Entertainment on Koh Samui - where to go, what to do

On Koh Samui there is a huge amount of entertainment for people of all ages and interests. On all popular beaches there are many water activities such as jet skis, parachutes and more. Of course, there are diving schools. There is also a lot of entertainment outside the beaches in the areas, and the undisputed leader here is the area of Chaweng Beach, where we would advise you to stay if you are going not only to lie on the beach, but also to have fun. Here you can find Go-go bars, cabaret shows, the most modern cinemas. In some areas of the island there are golf courses, shooting ranges, cartodromes.

In addition, you can go to one of the natural parks, a butterfly garden, an aquarium, etc. Moreover, most of these places are available for visiting on your own, i.e. it is not necessary to buy an excursion to get there, but you can just get there by taxi or rented transport, and pay for admission.

You can find information about most of the entertainment places in Koh Samui without any problems in travel agencies on the spot or with the help of free maps and booklets. A lot of information on this subject is also presented in Russian (there are a lot of free Russian maps and booklets), and excursions to these places are often conducted in Russian. We will mention only the most popular of the entertainments that you may want to visit on your own without excursions.

Safari Park (Namuang Safari Park)

This place may be interesting for any tourist, but for those who really love nature and animals, this park will cause only negative emotions from the conditions in which animals are kept and exploited here. So if you are an animal lover, don't come here. If you don't have any prejudices about this, then you should definitely visit here, especially if you are with children.

In general, the park is a wonderful and fun place where you can see exotic animals and birds in a mini-zoo, watch a show of snakes, crocodiles, monkeys, birds and elephants. Of the active activities for adults, an elephant ride through the jungle, a jeep safari (moreover, safari is not limited only to the park territory), an extreme ATV tour, kayaking, a water slide, and a rope descent stretched over the jungle are offered. In addition, some tours to the park include cooking classes, visits to a coconut factory, a latex plantation and much more.

Learn more about Namuang Safari Park here...

💵Entrance fee / ticket price: there are many different programs in the park, ranging from a simple walk through the park with a visit to the zoo, and ending with complex tours for the whole day, from 700 baht.

🚶 How to get there: The safari park is located at the foot of the waterfall Na Mueang 1 (Na Mueang 2 on the map). You can visit it yourself by getting there by your own transport or taxi, but it is much easier to book a ready-made entertainment program (tour) on the safari park website or in agencies on the street / hotels.

Aquarium and Tiger Zoo

This is another entertainment for the whole family on the island. According to the owners, there is a rich collection of tropical fish and other marine animals living in the coastal waters of the island. But, unfortunately, aquariums are not big, and the collection, in our opinion, is not so big. Tigers and leopards are also kept in small cages rather than aviaries. If you have really looked at everything on the island and you want something else, then you can look here.

Waterfall Siva Tara and the stone of love (Valentine Stone)

Almost in the very center of Lamai Beach on Koh Samui there is a small park with Siva Tara waterfall, Valentine Stone, observation deck and bungee. the territory of the park is quite small, and the waterfall is not particularly impressive, and looks more like an artificial streamlet, so there is almost never anyone here. There is also a pleasant restaurant where everyone who buys entrance tickets is treated to a free cold drink or a bottle of water.

In addition to the stone, there is a swimming pool at the foot of the waterfall, where fish are found and you can get a fish massage (fish foot massage) for an additional fee. Of course, beautiful flowers and trees, benches, gazebos and other entourage are present here.

Learn more about the waterfall Siva Tara and the stone of love here...

Tao Island (Ko Tao)

Not far from Koh Samui is Tao Island, called turtle Island, which is very popular as a place for diving. In general, Tao Island is an independent island resort with its own beaches, districts and hotels, but excursions are organized from Koh Samui to it, and therefore here we mention it in the context of attractions near Koh Samui.

This is a great place to practice or learn diving, but this place is not for budget travelers. Prices here are quite high for both accommodation and meals. Therefore, if you are not a fan of diving or snorkeling, you should not go here.

Entrance fee / ticket price: A one-day diving tour to Tao Island from Koh Samui costs about 1700 Baht (the currency of Thailand).

Angthong National Marine Park

This park is one of the most interesting and most visited tourist attractions. The park consists of 42 uninhabited islands, on each of which you can find mountains and caves, tropical forests and wildlife, secluded shores and clean beaches. The name of the park translates as "Golden Bowl". The total area of the park is 250 square kilometers, of which the islands occupy 50 square kilometers.

The park is a great place for diving and snorkeling, exploring wildlife, exploring caves, walking through the jungle. In general, the place is definitely recommended to visit.

Paradise Park (Paradise Park Farm)

This is one of the newest entertainment complexes on Koh Samui, and perhaps the best. You can describe this place as a mini reserve. There are aviaries with birds and animals, a garden of exotic flowers and plants, an artificial waterfall, a very beautiful swimming pool overlooking the sea, restaurants and a pool bar.

