Pulsating and cosmopolitan, exclusive and relaxed, or a secluded and romantic private beach with stunning sunset ocean views? With so many locations, cozy bays and stunning coves which offer all the above settings the most important question to answer is which will be the best beaches to stay in Koh Samui for me? Even before you start browsing through the images of hotels it will be wise to do a little research and once armed with useful information make an informed decision on where to base yourself.
The good news is that the island is not as enormous as Phuket and travel time between locations much less. It is therefore possible to stay outside the mainstream crowds, even in a quiet location and still be able to access entertainment venues or the rocking nightlife scene in places like Chaweng or Lamai within a few minutes. Below we share information about the primary tourist areas we trust will be useful in deciding which is the best area for you. Please also use our Koh Samui map as a source of reference.