When I think about Koh Samui it conjures up palm-fringed beaches, 5-star resorts, lazy days relaxing on sun lounges dipping in and out of the ocean, cocktails in the afternoon at the Pool Bar and an invigorating Thai massage under a grass roofed open-sided hut on the beach!

Koh Samui Island

On my second visit to this resort island off the coast of Thailand, I could have easily grabbed my luggage off the ship and stopped here for a while. Koh Samui is one of my favourite places in South East Asia and re-visiting it for a day on our last port stop on our cruise was a treat.

Nathon Port

Our ship anchored outside the busy port at Nathon. We decided we would spend our day in the main town on the island, Chaweng Beach. With 6 kms of white sandy beach, resort hotels, a hopping nightlife, numerous restaurants and shopping opportunities this makes Chaweng the most popular place on the island’s east coast.

Chaweng Beach

However if you want to go exploring there are many more beaches to discover such as Lamai Beach, Bophut Beach, Maenam Beach and Big Buddha Beach.

Lamai Beach

There are many things to do on this island paradise, apart from just lounging around on one of the beautiful beaches. You can:

•  Hire a scooter and circumnavigate the island taking in many of the sights.
•  Visit Grandpa and Grandma Rocks which look, respectively, like  male and female genitalia at Lamai Beach.
•  See the Big Buddha temple and watch the majestic sunset from the viewing deck overlooking the sea.
•  Take a speed boat out to Ang Thong National Marine Park which is a pristine archipelago of 42 islands in the Gulf of Thailand with towering limestone mountains, thick jungle, white-sand beaches, fertile mangroves, waterfalls and hidden coves and lakes to explore.
•  Have a refreshing cocktail or local beer on a deck chair at one of the many beach bars adorned with fairy lights and paper lanterns along the beachfront and watch the sunset.

•  Drive out to the two Na Muang waterfalls which are probably the most picturesque. The name Na Muang refers to the massive purple rocks at the waterfalls.
•  Visit the Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show where there is a very good dolphin and bird show and you can even get your photo taken with a tiger cub.
• View the body of Samui’s most famous mummified monk, Luang Pordaeng is on display at Wat Khunaram.
•  The fishermans village at Bophut Beach near Chewang is worth a visit for its mixture of shops with several boutiques, selling high quality clothing and jewellery.

But at the end of the day it is all about the beach and you can even shop here or get a massage!

Chaweng Beach Shopping

I couldn’t think of a better way to end our cruise than in this tropical island paradise. Koh Samui is one place I could definitely return to again and again, just for the sheer relaxing vibe that it exudes.