Places
Islands & day trips
⛵Ang Thong Marine Park
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.
Good to know · Boats run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The sea is calmest before 11 a.m.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 40 km
⛵Koh Tao
Two hours north by catamaran, and the best snorkelling and diving water in the Gulf. Shark Bay, Mango Bay and a village that lives entirely off diving.
Two hours north of Samui by catamaran, Koh Tao has the clearest water and the healthiest coral within reach of the island — and it certifies more divers a year than almost anywhere on earth. As a day trip it is long, and it is worth it.
Good to know · Boats run Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. It is a long day — worth it.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 68 km
⛵Koh Nang Yuan
Three islets joined by a sandbar off Koh Tao, with a short climb to the viewpoint that everyone has seen a photograph of.
Three islets joined by a sandbar off the north-west corner of Koh Tao, and the viewpoint above them is the photograph everyone has seen of the Gulf. Most Koh Tao day trips stop here, and it is the reason many people book them.
Good to know · Single-use plastic is banned on the island; bring a refillable bottle.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 71 km
⛵Koh Phangan
Thirty minutes north by boat: Haad Rin and the Full Moon Party at one end, and a wild, near-empty east coast at the other.
Thirty minutes north of Samui by boat, Koh Phangan is two islands in one: Haad Rin and the Full Moon Party at the southern tip, and a wild, barely built east coast reachable only by boat or a very rough track.
Good to know · Full Moon nights fill every boat — book the return in advance.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 24 km
⛵Koh Madsum (Pig Island)
Twenty minutes off the south coast: a white sandbar, clear shallow water and a small herd of pigs that come down to the beach.
Twenty minutes off the south coast: a white sandbar, clear shallow water, and a small herd of pigs that comes down to the beach. It is the easiest island day from Samui and the one that works best with children.
Good to know · Do not feed them from your hand — the guides carry what they are allowed to eat.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 19 km
⛵Koh Tan
Koh Madsum's larger neighbour, ringed by the healthiest reef within reach of Samui and home to a handful of families.
Koh Madsum's larger neighbour, ringed by the healthiest reef within reach of Samui and home to a handful of families. If you want coral without the five-hour round trip to Koh Tao, this is the answer.
Good to know · Snorkelling is best on the north side, in the morning.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 21 km
⛵Khanom (pink dolphins)
On the mainland coast opposite Samui, where a small resident population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins — pink with age — feeds close to shore.
On the mainland coast opposite Samui, a small resident population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins feeds close to shore. They turn pink with age — the pigment fades and the blood shows through — and Khanom is one of the few places they can be seen from a small boat.
Good to know · Early morning, calm sea, and no guarantee: they are wild animals.
Open →From Chaweng ≈ 41 km