Koh Samui on Your Own - A Scooter Tour around the Island

Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket. However, the size of the island is still relatively manageable. To explore the full diversity of Koh Samui, a tour across the island is worthwhile. There are plenty of providers for this kind of trip or you can experience the whole thing on your own with a scooter.

Koh Samui scooter tour – explore the island on two wheels

Since Koh Samui naturally offers many sights and you can not see everything in one day, there are many different routes for a scooter tour. Here we would like to give you an example of an interesting and diverse scooter tour around the island.

Basically, it is very easy to navigate on Koh Samui, as a large ring road leads completely around the island. That way you won’t be able to get lost so easily and can enjoy the tour more.

How to get to Koh Samui

The easiest and fastest way to Koh Samui is with a direct flight from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. The international airport of Koh Samui was built by Bangkok Airways and therefore the price for a flight ticket is kind of more expensive, because they preserve a monopoly – with a few exceptions.

It’s cheaper when you go to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat on the mainland of Thailand. Airlines like AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air fly to those cities from the Don Mueang airport in Bangkok. At the destination airport you can take a bus to the Donsak Pier or Tapee Pier and from there a ferry to Koh Samui.

You can find the cheapest flights to Koh Samui on Skyscanner. I absolutely can recommend Thai Lion Air by the way.

Note: Bus and train connections are also available if you want to arrive even cheaper. However, the travel time increases a lot. Tickets and information on times can be found at our partner 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Koh Samui – our hotel tip

One hotel where we felt comfortable from the very beginning was the Amari Koh Samui. If you want to stay at the beautiful Chaweng Beach, but not directly in the relatively busy center, the Amari is just right. Despite the central location you will have your peace – we liked it very much!

The hotel offers 2 swimming pools and beautiful, modern furnished rooms of different categories – depending on your budget. We definitely recommend this hotel and would stay there again anytime. Find more hotels on Koh Samui here.

1. Grandfather and Grandmother Rock

Starting from Chaweng or Lamai, the first destination on this scooter tour are the two famous rocks Hin Ta and Hin Yai, as they are called in Thai. You can reach them via the large ring road by following it south, towards Lamai. If you drive past Lamai, you will see many signs to Lamai Beach. You can ignore them on this tour.

At the southern end of Lamai there are signs for the rocks “Grandfather and Grandmother Rock” on the left side. Here you take a small driveway and follow this path to the end. On the right side you can park your scooter for about 10 baht. Passing some souvenir and other shops where you can buy cool drinks, you will finally arrive at the famous rock formations.

The two rocks represent the female and male genitals. A legend says that a couple once suffered a shipwreck here. According to the locals, a visit on site can now increase fertility and especially couples who would like to have a child come to visit.

2. Tarnim Magic Garden

From the impressive rock formations we will go back to the ring road. Follow it to the south until Wat Khunaram emerges on the left side. You are welcome to take a short stop here to see the Mummified Monk.

Opposite this temple you take the entrance to the interior of the island and keep driving up the hill. The ride up the mountain takes quite a while and after about 10 minutes you will see signs to the Tarnim Magic Garden, sometimes referred to as the Secret Buddha Garden.

You can park your scooter in front of the garden. Entry costs 80 baht per person, but it’s worth it. The many statues in this wonderful mystical atmosphere are really a small hidden highlight on Koh Samui.

3. Laem Sor Pagode and Wat Rattanakosin

Back on the ring road, continue west until the next 7-Eleven. There you turn left and follow the road to the south for about 10 minutes. At the end you will see a small crossing, where there is also a 7-Eleven. Now you turn right.

Follow the street about 5 to 10 minutes until you see a small entrance with a kind of archway on the left side. Turn inside. At the end you will arrive at the Laem Sor Pagoda. The golden pagoda stands directly on the coast and in the background you can see the island of Koh Madsum.

We continue to Wat Rattanakosin, which is located on the hill. You can already see it from the pagoda. To do this, drive back a little and turn left into a small street. Now you follow this one up the mountain. Then you can park your scooter and enjoy the temple as well as the beautiful view of the south coast of Koh Samui.

4. Thong Krut

Back on the big road, turn left towards the west. After about 10 more minutes you will arrive in the small fishing village of Thong Krut. Here you will find a few accommodations, smaller shops and restaurants, also with a direct view of the ocean.

As you drive through this small village, you will often see signs on the left (coast side). They offer a boat service to Koh Madsum and Koh Taen. You can stop and ask for the price.

These longtail boat tours to the offshore islands are still an insider tip and are only made by a few visitors. However, note that you should start the scooter tour early in the morning if you want to visit the islands.

The prices usually range between 1200 and 1400 baht per boat including snorkel masks. If you are traveling with several people and have some time for a half-day trip during your scooter tour, then it is absolutely worth it.

If you want to know more about the trip to the island, have a look at our article Koh Madsum – Koh Samui’s insider tip. Otherwise, you can also book day trips to Koh Madsum.

5. Bang Por Beach

After the short trip to Koh Madsum, continue driving on the same road until you come back to the ring road. You can now drive through the main town of Nathon for quite a while. The road automatically brings you to the northwestern part of the island. The next destination is Bang Por Beach.

On the left you will see the Relax@Samui, a small restaurant on the beach. There you can park your scooter and have the almost lonely Bang Por Beach for yourself. In addition to the wonderful view of Koh Phangan and the clear water, there is not much on this beach. You can go swimming, lie down on the beach or continue the tour after a few photos.

There are a few other beaches on this coast such as the Baan Tai Beach. If you are a beach lover like us, then check out our Koh Samui beach guide and be inspired for a few more stops on the beautiful beaches.

6. W Resort

Further along the ring road to the east, you should pay a visit to the dreamlike W Resort (W Retreat) just before Maenam Beach. Signs show you the entrance on the left. Here you can relax a little after a demanding tour and enjoy a drink at the bar.

The view from the W Resort of the neighboring island Koh Phangan is really fantastic. You can also take a little detour to the beach, walking through the beautiful and well-kept grounds of the hotel. A swim to cool off can’t hurt.

7. Bophut Walking Street

If you do the scooter tour on a Friday, there will be another highlight at the end. Bophut Walking Street starts every Friday around 5.00 P.M. It starts from The Wharf Samui, leading to the really beautiful Fisherman’s Village of Bophut.

Here you will find various stands between the numerous restaurants in the Fisherman’s Village selling all kinds of goods. From clothing and unique souvenirs to a large selection of Thai delicacies.

From the W Resort all you have to do is follow the ring road eastwards and you will see The Wharf Samui on your left. You can also park your scooter there and walk along the beach to Fisherman’s Village. A great end to the tour.

Koh Samui: Tours and Tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Koh Samui in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Koh Samui.

Have you ever been to Koh Samui? Did you do a scooter tour, too? Tell us about your trip in the comments.