This is a great place to go for a whole day with the whole family. In addition, it has a significant advantage over zoos: animals are kept here in almost natural conditions and take care of them around the clock.

It is recommended to visit this place for the whole day, or at least for half a day.

Butterfly Garden and Insect Museum

A tropical nature corner has been created in this garden, where you can see a collection of live butterflies. Among the representatives there are special large butterflies, the wingspan of which reaches almost 25 centimeters.

Objectively speaking, there are not so many butterflies here, but there are a lot of beautiful flowers and plants. There is also an insect museum in the garden, where you can look at all kinds of beetles, bees, grasshoppers, etc., but, unfortunately, not quite alive. Of course, there is a souvenir shop at the museum.

Butterfly Garden and Insect Kingdom (Samui Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom)

This is another butterfly garden on Koh Samui, and it also does not shine with a variety of butterflies. There are more flowers and plants than insects. Its only advantage over the other butterfly garden is its more convenient location: it is located in the southern part of the island right by the ring road, and you can visit it even without your own transport by getting here by Songteo minibus. We would not recommend purposefully going to this particular place.

Rocks Grandma and Grandpa (Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks or Hin-Ta and Hin-Yai)

Grandfather and Grandmother rocks (Hin Ta And Hin Yai) do not need a special introduction, as these stone formations are known all over the world even to those who have never been to Koh Samui and Thailand. If you really have never heard of these stones, we will tell you a little about them.

These stones are located at the southern tip of Lamai Beach. By some quirk of nature, two natural stone formations resembling male and female reproductive organs were formed next to each other, literally a few dozen meters from each other. True, sometimes skeptics say that Thais made them themselves to attract tourists, but it's up to you to believe it or not.

Learn more about the rocks of Grandma and Grandpa on Koh Samui and photos here...

Secret Buddha Garden

The Secret Garden of the Buddha on Koh Samui is also known as Magic Gardens and Tarnim Waterfall (Magic Garden and Tarnim Waterfall), as well as the Heavenly Garden (Heaven's Garden). This is not a garden in the sense that we are used to. This is a stone garden, and the exhibits in it are statues of Buddha, deities, animals and even a stone house. It was completely created by the hands of farmer Nim Thongsuk in 1976 on his own initiative in order to share this place of quiet solitude with others. The author believed that this place was a real paradise on earth, although he did not live to see the moment when guests of Koh Samui began to appear in the garden, especially from other countries.

The garden is located on a mountain, and on the way to it you can meet several more waterfalls and observation decks.

Learn more about the Secret Buddha Garden and photos here...

💵Entrance fee / ticket price: 80 baht.

🚶 How to get there: The garden is located on a mountain at one of the highest points of the island (Buddha's Garden on the map). You can get here by rented transport or with an excursion. The second is preferable, because it is not so easy to find a garden on your own. The turnoff from the ring road is right in front of the temple with the mummified monk Wat Khunaram, and there is an obvious signpost. Further along the road there will be several more signs, but you need to follow them very carefully, because they are inconspicuous. The road will lead directly to the very entrance to the garden, where it will be possible to park vehicles in the parking lot

Samui Cultural Center (Dusit Dhewa, Samui Cultural and Fine Arts Center)

The cultural center of Koh Samui (Dusit Dhewa, Samui Cultural and Fine Arts Center) is located far enough from the main tourist areas and routes of Koh Samui that almost no one ever comes here.

This center is built on the basis of a sample of a traditional Thai house, although it is fair to say that not every Thai house looks like this. The area around is poorly maintained, but dotted with all kinds of statues. Also, a stream flows through the site, and if you walk along a little further into the depths, you can see a beautiful gazebo, as well as a workshop under a canopy, where traditional Thai outfits are stored, in which you can take pictures. It costs 500 baht to photograph and is very popular with newlyweds.

Learn more about the Cultural Center of Koh Samui and photos here...

Observation deck near Chaweng Noi

This observation deck is located immediately to the south after Chaweng noi Beach. It does not represent anything special, but they often stop near it on the way between the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai, and whole groups of tourists are also brought here during sightseeing tours. It is located right next to the ring road, there is a parking area.

The observation deck is well equipped: there are benches, gazebos, food is sold from trays. You can go down the stairs to the water itself, but the coast here is rocky. The view from the site opens onto Chaweng Beach.

Bullfights (Buffalo Fighting)

One of the entertainments for locals are bullfights. For tourists, this is also a very interesting sight. The bulls fight until one of them gives up and runs away from the battlefield. There are no deadly battles here.

Competitions are held at different venues (stadiums) scattered around the island at different times, usually in the evenings. Anyone can get there as a spectator, including tourists, but they are rare guests in such places. The schedule of fights for tourists is not published, because it's something like folk fun, and therefore you can find out about the place and time of the fights by asking the locals.

💵Entrance fee / ticket price: entrance costs 100 baht, but you can get to some sites for free, provided that you place bets

🚶 How to get there: The battlegrounds are located in different places of the island in the villages. To find out the time and place, you need to ask the locals.