Bathers at Nam Tok Na Muang waterfall.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Na Muang Waterfall 1

Top choice in Ko Samui


Spilling down from the island's highest points, this is the first of two waterfalls – close to each other – that are lovely in full spate, pouring frigid water into rock pools as they crash downhill towards the blue sea. The larger of the two, at 18m in height, this is the most famous waterfall on Samui. During the rainy season, the water cascades over ethereal purple rocks, to land in a superb, large pool for swimming at the base.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ko Samui attractions

1. Na Muang Waterfall 2

0.61 MILES

The smaller of the two Na Muang waterfalls is a challenge to access for the young and elderly, but those that make it are rewarded with stunning views and…

2. Wat Khunaram

1.62 MILES

The mummified remains of the temple's former abbot who foresaw his own death in 1973, Luang Phaw Daeng, is the key reason worshippers visit this small…

3. Nam Tok Wang Saotong

1.63 MILES

This high-drop waterfall is just north of the ring road near Ban Hua Thanon and visitors love exploring the trail leading up to it. There are signs…

4. Nam Tok Wang Saotong

2.27 MILES

The high drop at Nam Tok Wang Saotong is in the hills above Ban Hua Thanon. There are signs warning visitors not to climb the falls as there have been…

5. Magic Alambic Rum Distillery

2.61 MILES

The only rum distillery in Thailand produces Caribbean agricole-style spirits (distilled from fresh, fermented sugarcane juice) in a variety of all…

6. Wat Samret

2.68 MILES

Wat Samret, west of Ban Hua Thanon has several standout features, a Mandalay sitting Buddha carved from solid marble, common across India and northern…

7. Guan Yu Temple

3.14 MILES

The shrine of the 3rd-century Chinese general, Guanyin (also called Yunchang), worshipped as a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, is dominated by a…

8. Ban Hua Thanon

3.16 MILES

This vibrant little village is home to Ko Samui's historic Muslim community, where the headscarf and pâh sîn (male sarong) count peaks. You get a genuine…