mostly along the coast to encircle the bulk of the island.
The old capital is Nathon, on the southwest coast of the island. It remains the major port for fishing and inter-island transportation. Nathon is the seat of the regional government, and the true commercial hub of the Samui locals. It has a charming pace, and is almost small enough to walk everywhere. The old Chinese shop houses along the middle street whisper of an exotic history.
Each of Samui's primary beaches is now also nominally considered as a small town, due to the number of hotels, restaurants and bars that have sprung up in recent years.

Transportation

Ko Samui Airport (USM) is a private airport originally built by Bangkok Airways, which is still the main operator and was for a long time the only airline with services to Ko Samui from mainland Thailand. The airport is additionally served by Thai Airways International. Several ferries connect the island with the mainland, including the car ferry from Don Sak to a pier in the west of the island, south of the main town Nathon.
Boat
Regular boats connect Ko Samui with Surat Thani and Ko Phang-ngan. There is also a daily boat to Ko Tao. Private speedboats are also hired for travel to and from Ko Samui.

Taxi
The Ko Samui Taxi Service is a public taxi service which operates around the island.

Songthaew
Pickup trucks and public passenger pick-up vehicles ("songthaews") are the most popular form of transport on Ko Samui

Motorbike
Motorbikes are out rented virtually everywhere on Ko Samui. Popular with the locals are motorbike-taxis.

Bicycles
Many foreign visitors prefer to use rented bicycles to get around.

Samui is mostly visited by holidaymakers wanting to get away from it all and its main appeal is its beach communities with white sands and clear, warm seas. However, Koh Samui has become more of a bustling international island resort in recent years. Choeng Mon beach Lamai beach High streetChaweng Beach covers a large portion of the island's northeast coast, and is easily the most crowded region on the island. The beach itself, while beautiful and clean, often suffers from seasonal overcrowding. Several hotels, ranging from budget resorts to luxury villas line the shore. Restaurants are set right along the beach and set back about 100 meters from the sand, the one-way beach road in Chaweng has developed into a bustling international area with many kinds of resort, restaurant, and bar.It gets very busy on the beach road at night as there is plenty of nightlife.
In the summer, the sea in Chaweng can occasionally have wind swell and surf, with strong rip tides or side shore currents. Also on the east coast is Lamai,just south of Chaweng. Lamai's beaches are clean and usually less crowded than Chaweng. Lamai was the original destination for travellers to Samui, but compared to Chaweng, the town is a bit more tawdry and low budget. Greater Lamai is actually a large and beautiful valley, and inland, the landscape is striking. Lamai has a lovely old Wat(temple).
In the center of the North coast, Maenam offers spectacular views of Ko Phangan to the North, and the Ang Thong National Marine Park to the East. The waters are calm and clean, being protected from north-easterly currents by Koh Phangan. Because the sans are golden rather than white Maenam is usually much less crowded than Lamai or Chaweng and Maenam's restaurants and bars still retain much of the local Thai flavor. Overall Maenam is quieter, more relaxed, with local Thai community still pretty much intact. Maenam is also home to the Santiburi Resort, still considered by many to be the premier hotel on the island. The major golf course on the island is also in Maenam.
Bophut is the beach/bay just to the east of Maenam. Its lifestyle is relaxed and more traditional than the larger communities, referring to itself as Fisherman's Village. Bophut has a laid-back vibe with several pricier but good French-owned cafes and restaurants.
Bang Rak, just two kilometers east of Bhophut, and part of Bophut 'province' is also known by the name Big Buddha Beach, after the 19-metre gold tinted statue of the ancient spiritual master which overlooks the entire bay (Big Buddha). Bang Rak is quite close to the airport, and is one of the calmest beaches, though the huge sweep of its jade colored waters are often a bit murky. Bang Rak is the jump-off point to sister island Koh Phanghan with a daily ferry.
Choeng Mon is one of the smallest of Samui's tourist beaches, but lies in a secluded bay on the northeastern tip of the island, making it perfect for those who want peace and quiet. It doesn't have much of a town but there are a few small restaurants and a couple of shops, in addition to some luxury hotels that surround the bay, which is only five minutes north from the bright lights of Chaweng.
Ao Tong Takian is a small cove north of Lamai beach. It's long been popular for its inviting white sand, and is also known as Silver Beach. This used to be a relatively unknown spot. There is great swimming here but there are sharp rocks and local fishing boats to beware.
Nathon on the Southwestern coast is the island's main port and the beaches here lack the beauty or deep water found on the east coast of the island. The city of Nathon offers great shopping with some of the best prices to be found anywhere on the island, as well as some excellent restaurants. The open-air food market is piled high with inexpensive and fresh local produce. Some of the shops in Nathon are really offbeat, selling umbrellas, computer parts, stationary, and cheese in a single shop. There are banks and travel agencies and the ferry to the mainland and elsewhere departs from this port.
Lipa Noi is really the only useful swimming beach on the west coast, and its wide sweep of sand is the last quiet place on the island. Lipa Noi faces due west and looks directly into the stunning Thai sunsets. It still has a peaceful, romantic feel, but there is not much to do.
Tong Krut on the South West corner of the island is another quiet area currently but is the site proposed for a major yacht harbor development.

