Best
Beach Holidays Koh Samui
Holiday Hotel Accommodation near Best Koh Samui Beach
Accommodation Thailand
Ko Samui
Koh Samui is south east Asia's new developing hot spot, a lush tropical island half way between Singapore and Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand. This beautiful island is only an hour's flight from both Singapore and Bangkok, so it's easier to reach than most people think.
Koh Samui beaches are among the whitest in Asia, and live up to that dream of a tropical island with white sand, blue water and swaying palm trees many of us dream of escaping to. Get here while you can before it becomes too popular, because Koh Samui is still quaint with an innocence like Bali had 20 years ago.This is Thailand's great new alternative to Bali, with plenty of quality beachfront restaurants serving a variety of Thai and western food.
Photo of Koh Samui 's Chaweng BeachWhen you consider Bali was consistently voted the world's favourite island until its recent terrorism, you can understand why Koh Samui is the must-see best beach holiday of the 21st century. Behind the resorts are streets full of delightful shops and markets, where western currency is still king despite the global economic downturn.
Inland, Koh Samui features jungles where you can get lost in nature. There are even rides on well-treated elephants that many a wide-eyed child will remember for many years.
And there is a magical place on Koh Samui that fulfils any traveller's dream of a perfect holiday. It's a story of love between a local Thai woman and a European man, where east meets west, where the best of both worlds meet. You can have a good time on Koh Samui, but you'll have a great time if you stay at the resort named Zazen, which gets our vote as the world's best beach holiday.
Zazen is on Bophut beach, just around the corner from Koh Samui's busy Chaweng Beach. Thailand is a Buddhist country, and Zazen means "seated meditation". You'll emerge from a holiday at this resort feeling enlightened and uplifted. The gentle Buddhist elements of happiness combine here with the western elements of hospitality, thanks to Thai girl Ti who fell in love with Belgian boy Alex. Their love has transformed this resort into the perfect place, where lush tropical foliage leads to the beautiful, romantic bar and restaurant overlooking the seductive curve of Bophut beach.
When you arrive at Zazen by one of the many cheap taxis, you'll enter a tropical paradise with the soothing sound of running water and a gently curving path that leads to the pretty pool and bar overlooking the sandy beach. The burgundy-coloured lounges to languish on are matched by the wine coloured pool table in the Casbah-inspired bar overlooking Bophut beach.
Bophut has a fisherman's village which is the local version of New York's Greenwich village of years gone by. It's full of attractive boutique shops and delightful little restaurants with freshly-caught seafood.
And the best restaurant on Koh Samui is right there at Zazen Resort, where another perfectionist recruited from Belgium named Wally produces mouthwatering meals overlooking one of the world's best beach views.
Koh Samui has a number of boutique resorts and European restaurants clustered mainly around the beaches of Chaweng and Bophut, and Zazen truly is the best of the best. Best Beach Holidays has travelled to many of the world's best destinations, and we firmly believe Zazen is the ultimate in wonderful holidays at a reasonable price.
Accommodation at Zazen is in 26 attractive rooms with eclectic art and al fresco ensuites. Your comfortable bed is on the floor in keeping with Thai tradition, stepping down to a lounge with an L-shape sofa to watch the latest in flat-screen TVs if you must. Outside under cover are two more lounges facing each other that allow you to be a part of nature and take in the peaceful feeling created by this resort.
Just down from your room is the new Zen day spa where the gentle Thai staff will fulfil your dream of perfect relaxation.
And the Zazen beach rooms are fantastic, with panoramic views and only a few sandy steps to the gentle ocean. This fulfils the ultimate beach holiday dream of staying at a beautiful resort and stepping out of your very cute beach bungalow onto a white sandy beach fringed with palms.
Breakfast at Zazen is the best we've seen anywhere in the world, a true feast for the senses. Imagine every brightly coloured fresh juice from mango to carrot to tangerine in attractive long bottles. Past them, every brightly-coloured fresh fruit from banana to pineapple to mango and even exotic fruits including mangosteen and delicious dragon fruit.
If you want a western breakfast, there's gourmet bacon and eggs, delicate omelettes, organic toast and wholemeal or local farmers' bread. There's even sparkling wine to satisfy the Europeans and start their day with a smile. The smell of the salt air and the delicious produce make this a soul-satisfying start to your daily adventure.
Lunch by the pool is vastly superior to anything we've seen in top locations including Hawaii, Tahiti and even the Maldives. If you want a club sandwich, it's exotic. If you order fish, for US $15 you get delicious crispy skin white snapper with sweet Hoisin "glacage", white wine sauce, extra virgin olive oil mash, three colours of mild chili and an arty squiggle of balsamic that looks like chocolate, all served on a fine china plate.
And dinner under the stars at Zazen with fresh produce and a gentle warm breeze blowing down the beach will show you why this is one of the world's top resorts for luxury and value. On some nights you'll be treated to a traditional Thai show with beautiful young Thai women and their handsome male partners.
The 15 minute taxi ride to Koh Samui's Chaweng beach is less than $10. On the fine white sand of Chaweng you'll find beach vendors who are much less intrusive than in Bali and a multitude of watersports including ballooning.
The best beachfront restaurant at Chaweng is Eat Sense, closely followed by Italian restaurant Prego. If you want a cheap delicious local meal, go down the lane opposite Centara Resort to The Terrace restaurant, and the best beach massage in Koh Samui is to the right of Centara on Chaweng beach - look for the blue "Beautiful Massage" sign.
See the girls including Moon for a vigorous Thai massage for the princely sum of US $8 an hour.
