Where to stay

Which part of Koh Samui suits you?

Samui is small, but every coast feels different. Here are all areas side by side: their character, the relative price level and what is close by. We don't sell hotels — this page is only meant to help you choose an area.

How to read this page

Price level is relative between the areas on Samui, not a hotel price. Inside each area you will find both cheap and expensive places.
"Nearby" counts only places we have checked and published in our guide, so it is a lower bound.
Distances on Samui are short: the ring road around the island is about 50 km. Choose the area by mood, not by sights.

North coast

Bang Rak
Low-key transit and temple area
The closest beach area to the airport, with piers for Koh Phangan boats, the Big Buddha temple and a sunset-facing seafood strip. Suits budget travellers and ferry connections.
Price level
Low to medium
Nearby
1 beach · 1 temple or landmark · 1 nature spot · 2 markets · 3 piers
More about Bang Rak Plan a route
Bophut (Fisherman's Village)
Boutique, charming and civilised; expat favourite
Heritage village of old wooden shophouses turned restaurants and boutiques, home to the island's flagship Friday walking street. Popular with couples, families, foodies and digital nomads.
Price level
Medium to high
Nearby
1 beach · 2 temples & landmarks · 5 markets
More about Bophut (Fisherman's Village)Plan a route
Mae Nam
Peaceful, authentic village
A long, very calm north-coast beach backed by a working village, popular with young families, budget travellers and long-stayers. Thursday walking street and the Lomprayah pier for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao boats.
Price level
Low to medium
Nearby
2 beaches · 3 temples & landmarks · 2 nature spots · 2 markets · 1 pier
More about Mae Nam Plan a route

Northeast coast

Choeng Mon
Secluded hideaway, exclusive
A sheltered bay of fine sand at the northeast tip, ten to fifteen minutes from the airport. Suits families and couples after quiet luxury.
Price level
High
Nearby
3 beaches · 1 nature spot
More about Choeng Mon Plan a route
Plai Laem
Quiet residential and villa hills
A low-key peninsula east of Bang Rak, home to Wat Plai Laem and east-facing villa hillsides that catch the sunrise. Suits villa stays and quiet mornings.
Price level
Medium to high
Nearby
3 beaches
More about Plai Laem Plan a route

East coast

Chaweng
Busiest resort area; nightlife, shopping and the full range of facilities
Samui's largest and most developed resort area, built around a long east-facing beach, Chaweng Lake and the island's main mall. Best suited to first-timers, groups and nightlife seekers.
Price level
High
Nearby
2 beaches · 3 temples & landmarks · 1 nature spot · 4 markets
More about Chaweng Plan a route
Chaweng Noi
Quiet, upscale 'grown-up' end of Chaweng
A small resort-lined cove just south of Chaweng proper, separated by a rocky headland. Suits honeymooners and families wanting calm water near the action.
Price level
Premium
Nearby
2 beaches · 2 nature spots
More about Chaweng Noi Plan a route

Southeast coast

Lamai
Laid-back but lively, with a genuine local food scene
Samui's second resort town: slightly cheaper and calmer than Chaweng, with the Hin Ta Hin Yai rocks, a Sunday walking street and the best base for the island's southern attractions.
Price level
Medium
Nearby
3 beaches · 3 temples & landmarks · 4 nature spots · 3 markets
More about Lamai Plan a route

