The mere mention of Koh Samui conjures images of white sandy beaches, crystal blue seas, with a naughty mix of party and alcohol. Most guide books rate Koh Samui as the second most popular Thai Island after Phuket.  We think that this rating only applies to non-monsoon seasons. (Heavy rains during May to December- but usually this is low season which still continues to attract a certain crowd).  Koh Samui has an international airport, and has plenty of ferry connections to it, making it one of the most accessible islands on the gulf of Thailand.  This large island is pretty hilly and in most areas do not have street lights. Riding or driving from one place to another can be very dangerous especially at night or drunk after a rave at the local full moon party.

There are plenty of beaches worth checking out around the island besides the famous Hat Chaweng, Hat Lamai and Hat Bhophut.  Most of these beaches offer a large variety of high end resorts to budget beds for the night.
The beaches are the best,during March-October, where the sea is calm.
Majority of Koh Samui's population is not thai but Chinese from Hainan. Koh Samui has a population of about 70,000 which most of them are fishermen and now mostly are involved in the booming tourism business. Coconuts is one of the main economies of Samui where vast plantations can be seen beside its many beaches. If your on an elevated location like atop Namuang Falls (Top Tier), you can see coconut trees carpet the land till the fringe of the beach. Samui still sees constant construction and plenty of new buildings coming up on the sides of its main roads. The islands attractions dots the land, and renting your own transportation is the best way to get around, although its quite long a ride from one place to another e.g Chaweng to Lamai - 20mins.

Packy Facts
How big is Koh Samui: it is 228 km2 --->3x Smaller than Singapore (707km2)--->Slightly smaller than Penang (293km2), 1657 x smaller than Japan (377835km2), 1068.5 x smaller than the United Kingdom (243610km2)
It may look small but riding from one destination to another especially when the scenery looks pretty much unchanging, makes it look like its a real journey!
Where is this island: Gulf of Thailand, 35km NorthEast ot Surat Thani
Seasons: Rainy May - Dec , Dry - Jan - Apr
Economy: Agricultural/Fishing
Chaweng Beach- Most popular Beach Clean but often over - populated beach
Decent Shopping and night life

Things you got to go do:

• Sea canoeing to explore the small little islands around Angthong National Park. Throw some bread in to the sea, stick your bare feet into the crystal water and be tickled by the many schools of tiger fish!
• Sweat it out and hike up Namuang waterfalls. The small pools of water are a cool savior especially during a hot day.
• Feed the elephants (there’s some near the car park of Namuang Falls) Their antics are pretty amusing.
• Chill / Sun bath on Chaweng Beach. Jet skiing in the white wash choppy waves of Chaweng was simply exhilarating.
• Stuff yourself with seafood at Lamai. There are cheaper seafood restuarants here compared to Chaweng.