"From Europe to Latin America, from Australia to the USA, very many people now recognise the name of Koh Samui. And for good reason. This beautiful tropical island has been charming its visitors ever since the first tourists arrived in 1971. Those who experience Samui are rewarded with an idyllic tropical retreat with little traffic, white-sand beaches, a sapphire-blue sea, an abundance of tantalising Thai cuisine and an unusually warm and friendly people.

Koh Samui is just 21 kilometers at its widest point and 25 at its longest. Its hinterland consists of forests hills of limestone and granite, and the shoreline is made up of countless palm-fringed beaches and bays. The best (and most developed) beaches are at Chaweng and Lamai on the east coast, where you can now find a very wide range of accommodation, and both restaurants and nightspots to suit every taste. Bophut and Maenam, on the calmer north coast facing Koh Phangan, are also popular beaches offering a quieter, gentler holiday experience.

Samui's natural attractions include the coral beds at Laem Sed and Tong Takien, the Hin Lat and Na Muang waterfalls and the phallic rock formations at the southern end of Lamai bay - to identify just a handful. And beyond the main island are many others well worth exploring - Koh Phangan (world famous for its monthly Full Moon Parties), Koh Tao (one of the best diving locations in Thailand) and Ang Thong National Marine Park (a compact archipelago of small and virtually untouched islands which are best explored by sea kayak).

There is a huge range of places to see and things to do on Samui and its neighboring islands, and we hope that Samui Guide will give you plenty of ideas to make the most of your holiday. Inside, you will find guides to the island's best restaurants, spas, shopping facilities, natural and man-made attractions - if nothing else, we hope to get across the huge variety of experiences available here to people of all ages, tastes and budgets.

However you get here, it's likely that your first sight of Samui will be unforgettable - either traditional villages nestled in palm-fringed beaches or else Samui's beautiful and justly famous tropical airport. At any event, you can be sure that from the moment you land, the beauty and relaxed atmosphere of this island."

Maps of Thailand, Southern Thailand and Koh Samui

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	Thailand
	Southern  Thailand
	Koh Samui