Must-see attractions in Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf

  • Bathers at Nam Tok Na Muang waterfall.

    Na Muang Waterfall 1

    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…

  • Hat Yai Municipal Park

    Hat Yai

    Located 7km northeast of Hat Yai, this huge, green oasis of hilly, landscaped gardens is home to several stunning temples, an observatory, southern…

  • Pra Cha Rat Floating Market

    Surat Thani

    Park up in impressive Wat Bang Mai Bai, and cross the river along the tiny bridge with an ornate green and gold archway to enter a network of pathways…

  • Hat Than Sadet

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    This lovely beach of leaning coconut trees has the royal seal of approval, literally. Behind the collection of shacks that line the sands and azure waters…

  • Khlong Hae Floating Market

    Hat Yai

    Túk-túk drivers and tour operators all over Hat Yai will offer tours to this vibrant and colourful weekend floating market that straddles the river Mae…

  • Ao Tanot

    Ko Tao

    With crystal-clear waters and superb snorkelling, pretty Ao Tanot on the east coast also affords excellent rock-jumping opportunities from the huge…

  • Fisherman's Village

    Ko Samui

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

  • Ko Nang Yuan

    Ko Tao

    These three lovely islands off the northwest coast of Ko Tao are linked together by a sandbar, with superb views from the island's highest points. Boats…

  • Bottle beach on Koh Phangan

    Hat Khuat

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    This lovely, secluded cove has a stretch of soft sand overlooked by green hills and is a superb choice for a relaxing day of swimming and snorkelling…

  • Podium viewpoint on Ko Wua Ta Lap island looking out over Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, Surat Thani, Thailand.

    Viewpoint

    Ang Thong Marine National Park

    This viewpoint might just be the most stunning vista in all of Thailand. From the top, visitors will have sweeping views of the jagged islands nearby as…

  • Wat Khao Kong

    Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf

    The tallest seated-Buddha image in southern Thailand is at Wat Khao Kong, 8km southwest of town on the way to the train station in Tanyongmat. Located in…

  • Phaeng Noi waterfall

    Nam Tok Phaeng

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    Nam Tok Phaeng is protected by a national park and is a pleasant reward after a short but rough hike. After the waterfall (dry out of season), it's a…

  • Kuan yin, chinese temple overlooking Chaloklum Bay at Koh Phangan, Thailand; Shutterstock ID 197205806; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Shrine of Our Lady Guanyin Phangan

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    This colourful Chinese temple cascades down a serene jungle-covered mountainside overlooking the Island's green canopy. Dedicated to Guanyin, the Buddhist…

  • Biggest Yang Na Tree

    Yang Na Yai Tree

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    Thrusting 54m into the heavens near Wat Pho, Ko Pha-Ngan's tallest Yang Na Yai (dipterocarpus alatus; ยางนา), said to be over 400 years old, is an…

  • The Big Buddha at Wat Phra Yai temple

    Wat Phra Yai

    Ko Samui

    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…

  • Temple in Koh Phangan

    Wat Phu Khao Noi

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    The oldest temple on the island, Wat Phu Khao Noi or 'temple of small mountain', near the hospital in Thong Sala, is believed to have been founded by…

  • Temple in Koh Phangan

    Wat Khao Tham

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    With resident female monks, Wat Khao Tham, near Ban Tai, sits in shade among the trees high up on a hill. A bulletin board details meditation retreats at…

  • 'Grandfather' rock

    Hin-Ta & Hin-Yai

    Ko Samui

    At the south end of Hat Lamai, you’ll find these infamous genitalia-shaped stone formations (also known as Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks) providing…

  • Chedi Laem Saw.

    Laem Sor Pagoda

    Ko Samui

    Framed against the sea, Laem Sor Pagoda, at the southern end of Samui, is home to an intriguing, highly venerated old Srivijaya-style stupa with scenic…

  • Samui Elephant Sanctuary

    Ko Samui

    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…

  • Ko Samui Central Mosque

    Ko Samui

    This photogenic green and gold, domed mosque, built in the Mughal style, sits in the heart of Ko Samui's historic Muslim village. Arrive outside of prayer…

  • Orthodox Church of the Ascension

    Ko Samui

    Ridiculously photogenic, this beautiful, baby blue, Russian orthodox church with gold onion domes (similar to the nearby mosque) sits halfway up a…

  • Masjid Nurul Salsabeel

    Ko Samui

    The lush jungle-covered hills surrounding the bright yellow onion domes of this tiny mosque is an idyllic picture. Built in 2013 by Imam Adam, for the…

  • Ban Hua Thanon

    Ko Samui

    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…

  • Gallery

    Ko Tao

    The only gallery on Ko Tao displays the photography of long term resident Chris Clarke who specialises in capturing the island's stunning night sky,…

  • Hat Laem Thian

    Ko Tao

    In the lee of the headland, this secluded and sheltered little white-sand beach in the middle of the east coast, north of Ao Tanot, is a delightful place…

  • Hat Yai Cable Car

    Hat Yai

    High up on the hills overlooking Hat Yai in the municipal park this cable car offers stunning panoramic views over Songkhla Province as it climbs from the…

  • Chedi Wat Nai

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    This beautiful stone pagoda from the 19th century has carvings of monks, Garudas, demons, elephants, nagas and an intriguing man in a Chinese suit, as…

  • Na Muang Waterfall 2

    Ko Samui

    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…

  • Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj

    Hat Yai

    At a height of 25m, southern Thailand's tallest Buddha is truly a sight to behold. The immense golden statue, weighing 200 tonnes, casts its serene eyes…

  • Bulao Malayu Mosque

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    This quaint, dark, wooden mosque on stilts, resembling a Chinese house, is reportedly over 100 years old and was originally built using the waqf (trust…

  • Hat Wai Nam

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    A small white-sand beach slung out between Hat Thian and Hat Yao (East) on the more remote east coast. Tiny Hat Wai Nam can be reached on foot from Hat…

  • Central Mosque of Songkhla Province

    Hat Yai

    Rising up like an Indo-Asian mirage, the Central Mosque of Songkhla Province – dubbed Thailand's Taj Mahal – is a commanding nod to the region's historic…

  • Wat Samret

    Ko Samui

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

  • Guan Yu Temple

    Ko Samui

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

  • Hat Thian

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    Hat Thian is a pretty, relatively empty, back-to-nature beach in the southeast of the island, accessible either by boat or on foot trekking from Hat Rin…

  • Masjid Sahe Pakistan

    Hat Yai

    The most curious and beautiful of the mosques in Hat Yai, this green and purple monument echoes the Mughal-style of the Subcontinent with its onion domes…

  • Ko Tao Temple

    Ko Tao

    Next to Ko Tao school, this is the finest Buddhist temple on the island. It is a haven of peace and solitude and boasts a stunning white central building…

  • Wat Samai Kongka

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    A beautiful green, red and golden gate featuring a dharma wheel greets you at this temple famous for it's terrifying clay model scenes depicting the…

  • Hat Thong Reng

    Ko Pha-Ngan

    The smaller, very secluded sibling of Hat Than Sadet, is located by walking over a rickety wooden bridge and beneath the stilts of several shacks (not…