mainland Thailand, and is one of the many beach areas you can find yourself in on a trip to Thailand. It's beautiful, as are most Thailand beach areas, it has quiet areas and it's also full of life and busy nightlife if that's what you are looking for.
Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach is the most popular beach in Koh Samui, with the most hotels and the most bars. It's beautiful. and bustling with people and bars both day and night. Here you will be able to find a relaxing beach holiday, as well as a party beach holiday.
Me on Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach
Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks
Grandfather Rock
The Grandfather and Grandmother rocks are named so because they resemble male and female genitalia respectively. I'm not quite sure how these made it on to the tourist map, as they are pretty poor attractions to visit. But it was busy when I went there, and they are also free to visit.
Me with Grandfather Rock
Closest I could get to the Grandmother Rock
Due to slippery rocks I couldn't see the Grandmother Rocks - I didn't feel too upset about this nor did I feel like I had missed out.
No climbing of the Grandfather Rock
Monkey Show
Monkey Show
Most island tours on Koh Samui will include a trip to the Monkey Show. If it wasn't included on my tour I'm not sure I would have visited this on my own. How humane the show is seems very questionable.
Monkey Show
The monkeys are on a lead, and are trained to retrieve coconuts from the tops of palm trees. It is interesting to see how they complete the task, but you do stand there worrying that you're watching a bad thing.
Me with a monkey
For a small tip you can have your photo taken with a monkey, and the monkey gets fed during the photo (possibly to stop it biting you!), so I felt a little better that the monkey got fed, and I got a photo with a monkey!
The Mummified Monk
The Mummified Monk
Another weird attraction on Koh Samui is the mummified monk, preserved in a display box wearing sunglasses.
The temple associated with the monk is nice and pretty and worth walking around, but the monk himself I found a little odd.
The Mummified Monk
Temple
Namuang Waterfall
Namuang Waterfall
Koh Samui's main waterfall is nice enough, and free to enter. It's not the most accessible waterfall you'll ever see, mainly due to the constant hoards of tourists around it. But it is pretty, and the area is filled with good tourist shopping and little cafes, as well as elephant trekking - don't take the elephant trekking here. The elephants are mistreated, and the rides are quick and expensive.
Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)
The Big Buddha
The Big Buddha is an impressive statue and nice to walk around. The associated temple is also very nice, and the walk around it offers some pretty views of the island.
Me with the Big Buddha
Big Budda Temple
Big Buddha
Around The Big Buddha Temple
The view from The Big Buddha Temple
Wat Pai Laem Temple
The Fat Buddha at Wat Pai Laem Temple
Wat Pai Laem Temple is an impressive temple, with an array of large and spectacular Buddha statues. The complex is free to walk around, and you can walk up to all the major statues (barefoot) for some amazing photos.
Me at Wat Pai Laem Temple
The Eighteen Hands Buddha at the Wat Pai Laem Temple
The Eighteen Hands Buddha at the Wat Pai Laem Temple
Anthony Carlile