Big Buddha
If you’re anywhere near the northern coast of the island, you’ll be able to look up and notice a huge, sparkling, golden Buddha figure at the top of a precariously steep hill. In fact, visiting this almost-40 foot tall Big Buddha shrine is a must-do for cultural enthusiasts and travelers on Koh Samui, and a welcome break from beachgoing and partying. Just remember to dress and act respectively because this is a religious site and they take that very seriously in Thailand, and maybe wear sneakers because there are plenty of stairs to climb to get up there. But the views will be well worth it!
Wat Plai Laem
Not far from the Big Buddha, on the other side of Koh Samui, you’ll find Wat Plai Laem, which is a religious site so colorful and dynamic that you’ll swear you’re in a theme park. It features a lotus-white statue of Guanyin, a Chinese goddess that protects, nurtures, and symbolizes fertility. Walk around and take in the sitesand cultural displays, but one of the fun things to do is donate some money for the temple’s upkeep. By doing so, they’ll give you a bag of rice that you can feed to the big, teeming fish in the manmade lake accompanying the temple.
Hin Ta and Hin Yai
Ok, please take any children out of the room before reading this. Located on the beach past Lamai Beach, you’ll find typical rock formations like boulders on the stony shore. But there are two rocks that are so notable that they attract tourists and well-wishers who are visiting Samui. Called Hin Ta (grandfather) and Hin Yai (grandmother), these undisturbed geological formations like strangly like male and female genitalia, hence their names!
Angthong National Marine Park
You came to Thailand for tropical beauty that is so jaw-dropping amazing that when you get back to the office, your coworkers will think your screen saver is a stock photo, right? Well, you can find exactly that near Koh Samui at the Ang Thong National Marine Park. In fact, one of the great qualities of Koh Samui is its proximity to other amazing paradise islands like Koh Samui and the crazy Full Moon Party Koh Pha Ngan. But Ang Thong is also close (only 42 kilometres away) and even more idyllic. In fact, it’s a protected natural marine park covering 100 square kilometers of spotless white sand beaches, lush emerald jungles, crystal waterfalls, and tucked away secret coves and lakes. You can visit just for the day by boat on a tour from Koh Samui, or stay overnight at their simple bungalows or beachside tents. What an experience!
Have fun in Koh Samui, and we’ll bring you more about that island soon!
About Norm Schriever
Norm Schriever is a blogger, Amazon best-sellling author, cultural mad scientist, and enemy of the comfort zone. His work appears in the Huffington Post, Business.com, Good Morning America, The Anderson Cooper Show on CNN, NBC, MSN, Yahoo, Hotels.com, and media all around the world.
Norm grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the University of Connecticut, where he was never accused of overstudying. After expatriating to Costa Rica in 2011, he started traveling the world and documenting what he saw. He now lives in Southeast Asia, writing his heart out and working with local charities.
