Things to do in Koh Samui.

Samui's most famous sight - a 12-metre golden seated Buddha on the small islet of Koh Faan in the north-east, visible from arriving flights and reached by a causeway. Free to visit, with stalls and sea views; dress respectfully with shoulders and knees covered. Fees & hours (indicative, confirm locally): free entry, donations welcome; open daily roughly 06:00-18:00 - early morning or sunset is quietest.

A spectacular lakeside temple complex near the Big Buddha, centred on an 18-armed white statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, and a large laughing Buddha. Photogenic, peaceful and an easy pairing with the Big Buddha on a north-east temple loop. Fees & hours (indicative): free entry, donations welcome; open daily roughly 06:00-18:00; sarongs are usually available at the entrance and parking is free.

A charming strip of restored Sino-Chinese wooden shophouses on the north coast, packed with boutiques, galleries and some of the island's best restaurants. The Friday-night Walking Street market is a Samui institution; come for dinner and stay for the sunset. No entry fee - it's a public street; the Friday Walking Street market runs from early evening into the night, with shops and cafes open through the day.

Famous natural rock formations on the coast near Lamai whose suggestive shapes have made them a quirky local icon. A quick, free roadside stop with a small market and dramatic sea views on the way south. Free and open around the clock, though the surrounding market stalls keep daytime-into-evening hours.

Two jungle waterfalls in the island's interior - Na Muang 1 is an easy roadside cascade with a swimming pool, while Na Muang 2 is taller and reached by a forest walk. The lush green heart of Samui and a refreshing break from the beach. Fees & hours (indicative, confirm locally): entry is generally free, with a parking fee of around 20 THB per vehicle at the site; officially open daily 09:00-18:00. Flow is strongest just after the rainy season (roughly November-January) and can be a trickle in the dry months.

A hilltop garden of statues hidden in the jungle interior (also called Magic Garden or Tarnim Magic Garden), reached by a steep 4x4 track, plus a string of mountain viewpoints over the coast. The high ground rewards the climb with the island's best panoramas. Fees & hours (indicative, confirm locally): around 80 THB entry per adult, open daily roughly 09:00-17:00; the access road is steep and rutted - a 4x4 taxi or organised tour is the safer way up rather than a rented scooter.

Samui's headline excursion - a protected archipelago of 42 limestone islands northwest of the island, with the famous emerald inland lagoon, viewpoints, snorkelling and kayaking. Full-day speedboat and catamaran trips run from Samui's piers in the calmer months. Fees & hours (indicative, confirm locally): the national park entrance fee is 300 THB for foreign adults and 150 THB for foreign children 3-14 (40/20 THB for Thai nationals), paid in cash to park rangers on Koh Mae Koh - most tour operators collect this before or during the trip on top of the boat fare. Trips typically run seasonally (roughly December-September) and are cancelled in rough weather, mainly October-November.

Samui's laid-back neighbour, around 30 minutes by ferry - home to the world-famous Full Moon Party at Haad Rin, plus quiet north-coast beaches, waterfalls and a big wellness scene. An easy day trip or overnight from Bang Rak or Nathon.

One of the world's most popular and affordable places to learn to dive, around 1.5-2 hours by ferry. Clear water, shallow reefs and a relaxed backpacker-meets-diver vibe make it a classic overnight trip from Samui.

The postcard triple-island sandbar off Koh Tao, with one of Thailand's most photographed viewpoints. Usually combined with a Koh Tao snorkelling or diving day; conditions are best in the calmer, drier months.

Each district has its night: Bophut's Fisherman's Village on Friday, Chaweng and Lamai through the week, plus the laid-back Maenam and Nathon walking streets. Street food, local crafts and live music at local prices.

Samui is one of Asia's wellness capitals - world-known detox and fasting retreats, yoga schools, spas and holistic clinics cluster around Lamai, Bophut and the hills. A core reason many long-stayers choose the island.

Beyond the famous dive sites off Koh Tao, Samui offers snorkelling trips, sailing, paddleboarding, kiteboarding in season and big-game fishing. The calm north and west coasts are the easiest bases for getting on the water.

The clifftop Santiburi course in the north is one of Thailand's most scenic, and the jungle interior offers waterfalls, zip-lines, ATV trails and viewpoints - plenty to fill the days between beaches.

Several Samui sanctuaries let you observe and feed rescued elephants without riding or shows - choose genuine no-riding, ethical operations, several of which are in the hills around the centre of the island.

The classic shortlist: the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, dinner and the Friday market at Fisherman's Village, the Na Muang waterfalls, an Ang Thong National Marine Park day trip, and a sunset on the west coast - balanced with beach time on Chaweng or the north coast.

Ang Thong National Marine Park is the headline trip for its emerald lagoon and limestone islands. For beaches and parties, Koh Phangan is 30 minutes away; for diving, Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan are the best.

Plenty - visit the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, explore Fisherman's Village cafes and galleries, book a spa, wellness or cooking class, or browse the markets and malls. Samui's main monsoon is October to December, but rarely all-day rain.

Yes. Alongside calm north and west-coast beaches there are waterfalls, ethical elephant sanctuaries, an aquarium and tiger zoo, easy island trips and plenty of kid-friendly dining, especially around Bophut, Choeng Mon and Maenam.