Koh Samui

Bophut's old waterfront is the most characterful corner of Samui: a narrow street of two-storey Chinese-Thai wooden shophouses, many now converted into boutique hotels, cafés and restaurants with decks over the sand. The beach here is calm and gently shelving, with views across to Koh Phangan, and the pace is noticeably gentler than in Chaweng. It's a good base for families and couples, and an easy place to spend an evening wandering.

TipOn Friday evenings the street closes to traffic for a busy walking-street market with food stalls, crafts and live music. Arrive early to find parking, or come by taxi.

On a tiny islet joined to the north-east tip of Samui by a causeway, a gilded seated Buddha around 12 metres high has watched over the island since the early 1970s. It is the island's best-known landmark, visible from planes landing at the nearby airport. Steep steps flanked by serpent balustrades lead up to the platform, and the surrounding temple courtyard is lined with bells and stalls selling offerings, snacks and souvenirs.

TipThis is an active place of worship: cover shoulders and knees (sarongs are usually available to borrow), remove your shoes before climbing the steps, and go early in the morning or around sunset, when the stone is cooler and the light softer.

A short drive east of the Big Buddha, this modern temple complex sits in and around a lake, its buildings decorated in a riot of colour. The centrepiece is a striking white statue of Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, with eighteen arms fanned out like a halo, and there is a large laughing Buddha close by. The temple blends Thai and Chinese Buddhist traditions, reflecting the island's mixed heritage. Visitors feed the catfish that crowd the lake, and the whole place is especially photogenic in the late afternoon.

Samui's longest and busiest beach runs for several kilometres of fine white sand along the east coast, with clear, shallow water protected by a reef at the northern end. Behind it lies the island's main resort strip: hotels, beach clubs, bars, massage shops, malls and a lively nightlife area. The beach divides into sections, from the quieter north end to the central stretch and the smaller, more sheltered cove of Chaweng Noi to the south. Love it or hate it, it's the island's centre of gravity, and much easier to enjoy early in the morning.

TipWater sports operators work along the beach. Swim between the flags where lifeguards are posted, and stay out of the water when red flags fly, which is common in the windier months.

Between Chaweng and Lamai, the coast road passes a small cove of pale sand framed by smooth granite boulders. Silver Beach, also called Crystal Bay, is one of the prettiest swimming spots on the island, with clear water and decent snorkelling around the rocks at either end. It has a couple of beach restaurants and gets busy in the middle of the day, but early or late it feels like a secret.

Samui's second resort beach is a broad crescent of golden sand, a little rougher in character and generally cheaper than Chaweng, with a mix of guesthouses, mid-range resorts and Muay Thai gyms. The sea can be choppy in the windier months, but the long stretch of sand rarely feels crowded, and the village behind it has a cluster of bars, restaurants and a regular evening market.

At the southern end of Lamai, a pair of weathered granite rock formations by the shore have become one of Samui's most visited sights, largely because of their unmistakably anatomical shapes, which have earned them the names Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. Local legend tells of an elderly couple lost at sea on the way to arrange their son's marriage, whose bodies turned to stone. Beyond the rocks, the boulder-strewn shore makes a pleasant scramble, and the lane leading down is lined with stalls selling coconut sweets.

Inland on the ring road south of Lamai, this temple holds one of Samui's most unusual sights: the body of Luang Pho Daeng, a respected monk who died while meditating in the 1970s. His naturally mummified remains sit upright in a glass case, still in the meditation posture, now wearing sunglasses that were added to hide the eye sockets. It's a place of genuine reverence for local people, and a thought-provoking stop for visitors.

TipDress modestly and keep voices low. A small donation is welcome but not required.

Samui's best-known waterfalls are in the hills of the south-centre. Na Muang 1 is a short walk from the road, a cascade over purple-tinged rock into a pool where people swim. Na Muang 2, a little further up, is higher and more impressive, reached by a steeper walk through the forest; there is a car park closer to the top for those who prefer not to hike. Both are at their best during and after the rains, and can dwindle to a trickle in a dry spell.

TipWear shoes with grip. The rocks are slippery, and people have been badly hurt climbing the falls; stay on marked paths and away from the top edges.

Also known as the Magic Garden, this hillside garden high in the centre of the island was created from the late 1970s by a local durian farmer, Nim Thongsuk, who filled a jungle valley with stone and concrete statues of deities, animals, musicians and figures from Thai legend, set among streams and boulders. It feels wonderfully hidden, often a few degrees cooler than the coast, and the drive up gives some of the best views across Samui.

TipThe road up is steep, narrow and partly unpaved; it's best tackled in a four-wheel-drive vehicle or on a jungle tour rather than on a rented scooter. A modest entrance fee is charged.

Around 30 kilometres west of Samui, Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park protects an archipelago of more than forty limestone islands with cliffs, caves, mangroves and white-sand coves. It was declared a national park in 1980. Day trips from Samui typically stop at Koh Wua Ta Lap, the park headquarters, where a steep, rocky trail climbs to a viewpoint over the whole archipelago, and at Koh Mae Ko, where a short climb leads to Thale Nai, an emerald saltwater lake enclosed by cliffs. Most tours include kayaking and snorkelling, though the water clarity is usually better on Koh Tao.

TipNational park fees are charged on top of the tour price; at last check, foreign adults paid 300 baht. The park usually closes from early November to mid-December during the monsoon, and boats can be cancelled in rough weather at any time, so check before booking.

Samui's northern neighbour, about half an hour away by fast boat, is best known for the Full Moon Party, an all-night beach rave held on Haad Rin Nok, or Sunrise Beach, around each full moon, drawing thousands of revellers to its sound systems and fire shows. There's much more to Phangan than that: a forested, less developed interior, waterfalls, yoga and wellness retreats, a lively night market in the port town of Thong Sala, and many beaches that feel worlds away from Haad Rin.

TipIf you go to the party, keep valuables at your hotel, stick with friends, avoid the cheap spirit "buckets" and anything offered by strangers, and stay out of the sea after drinking. Drug laws are strict and police checks are common. An entry fee is collected on party nights.

Haad Khuat, or Bottle Beach, on Phangan's north coast, is the opposite of Haad Rin: a deep, sheltered bay of soft sand backed by jungle-covered hills, with a handful of low-key bungalow resorts and no through road. It's a place to swing in a hammock, swim and walk the coastal trail to neighbouring coves. Most people arrive by long-tail boat from Chaloklum, a fishing village to the west, though a steep road now reaches the bay.

Small, rocky and wooded, Koh Tao lies about two hours north of Samui by fast boat and has built its reputation on diving. Dozens of dive schools offer entry-level courses at some of the lowest prices in the world, and the surrounding reefs and pinnacles shelter turtles, rays, reef sharks and, in season, the occasional whale shark at sites such as Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock, the latter between Tao and Phangan. Sairee Beach on the west coast is the liveliest strip; the bays of the east coast are quieter and good for snorkelling.

TipChoose a dive school that is properly certified and safety-conscious rather than simply the cheapest, and check your travel insurance covers diving.

Just off Koh Tao's north-west coast, three tiny islands are joined by sandbars to form one of the most photographed views in Thailand. A steep path climbs to a lookout over the sweeping white sandbar and the turquoise water on either side. The islands are privately run, with a resort, and charge a landing fee. Visitors are asked not to bring single-use plastic bottles ashore, and the snorkelling around the sandbar is good.

TipGo early or late to avoid the midday tour boats; water taxis run across from Sairee and Mae Haad.