Koh Samui – The perfect tropical escape
Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and fast becoming one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world. With outstanding natural beauty, a vibrant nightlife and a superior international restaurant scene, Koh Samui is an ideal location for a long and laid-back holiday in Koh Samui villas. The island is surrounded by travel-worthy locations that will make your trip to Koh Samui the best experience of your life.
Major attractions of Koh Samui
Koh Samui is part of the Angthong archipelago, which features the untouched Angthong National Marine Park. Trips are available to the park on a daily basis and one of the best tours available is with Blue Stars Kayaking. They allow you to get up close to nature by kayak. Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach are other popular areas of Koh Samui for their stunning sandy beach, boasting water sports and vibrant nightlife. Some other major attractions and activities to enjoy are the picturesque waterfalls, elephant trekking, 4WD mountain tours, grand temples and evening Walking Street markets.
Rent a luxurious holiday villa on Koh Samui
A villa holiday on Koh Samui affords all the luxuries of modern living alongside traditional culture and tropical island beauty. Explore the contrasting towns and beaches in our in-depth guide, and browse some of the stunning Koh Samui villas on offer. Some of the most popular luxury holiday villas are the beachfront or hillside sea view villas of which there are many to choose from. Koh Samui's international airport is continually hailed as one of the finest in the world, and is linked with direct flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
Laem Sor, Koh Samui
Laem Sor beach is off the beaten track, about 20 min from Lamai, and is famous on Koh Samui for its ancient pagoda. This beach-front chedi may be the most beautiful place on the island. The chedi is actually rather old, but restored just a few years ago with glazed tiles that have a mustard color often appearing to be gold. Next to the chedi is a small 'meditation forest' of trees with places to sit and even a few tables.
Few visitors, however, venture beyond the grounds of Wat Laem Sor, this ornately designed Chedi (Pagoda) sitting at the rocky water's edge. Covered in countless small yellow tiles, it appears golden when viewed from a short distance. It's at the far South of the island off the 4170 road between Ban Tale and Ban Pang Ka.
Surrounding the forest on two sides is a man-made lagoon with some mangrove trees planted along the ocean side. On Buddhist holy days, monks and lay people will come fill the forest and grounds in a festival atmosphere.
The rest of the time, it is a quiet and beautiful spot for a picnic. In front of the Pagoda the beach is quite rocky and wild, with great chunks of driftwood thrown about. To the east of the chedi, the beach is a bit sandier.
Laem Sor offers stunning views to the nearby islands of Koh Taen and Koh Matsum where their white sandy beaches can be seen from the pool's edge. The sight of the Samui fishermen boats gives a gentle touch of local integration and is the scene of numerous and famous picturesque scenes.
Laem Sor villas for rent
This stretch of beach has just a few private beach villas scattered about allowing it to retain its tropical serenity. Since these villas are few and far between, be sure to book well in advance if you have your heart set on a Laem Sor holiday this year.