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Tourist attractions

- Angthong National Marine Park Angthong National Marine Park, consisting of 42 islands featuring limestone massifs, tropical rainforests, secluded beaches and wildlife, was established as a national park in 1980. Also known as the Golden Basin, the park is renowned for activities like snorkeling, walking and swimming. Similar nearby islands are Ko Sam Sao, Ko Prayad, Ko Hin Dap and Ko Kha.

- Wat Khunaram Ko Samui This is the island’s most famous temple with a mummified monk on display. The mummy sits upright in a glass casket and devotees offer it flowers and incense. The mummy is in fact the body of a revered former abbot of the temple who was also a meditation master and was reputedly able to predict his own death.

- Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo Ko Samui The undersea world of the aquarium has an amazing collection of tropical fish and other vibrant aquatic animals such as turtles and colorful coral. The tiger zoo is home to Bengal tigers and leopards.

- Laem Sor Pagoda Ko Samui This chedi (pagoda) situated at Laem Sor temple is one of the most important shrines on Ko Samui. The impressive structure has yellow tiles which give off a golden aura.

- Big Buddhais a 12-metre-high statue of the Buddha, which lies at the top of ceremonial dragon-steps at the Wat Phra Yai. Samui also has a number of other impressive temples, including Wat Khunaram, where the mummified body of Loung Pordaeng, a monk who died in a meditating position, is on display.

- The Grandmother and Grandfatherocks on the south end of Lamai beach are an occasional source of amusement for tourists due to their striking similarity to sexual organs.

The - mountain jungle in the interior of the island is home to a number of impressive gardens built by legendary Samuia farmer Nim Thongsuk, the impressive waterfalls at Na Muang, real working rubber plantations and the most amazing views over the Ang Thong archipelago. The jungle roads are adventurous and tourists normally take a tour with an experienced local Samui driver/guide.

- Muay Thai boxing takes place regularly at the island's stadiums in Chaweng and Lamai.

- Numerous animal attractionsare dotted around the island, including a crocodile farm, monkey theatre, elephant trekking, a snake farm, an aquarium and a butterfly garden.

- Most visitors to the island take a day trip out to the beautiful Ang Thong National Marine Park at least once on their stay in Samui. Boats leave Na Thon several times a day.

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Activities

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling :
Ko Samui’s clear waters are not the best but snorkeling and diving are still popular at Angthong Marine National Park. The dive boats tend to leave from the pier at Bophut

Sea Kayaking :
With a coastline composed of mangroves, limestone, small coves, caves and islands, and an interior with rivers lined with cave systems, Ko Samui provides a popular environment for kayaking.

