A longtail to Ang Thong
A scatter of limestone islands with a hidden emerald lagoon, snorkelling and a beach — a day trip that feels like a pirate adventure.
Koh Samui
Palm beaches and warm Gulf water
Best time
December – April
Gentle pace
4–6 slow days
Ideal for
Beach-loving families · Couples · First-time Thailand
Koh Samui is the easy island — a ring of palm-fringed beaches around a jungle interior, with calm Gulf water, a flat coast road, and a resort for every budget. It is the most family-friendly of Thailand’s islands: gentle swimming, short transfers, and a beach for every mood, from busy Chaweng to quiet Maenam.
With children, base yourselves on a quiet northern beach, rent a car for a day to find your own cove, take a longtail to Ang Thong marine park, and let the evenings drift over pad thai on the sand.
Worth lingering over
The Big Buddha & Fisherman’s Village
A golden temple on a causeway and a sleepy street of old wooden shophouses turned into cafés and night markets.
A beach day at Maenam
A calm, palm-lined beach with shallow water and a view of Koh Phangan — the easy family choice.
Hidden gem
The Secret Buddha Garden
High in the jungle interior of the island, reached by a winding mountain road, lies a garden of stone statues — Buddhas, tigers, elephants and musicians — carved by a local fruit farmer over decades and hidden among the trees and waterfalls. There is no signpost, no ticket, and almost no other visitor; pack a picnic and spend an hour wandering this strange, peaceful forest of figures.