Top 10 Secret Places on Koh Samui

Koh Samui offers a huge range of varied attractions. You'll find most of them in glossy travel guides or on websites. Many of these places have become very touristy over time and have lost their true character! If you're not in the mood for crowded spots, it's time to discover the other side of Koh Samui. This fantastic holiday island has a few hidden gems, and we've tracked them down for you. Here are our top 10 secret places on Koh Samui.   The Rock Bar is an idyllic spot right on the beach, next to the famous Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks in Hua Thanon. The bar is decked out in typical reggae style, and the entire interior was lovingly handmade. Alongside a great selection of delicious food and drinks, there's regularly live music from 2pm deep into the night. You can visit the place alone or with friends and you'll always get a warm welcome. Take a seat on a "Thai Triangle Pillow" and enjoy the great music while experiencing a little piece of the past. Lean back and watch the starry sky reflect on the shimmering sea. If you're lucky, there might even be a fire show that evening. Here's the location: Rock Bar     Shiva Beach Resort is a beautiful property in the southeast of the island offering various types of accommodation. The spacious grounds sit on an unspoiled sandy beach surrounded by countless coconut palms. Anyone looking for privacy and peace and quiet will find it here! On top of that, Shiva Beach also lets non-hotel guests use its facilities. The clubhouse has its own tennis court, swimming pool, a sports and games room, a spa and treatment centre, a fitness centre, a clubhouse restaurant, and a FREE kids' club. During the day you can relax by the pool and enjoy the breathtaking view to the groove of 80s music. Shiva Samui has everything you need for an unforgettable day of holiday. Not had enough beach time yet? Check out our: Top 10 Koh Samui Beaches Here's the location: Shiva Samui   Wat Khao Chedi is a temple that, for some reason, gets little tourist attention, even though it's one of our Top 10 Temples on the island. The site sits a little off the beaten path in the south, near the better-known Laem Sor Pagoda on road 4170 between Ban Tale and Ban Pang Ka. You can easily ride a scooter right up to the entrance. If you're travelling by car, it's best to use the smaller car park halfway up. The temple has its own charm, with numerous buildings, monuments, and a white chedi surrounded by countless small white Buddha statues. The unique view is breathtaking and worth every metre of the climb! On a clear day you can even see the mainland! A visit is definitely worthwhile, giving you a combination of temple and viewpoint in one. Here's the location: Wat Khao Chedi   We stumbled across this charming spot in the greenery completely by chance during a day trip and gave it the name Secret View. The whole hillside offers a spectacular view over the wide coastline of Bang Por. From up there you can watch an endless, romantic sunset! The viewpoint isn't easy to reach without some preparation. You should get a clear picture of the route beforehand and have your vehicle checked so it can handle the steep climb without any trouble. First, follow the ring road until you reach the Amandos restaurant. On the opposite side of the road, at the 7/11, a small road leads up towards the mountain. Follow the paved road for about 1 kilometre, then turn right. After about 500 metres you'll pass a small man-made lake. From there it's only a few hundred more metres, and after two 90-degree bends you'll arrive at Secret View. Fans of mountain roads can carry on further up the adventurous switchback road. The entire road is in perfect condition and surrounded by gorgeous nature. Secret View is an absolute insider tip, and with a bit of luck you'll have the fantastic view all to yourself and your friends. You'll find more viewpoints here: Top 10 Viewpoints Here's the location: Secret View   The mangrove forest on Koh Samui used to be a real insider tip, but over the years it has suffered from a lack of maintenance and was never fully finished. This mystical forest is located on the southwestern tip of Koh Samui, near the Conrad Hotel. A partly paved boardwalk runs through the mangrove forest, letting you walk right through the middle of it. In the right weather you can spot lots of crabs and other sea creatures. Every hundred metres or so there are also slightly dilapidated platforms with benches where you can rest. The plant life is lush, and the tangled mangrove roots turn the forest into an enchanted place. If a bit of litter and mess doesn't bother you, the mangrove forest is definitely worth a visit. Here's the location: Mangrove Forest  

The best tours on Koh Samui Explore now

  Tree Bridge Coffee is a jungle café in Maenam, in the northern part of Koh Samui. It's not the easiest place to find, and that's one of the main reasons it still enjoys such a calm and peaceful atmosphere. To get there, turn into Maenam Soi 4, which is opposite Maenam Walking Street. Follow the road through the temple grounds, then turn right towards Maenam Soi 5. From there, you'll see signs every hundred metres pointing the way. Once you arrive at Tree Bridge Coffee, you can grab a hot or cold drink at the little coffee house. To take in the phenomenal view, you have to cross a small hanging bridge and climb up into the treetops. The platform used to be part of a zipline park, and the coffee tastes fantastic with a view like that. Here's the location: Tree Bridge Coffee   Monk Cave is a hidden and deeply spiritual place on Koh Samui. There's no comparable temple of this kind anywhere else on the island. The cave entrance can only be reached from the water side at low tide. Thais consider the site sacred, and local monks prefer it for meditation. Inside the cave you'll find numerous sculptures and Buddhist relics. Donations are always welcome! The remote stretch of coast in the northwest is the perfect spot to experience a beautiful sunset! If you're driving from Nathon towards Maenam, a small paved road branches off to the left just before the steep mountain. Right at the end of that road is the Beryl Bar, where you can park your vehicle. From there it's only a few hundred metres on foot. Please don't forget this is a religious site, so dress appropriately. Here's the location: Monk Cave   ... Here's the location: Secret Waterfall   Our number 2 secret place is the forest temple in Maenam. A completely hidden-from-tourists spot with its own charm and aura. The temple sits up on the mountain in the dense jungle and is visited almost exclusively by Thais. It's also a popular destination for monks on their pilgrimages. Alongside the many monks, you'll also find a fair number of women dressed in white who live at the temple. To visit the temple, take the ring road towards Bangpor in the north of the island. Level with the Racha Samui restaurant there's a 7/11 and the Morya pharmacy. Turn into that exact road, and after about 60 metres you'll find a small Thai food shop called "Baa Nit" on the left. Less confident drivers should leave their scooter here and ask the friendly owners, over a drink, to call the temple for them. After a few minutes a jeep will come and pick you up. This service is completely free, though small donations are of course welcome. The brave drivers among you can simply follow the road and drive straight up to the jungle temple. Here's the location: Jungle Temple     Our unbeatable number 1 secret place is Secret Beach. A gorgeous beach on the west side of the island, far away from tourists. The beach is wild, so don't expect a perfect sandy stretch: rocks, tree stumps, old palm branches, and coconuts decorate the scenery. These little imperfections give the beach its special character, which is only outdone by the phenomenal view and sunset. The picturesque view of the 5 Islands is hard to put into words. It's a bit of a trek, but you'll find the beach easily if you take the ring road heading southwest. Watch for road sign 4170 and follow that road for about 1.5 kilometres until you see the elephant gate. You need to pass through it, and after about 500 metres you'll see the beach in front of you. Here's the location: Secret Beach