South coast

Bang Kao
Undeveloped, empty, peaceful south coast
Bang Kao covers a stretch of the south coast, about 45-60 minutes from the airport, between Thong Krut and the island's southwestern corner. It is one of the least developed parts of Samui: long empty beaches backed by coconut palms, a few villa resorts hidden in the greenery, and very little else. The coastline here faces the mainland strait and is very shallow - at low tide the sea retreats far out, revealing wide sand flats. Swimming is limited; walking, shell-hunting and solitude are the attractions. Local landmarks include the golden Laem Sor pagoda at the water's edge and Wat Khao Chedi on the hill above, with panoramic views. Boat trips to Koh Taen and Koh Madsum (Pig Island) leave from nearby Thong Krut. Bang Kao suits quiet seekers, villa renters and anyone who wants the south coast's 'twenty years ago' feel - with a vehicle, because services are far apart.
Price level
Not rated
Nearby
3 beaches · 3 temples & landmarks
More about Bang Kao Plan a route
Hua Thanon
Traditional Muslim fishing village
One of Samui's oldest settlements: a working Muslim fishing village with a morning fish market, halal Thai-Muslim food and the Guan Yu shrine on the ring road. Gateway to the south beaches.
Price level
Low
Nearby
2 beaches · 6 temples & landmarks · 1 market
More about Hua Thanon Plan a route
Thong Krut
Authentic fishing village; seafood and island boat trips
Thong Krut is a small, authentic fishing village on the south coast, about 45-60 minutes from the airport and a short drive from Bang Kao and Taling Ngam. The village faces a shallow bay dotted with fishing boats, and its row of simple waterfront seafood restaurants is a favourite local lunch stop - fresh catch at prices well below the tourist beaches. This is also the main departure point for longtail boats to the small islands just offshore: Koh Taen, with its mangroves and quiet beaches, and Koh Madsum, famous for its beach-dwelling pigs, plus trips towards the Five Islands. The shoreline here is shallow and often murky - not a swimming beach. There is no nightlife and minimal tourist infrastructure. Visitors usually come for a few hours: a seafood lunch, a boat trip, and a look at everyday fishing-village life, often combined with the Laem Sor pagoda and Bang Kao beach on a south-coast loop.
Price level
Not rated
Nearby
2 beaches · 1 temple or landmark · 1 pier
More about Thong Krut Plan a route

Southwest coast

Taling Ngam
Remote and wild, with pockets of ultra-luxury
The island's most remote major coast, facing the Five Islands with the best sunsets on Samui. Home to the InterContinental and Conrad; pre-arrange return transport as taxis cannot be hailed here.
Price level
Medium to high
Nearby
2 beaches · 2 temples & landmarks · 1 nature spot
More about Taling Ngam Plan a route

West coast

Lipa Noi
Rural, coconut plantations
A quiet west-coast stretch backed by coconut plantations, with shallow child-friendly water, the Raja car-ferry pier and some of the island's most unobstructed sunsets.
Price level
Medium
Nearby
1 beach · 1 temple or landmark · 1 pier
More about Lipa Noi Plan a route
Nathon
Working port and administrative capital, authentic
Samui's ferry port and administrative town, with old-town shophouses, street art, a daily evening food market with the island's cheapest local food, and west-facing sunsets.
Price level
Low
Nearby
3 beaches · 4 temples & landmarks · 2 nature spots · 3 markets · 1 pier
More about Nathon Plan a route

Northwest coast

Bang Por
Sleepy, seafood shacks on the sand
A quiet northwest arc known for family-run beachfront seafood restaurants and wide tidal flats. Suits quiet seekers and repeat visitors.
Price level
Low to medium
Nearby
2 beaches · 2 nature spots
More about Bang Por Plan a route

Inland

Na Muang (interior)
Jungle interior
The island's green interior of coconut plantations and hills, home to the Na Muang waterfalls, the mummified monk temple and the Secret Buddha Garden. A nature day-trip zone rather than a place to stay.
Price level
Not rated
Nearby
3 temples & landmarks · 7 nature spots
More about Na Muang (interior)Plan a route

Still deciding?

Our guides go deeper into the areas, and the arrival guide shows which pier or airport is closest.

Where to Stay in Koh Samui: Area Chooser Expat Communities: Where Foreigners Live on Samui Chaweng and Lamai with Older Children and Teens Getting to Samui Weather by month Villas with local support

Area descriptions come from our own guide and are reviewed regularly. Prices and availability of accommodation change; always check with the property.