- Choosing a beach on Koh Samui
- Divers note
- Boat trips
The second largest Thai island, Koh Samui is located in the southeast of the country, 40 km from the mainland. It is washed on all sides by the Gulf of Siam of the South China Sea, which belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin. Koh Samui is famous as a popular beach resort and pictures of its scenic landscapes are often featured in tourist guides to Thailand. The rainy seasons on the island occur twice a year and do not coincide with the weather on the mainland, but in any month the sea on Koh Samui is warm, and therefore the swimming season at its resorts never ends. Columns of thermometers in water rarely drop below + 26 ° С and usually stay at around +27 - 28 ° С.
Most rainfall falls on the island from November to January and from May to October, but lovers of rest on the Thai islands do not stop the rains. Precipitation usually falls in the form of heavy, but short showers, and guests of the resorts have more than enough time for sunbathing.
The most inexpensive way to get to Koh Samui from the mainland is by sea ferries and catamarans. In the first case, the journey takes about an hour and a half, in the second - about 40 minutes.
Choosing a beach on Koh Samui
The island is large enough and there are many beaches along the coastline of Koh Samui. Each of them has its own name:
- Chaweng Beach is the unofficial resort capital of the island. Dozens of entertainment venues, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs are concentrated on it. Chaweng patrons claim that it is here that the color of the sea is more beautiful than in any other place on Koh Samui, and the sand is the whitest.
- The second most popular beach, Lamai, is more suitable for experienced swimmers. The sea here quickly gains depth, waves and dangerous currents often occur.
- Families with children feel best on Ban Tai Beach. The sea in this part of Koh Samui remains shallow for a long time, the sand on the beach and in the water is shallow and clean, and there is a play town on the territory of the coastal hotel Mimosa.
- A children's restaurant on Bang Po Beach is a good reason why family tourists choose this resort. The sea on Bang Po is also shallow off the coast, and therefore little tourists can swim absolutely safely.
- In the north of the island, on Maenam Beach, there are several diving equipment rentals. From here, catamarans sail to national parks and smaller islands.
- Kitesurfers choose Nahai Beach with schools that teach this sport.
Some of the island's beaches can only be reached through the hotel grounds. If the hotel is classified as expensive, the staff carefully monitors that no strangers enter the hotel territory.
Divers note
The ideal time to dive in the sea in the Koh Samui area is during the summer months. In June-August, the coastal waters are the most calm and transparent, and marine life appears to underwater explorers in all their glory.
The best place for diving in the waters near Koh Samui, according to most divers, is located at Tao Island, where turtles are found. You can get there by boat, the journey takes about two hours.
The beautiful Sail Rock site in the Gulf of Thailand is famous for its sheer cliff, near which whale sharks are often seen.
The islands of Koh Yippon and Koh Wao in Ang Thong Marine Park offer both diving and snorkelling. Shallow caves and picturesque coral forests attract newcomers here, for whom a depth of 12-15 meters still seems very significant.
Diving schools on Koh Samui offer training of any level and by choosing the right center, you can master the basics of diving, improve your level and get a certificate that allows you to dive anywhere on the planet.
Boat trips
If you prefer to get to know the sea while staying on its surface, go on boat trips. Three dozen kilometers west of Koh Samui is the Mu-Ko-Ang Thong Marine Park, where nature is fantastically beautiful.
The national park includes more than 40 islands of various sizes with natural lagoons, tropical forests and bizarre rocks.
During a boat trip, you can sunbathe on secluded beaches, swim in the lagoons, go kayaking around the rocks and take many photos of the most beautiful sea in Samui.
