Central Festival

Ko Samui


This bright, shiny mall is full of international brand shops, cafes and restaurants. There's a really good dining area that offers street-food-style dishes in an air-conditioned setting, as well as some great facilities to keep children busy including a playground and Thomas the Tank engine train. Its a good place to escape the heat during the day.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ko Samui attractions

1. Hat Chaweng

0.17 MILES

Lovely for sunrise, by evening this is the busiest and loudest beach on Ko Samui, and during the day it's often hopping too, thanks to the sheer number of…

2. Wat Khao Hua Jook

0.5 MILES

This golden pagoda – gloriously illuminated at night – sits on top of the hill north of Chaweng Lake, offering spectacular panoramic views over the island…

3. Samui Elephant Sanctuary

2.01 MILES

The (high) entrance fee here reflects visitors desire to support a project genuinely caring for rescued elephants, and the half-day experience is more an…

4. Lad Koh Viewpoint

2.15 MILES

This great viewpoint, a short distance south from Dr Frogs at the top of the hill on the way to Lamai, looks out onto supreme views of the Gulf of…

5. Hat Bo Phut

2.77 MILES

Rather coarse and shelly, Bo Phut’s beach inclines quite steeply into cloudy water, but the views are scenic to Ko Pha-Ngan, an island that acts as a…

6. Wat Phra Yai

2.79 MILES

At Samui’s northern end is Wat Phra Yai. Erected in 1972, the modern golden Buddha (sitting in the Mara posture) stands 15m high surveying an area…

7. Fisherman's Village

2.84 MILES

This concentration of narrow Chinese shophouses in Bo Phut has been transformed into cool boutique hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars. The accompanying…

8. Wat Plai Laem

2.86 MILES

The most arresting statue on the island is the thousand-arm Guanyin (Kwan Im), the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, displayed with 18 arms in a fan…