The island of Koh Samui is all about the beaches, but like anywhere else, the key is finding the neighborhood that suits your personal taste. After a couple of nights in Chewang Beach, the most famous of the island beach areas, we decided it was just not for us.
We opted to trade in the full moon beach parties, and the Thai fighting arena for something a little more our 
speed. So we made our way up to the top of the Island to an area called Bophut, and more specifically the Fisherman’s Village. This area is centered around a central street that runs along the ocean, and is packed with excellent restaurants, bars, and of course Thai message centers.
When planning a visit, your first task will be to find someplace to stay. As far as housing costs go, you can get a nice boutique hotel on the water, in the middle of fisherman’s village with an amazing ocean view for about $75 (USD). Mountianview view rooms in the same hotel costs about about $45. If you move to the other side of the street, you can get a nice room facing a pool for about 2,063 BHT ($66 USD).
For those who are planning a longer stay and are willing to live a five minute walk to the beach; you can get a serviced mini apartment for around $10 USD a day when you commit to a month.
Here are some good examples, each has air conditioning, free Wi-FI and wonderful staff. We have either visited or stayed in each one and can recommend them all:
Beach Front Rooms:
• The Hacienda: run by a very nice French couple, they go out of their way to make you feel at home, in rooms with a very Mediterranean feel. The hotel in on the beach but also sports a rooftop pool. Book in advance, this one fills up quick….
• The Lodge: closer to most of the the restaurants and bars; this is a more traditional, but lovely, Thai style hotel with lots of dark woodwork. The long rooms front on the walking street and back on the beach.
On The Other Side Of The Street
• The Elysia Boutique Resort: each room is surrounded by beautiful gardens reminiscent of a tropical rain forest, and they all look out over a amazing pool. Just as importantly, the delightful lady that runs this hotel is determined to make sure each guest is treated like royalty, and the rooms, the hotel grounds and the small bar are all immaculate.
For Longer Stays:
• Rak Samui Residence: amazing value for the price when you book for a month or more. This residence hotel has the feel of a nice college dorm, but with large airy rooms, kitchen facilities etc. It’s not the ritz, but it is clean and bright and about 10 steps above a youth hostel.
Once you get your housing sorted out, then you will have a whole other set of choices, such as where to have sundown cocktails, which restaurant to have dinner and what type of live music do you want to listen to after dinner. Then of course there are the street markets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at the wharf. On Friday afternoons when the whole waterfront from village turns into one giant “walking street” market. But more about these later…
