Shore diving

There isn’t much shore diving around Koh Samui as most of the reefs have been destroyed or polluted with bad visibility. Chaweng Beach can be dived as a shore dive and is the main option for those wishing to night dive from Samui. You can see lots of little critters that aren’t out during the day as well as many crabs and many even some squid.

The beaches are all very shallow and easy dives so can be undertaken by any levels. The main thing to watch out for on Samui’s shore dives are reckless jet skiers so its important to have a person on the surface watching your bubbles and to also surface under a Surface Marker Buoy.

Day trips

Most of the sites visited are closer to Koh Tao and are accessed on day speed boats which tend to leave Koh Samui at 8.30/9am and arrive back around 3pm. These all provide lunch in between dives which is usually taken one of Koh Tao’s beautiful white sand beaches. 

Diving around Koh Tao caters for all levels of experience from beginners to experienced as there is a range of dive sites from easy shallow shore dives such as Mango Bay to deeper sites like Chumphon Pinnacle. Mango Bay is a typical beginner dive which has a sandy gently sloping bottom and plenty of marine life including a huge shoal of fusiliers which can reliably be found every dive. Chumphon is a much deeper pinnacle offshore which can have strong currents but also the chance of Whale Sharks in season. This site isn’t for beginners but is an excellent advanced deeper dive if the currents aren’t too strong.

The other main dive site of the area visited from Koh Samui is Sail Rock which is a rocky pinnacle just north of Koh Pha Ngan. This site is a must dive for anyone in the area, not only does it have colourful coral gardens and steep walls dropping off to 30m plus, but it also includes a swimthrough called the chimney and regularly has big schools of trevally, fusiliers, batfish and barracuda! To top it off it is also one of the best places in the area where you are most likely to spot the elusive whale shark!

How to get there

Koh Samui is the most accessible of the 60 islands in the gulf of Thailand as it is the only one with an airport with frequent flights to and from Bangkok and Phuket and also a direct ferry service from the mainland. This makes it a very low hassle destination and also a perfect stopping off point to journey on to some of the more remote islands in the area such as Koh Tao. Thailand has a months visa upon arrival for most countries but it is best to double check in advance with the embassy.

Where to eat & drink

Chaweng Beach is the main tourist hub of the island with a huge selection of beachside bars, restaurants and also many nightclubs. This does mean it can get very busy during the peak holiday season but luckily there are many other quieter options around the island. Some of these are the Fishermans Village on the north side of the island, near Bo Phut, which has an excellent selection of restaurants and shopping and there are also some nice little restaurants in some of the bays such as Silver Beach and Ban Taling Ngam.

Other activities

Diving at Koh Samui doesn’t just offer an easy location to base your dives from, there is a lot more to see and do. This makes it an ideal location to visit with family or friends that don’t dive or want a dedicated diving holiday. Some of the other activities range from a day trip to Ang Thong Marine Park, where the book “The Beach” was set and has jaw dropping scenery, Elephant rides, jungle tours, stunning waterfalls, many white sand beaches lined with palm trees, cheap shopping, markets and even the slightly different activity of shooting some guns and sniper rifles at a shooting range.

Tips

Thai vendors can sometimes make some people feel uncomfortable. They can approach you with goods to buy or  to persuade you to enter their shops or restaurant. A calm and clear, “No, thank you,” will usually do the trick.

Motorbike accidents are very common, so ensure you wear a helmet and do not drink drive! Most roads on the island are only dirt roads and are not recommended unless you are an experienced rider. If you do hire a motorbike bear in mind that although the vehicle hire shops are cheap it can be very expensive paying for scratches on the newer bikes, so try to hire an older bike. 

Koh Samui has a couple of hospitals and also has a recompression chamber.