Old lighthouse, Laem Yai
A disused light on the north-west tip, at the end of a rough jungle track. The reward is the sunset over the mainland with nothing built in between.
Open≈ 24 km
Forty-two uninhabited limestone islands an hour and a half west of Samui, with the emerald lake of Wua Talap, snorkelling and kayaking between the cliffs.
Forty-two uninhabited limestone islands an hour and a half west of Samui, protected as a national park since 1980. The emerald saltwater lake inside Wua Talap island, reached by a steep climb through the rock, is the single most photographed thing in the Gulf of Thailand.
A day here is a boat day: snorkelling over shallow coral, kayaking between the cliffs, a beach lunch on Wua Talap, and the climb to the viewpoint above the lake - three hundred steps and a rope in places, but the view over the whole archipelago is the payoff.
Boats run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The sea is calmest before 11 a.m.
A national park fee is collected on arrival, on top of the boat. The sea is calmest before eleven, and the park closes in bad weather, which is why departures are day-dependent.
On the map…
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The closest places on the map, straight-line distance.
A disused light on the north-west tip, at the end of a rough jungle track. The reward is the sunset over the mainland with nothing built in between.
Open≈ 24 km
The north-west headland, all rock and coconut. No swimming to speak of, this is a place you drive to for the last twenty minutes of daylight.
Open≈ 25 km
The main passenger and vehicle pier on the west coast, and the crossing to Surat Thani on the mainland.
Open≈ 26 km
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Read more · The best snorkeling around Koh Samui · Top 10 things to do on Koh Samui · Ang Thong Marine Park, the complete guide · Best time to visit Koh Samui · Which day trip is right for you? · Koh Samui itinerary, 5 perfect days · Samui, Phuket or Krabi? · Koh Samui in the rainy season
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Half of these places are easier with a driver who knows which hill road is paved. Tell us which ones you care about and we will build the day around them.