Bird Watching :
Samui’s pristine forests are decent for bird watching. The areas are a nesting ground for several rare species of birds.

Sailing Yachting & Cruising :
All types of boating have soared in popularity in Samui over the past decade. This is probably the result of the success of the Ko Samui Regatta and day cruises and sunset cruises aboard large catamaran Kia Ora. The only problem with sailing however, in Ko Samui, is that there isn’t much in the way of safe mooring, good support infrastructure and services.

Fishing :
Fishers catch the likes of marlin, sailfish barracuda and tuna. The majority of the fishing tours leave from the south-west corner of Ko Tong Krut.

Jungle Trekking :
Krabi’s forests with attractive flora and fauna are popular for trekking. The Khao Phanom Bencha National Park and the Khao Pra-Bang Khram are regarded as the two of the favorites among trekkers.

Bungy Jumping :
Bungy Jump situated on the Reggae Street side of Chaweng lake.

Thai Boxing
Thai Boxing or Muay Thai has risen in popularity in Ko Samui and there are a number of gyms such as Lamai, WMC and Pinyo.

Golf :
There is one 18-hole golf courses available on Samui called the Santiburi Samui Country Club. It is popular for its scenic natural surroundings and high valley fairways. The island is also the location of a few golf shops, especially on Chaweng Beach.

Trekking & Elephant Trekking :
Due to diversity of the landscape and tropically lush forests, Samui is a great place for trekking, either on foot or by elephant

Snooker & Pool :
There are snooker clubs at the main beaches in Thailand and they are popular with the local Thais. More popular with the western tourists is pool which can easily be found at the island’s bars. At most bars, pool can be played for free.

Spa :
For those who love to ‘spa’, Thailand is the perfect destination to indulge in this pastime therapy. The country prides itself in countless spas offering the highest world class services at extremely reasonable rates. Much of the recent success of this therapy is due to the tremendous support given by the Thai Spa Operators Association. Not only have they assisted in the training of therapists to international standards but also trained them in keeping methods traditionally and distinctively ‘Thai-style’. Spas can be found at major hotels and resorts on Ko Samui.

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Shopping
Shopping in Ko Samui is by far most intense in areas such as Nathon, Chaweng and Lamai. You will find all kind of shops and boutiques here. There are a number of skilled tailors and dressmakers, who can sew a perfect fitting suit or dress of your choice. You will also find several sport shops, beauty shops, clothing and fashion boutiques (brand names in the shops and the copies outside) a few DVD and CD shops, photo shops and opticians etc. Thai traditional handicrafts and souvenirs like Thai silk, souvenir, antique, lacquer ware, paintings and more can be found along with other jewelery, gold, silver shops, Buddha idols, antiques and souvenirs. Several 7-Eleven and Family Mart (Japanese chain) and local owned convenience stores are found all over Chaweng too. Big department stores such Makro, Tesco Lotus, Big C offer a big range of products for all your needs at reasonable prices

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Local Products
Besides coconuts, Samui is also famed for its silk, handicrafts and precious gems and these can easily be bought at great prices from reputable shops and companies. There is also lacquer ware, silverware, nilon-ware, pewter-ware, wood-carvings, brass-ware, gold and tailor-made suits.

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Nightlife
Beer bars
Chaweng Beach is especially famous for its beer bars (also called bar-beers), staffed by pretty hostesses, usually from the north-east of Thailand, most of which are lady boys. Beer bars can be found all over Chaweng. Besides having just girls for hire, the bars offer pool, Connect4 and other popular bar games. Since the nightlife on Chaweng can see serious debauchery at times, the local law enforcers are strict in concern to enforcing closing times.

Nightclubs
Chaweng Beach is packed out with nightclubs playing the latest rave sounds and serving exotic cocktails.

Karaoke
There are various Karaoke shops for people who can either choose a private room or sing in the main lounge for everyone to hear. There are Thai songs and international songs.