Koh Samui has it all and is certainly one of the world's best beach holidays for luxury and value.It's worth taking a taxi or hiring a car or motorbike to get around Koh Samui to see everything from stunning coastal views to elephants trekking through the rainforest.
Thai Airways has started flying into Koh Samui to join Bangkok Airways, which owns the beautiful little airport and has previously resisted efforts by other international airlines to fly in to Koh Samui. This is what has helped preserve Koh Samui's innocence, and unlike other destinations these days, there's still this wonderful feeling of safety at all times.
Other Accommodation near Koh Samui Beaches
Chaweng beach can get rather busy, so the perfect place to stay is at the northern end of the beach with a great view back around the white sandy crescent - close enough to walk to Chaweng, but far enough away to escape any noise at night.
Photo of Chaba Cabana Beach ResortTry the Chaba Cabana Beach Resort and Spa (above), which is very reasonable in price and has Koh Samui 's best beachfront pool, where you can sip a pina colada while looking right back down Chaweng beach. Splash out and stay in the beachfront Banana suite or Papaya suite with their gorgeous Thai timber interiors and views over the pool and beach that are just Thai-rrific. There's a timber beach bar here that every beachcomber dreams about - elevated views down the beach, palm trees swaying just outside and a casual guitarist and singer playing classic requests at night such as Hotel California and Wish You Were Here. This Tim Buk Tuu beach bar even has a book exchange and the atmosphere is distinctly reminiscent of colonial days gone by.
The Chaba Cabana also has the delightful Heavena Spa where you just HAVE to try the traditional Thai massage with soothing oils. You'll know you're alive when the skilful ladies walk on your back and bend you to your limits, but afterwards you'll feel brand new and ready for action.
As you can see from the pictures, the Chaba Cabana Beach Resort also has an elevated breakfast area with beautiful views down along Chaweng beach.
As you eat your breakfast on Chaweng Beach, you'll notice the tide is mostly out in the mornings, allowing a walk out along a sandbar in front of you into beautiful blue green water that's great for snorkelling or just immersing yourself as you delight in the Koh Samui lifestyle. And at night, the C Front restaurant allows views of a different beach atmosphere - higher tide, moon in the sky and a gentle warm zephyr of a breeze in the air.
Thai people here must be among the friendliest in the world and are very keen to make sure you're happy. Nothing is too much trouble and we were asked several times by different staff if there was anything they could do for us. When you return to your busy western lifestyle you realise how wonderful this is.
Photo of Koh Samui shopping areaYou'll find everything on the street from designer jeans for $20 (still can't figure if they're real or imitation), CDs and DVDs for $3 and hidden from sight, what they amusingly describe as "genuine imitation" designer handbags. The great fun in these shops is to good-humouredly barter, much as they do in Bali, with light-hearted expressions of surprise on both sides. Start at about half their suggested price and settle just above - it's very cheap compared with back home, so don't be afraid to give in a little.
And if you want a taxi, the going rate is around 150 Baht (only $5) during the day and 200 Baht at night. To and from the airport in a taxi is around 500 Baht.
Photo of Koh Samui elephant tourThe most popular beaches near Koh Samui are at Koh Phangan where the world famous "Full Moon Pary" attracts tens of thousands of party people every month. Ko Phangan "Full Moon Party" packages including boat and accommodation can be bought at Ko Samui. If you're into COMPLETE freedom and dance music, the Full Moon Party via Ko Samui is a must for young travellers.
Eating Out in Koh Samui
Koh Samui 's food is very good by Asian standards and in the bigger resorts you can happily drink their filtered table water. A frequent Australian visitor to Koh Samui suggested wiping cutlery in smaller cafes before dining, but we didn't encounter anyone with the equivalent of "Bali belly."
The proliferation of Italian and French chefs attracted by the romance of Koh Samui has made some of the beachfront restaurants here a gastronomic experience indeed. Try Olivio at the northern end of Chaweng beach right next to Chaba Cabana Beach Resort for possibly the best Italian you've ever experienced. The veal with mushrooms here melts in your mouth while the angel hair pasta with fresh lobster is outstanding in taste and presentation. All this among tropical palms and candlelight overlooking the beach.
Just across the road and a little towards the main part of Chaweng Beach is Prego, a stylish and relaxed place to enjoy "delicious Italian cuisine." The pizzas here are as good as what you'll find in Italy and the pasta is home made.
On Chaweng beach itself, if you like beautiful food, beautiful island ambience and beautiful beach, go straight to Eat Sense restaurant. The Thai food here is superb, with the traditional dishes of Padh Thai noodles and chicken and cashews just wonderful, among many other choices.
For more memorable dining try Zazen, 10 minutes north of Chaweng at picturesque Bo Phut beach. The Thai food here is also just wonderful and the restaurant is set overlooking another wonderful stretch of white sand and azure water.
Photo of Bo Phut BeachMap of Ko Samui Island
Koh Samui Summary
Koh Samui is a wonderful Best Beach Holidays destination with white beaches, dazzling water and lots of laidback beachfront bars to take it all in. You can have the best of both worlds here - play Robinson Crusoe on deserted beaches, and also fulfil your urge for something more on the beach by indulging in the variety of Chaweng Beach.
YouTube Koh Samui beach holiday accommodationAnd the genuine Thai massages from the happy local women here top it all off; a memorable Best Beach Holiday that's adorable and affordable.
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Best Koh Samui beach holiday travel destinations are written by dedicated photo journalists, published and edited by the Best Beach Holidays Travel writer. Contact Best Beach Holidays to submit your beach holiday articles