Samui or Phangan?
Samui has the flights, the resorts, the restaurants and the organised activities. Phangan is cheaper, wilder and more alternative, with better hiking and emptier beaches. They are so close that there is little reason not to see both.
Active days on land
Samui’s interior is reached on jungle “safari” tours by 4x4 or quad bike, visiting viewpoints, waterfalls and the hermit monk’s Secret Buddha Garden. On Phangan, trails climb to Khao Ra (627 m, about three to four hours return), cross to Bottle Beach and follow the Than Sadet river past royal inscriptions to the sea. Both islands have muay thai camps offering drop-in sessions; Phangan adds kiteboarding on its shallow west and south coasts in the windier months.
Diving and snorkelling
The reefs close to Samui are limited, so dive boats head for Sail Rock — a pinnacle with a vertical chimney and regular schools of barracuda and batfish, where whale sharks occasionally appear — and for Koh Tao. Snorkelling is best at Koh Tan, Koh Madsum and Phangan’s Koh Ma and Mae Haad.
Practicalities
- The Full Moon Party is a single night each month at Haad Rin. If you are not going, avoid ferries and Phangan’s south-east for two days either side.
- Dengue fever occurs on the islands; use repellent, especially at dusk.
- Samui has good private hospitals; Phangan’s facilities are more basic.
- November is the wettest month, with occasional flooding and cancelled boats.
- Marine-park etiquette is covered in our responsible travel guide.
Combine your trip
If Samui is your base, our Koh Samui travel guide goes deeper into the island itself: where to stay beach by beach, waterfalls and night markets, day trips to Ang Thong and getting around safely.
Sample plans
3 days: Samui highlights
Day 1: Big Buddha, Fisherman’s Village and a beach afternoon. Day 2: Ang Thong Marine Park by boat and kayak. Day 3: Na Muang waterfalls and the interior in the morning, Lamai in the afternoon, muay thai at night.
5 days: both islands
After three days on Samui, take the catamaran to Phangan. Day 4: hike or boat to Bottle Beach and swim at Thong Nai Pan. Day 5: Than Sadet waterfalls, sunset on the west coast.
8 days: the three-island route
Add three nights on Koh Tao for a try-dive or the first days of an Open Water course and a snorkelling trip around Koh Nang Yuan, then return to the mainland via Chumphon.
