Visit Natural Detox Resort
Lamai Beach, Koh Samui
Welcome to Lamai Beach
Here in our little paradise, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. We are close to the beach and hiking trails in the jungle, but also close to restaurants, bars, shops, and nightlife. Everything is within walking distance, so there’s no need to hire a scooter, car or taxi.
Behind the resort is a renowned Muay Thai School with drop-in classes, and a gym with machines, free weights, and squat racks if you want to take your workouts to the next level!
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10 Things to Do in Lamai Beach
Koh Samui Water Sports
Lamai's Night Plaza
Lamai’s night plaza is perfect if you’re looking for a little beachside shopping without the crowds that you’ll encounter at Lamai’s Sunday walking street.
You can find hand-carved soaps, leather goods, artistically painted coconut shells, and a selection of Thai street food. There are stalls selling a variety of goods and trinkets to suit every taste, but being quite small, it’s best to visit the plaza only if you are in the area anyway.
The plaza itself is surrounded by countless restaurants serving delicious food, so why not make a night of it? Spend a little time at the market followed by a delicious meal next to the beach.
This is a great place to practise your bartering skills – vendors will even be expecting you to do so. You might get a real bargain at this market that you can take home with you and treasure forever. Think wooden elephants, bed covers, and exquisite lamps that will perfectly fill that spot on your mantelpiece.
You can also find cheap knockoff watches and other fake goods.
Silver Beach
Silver Beach is a 250-metre strip of white sand beach just waiting to be sunbathed on. It’s home to 4 resorts, but you have free access to the beach whether or not you are staying at one of them.
The beach is also known as Crystal Bay due to its crystal-clear waters and perfect swimming conditions. Many visitors to Koh Samui have even named Silver Beach as their favourite beach on the entire island! It can get fairly busy during high season, but this doesn’t take away from the beauty of it.
The beach provides beautiful snorkelling opportunities at either end amongst the rocks. You can also rent a paddleboard, get a massage, or mani-pedi. This is a spot that can be enjoyed all day long!
The resorts along the beach have bars and restaurants that are open to the public and have a great view across the ocean. You can grab yourself some lunch or dinner after a few hours spent swimming in the calm waters here. And all restaurants serve Western, Thai, and seafood dishes to suit every taste.
Lamai Viewpoint
The start of the 10-minute hike up to Lamai viewpoint is set just back from the beach. The viewpoint offers wonderful views across Lamai, where you can also pay to get a zipline through the valley! If you prefer to avoid the hike, you can also get a cable car ride to and from the viewpoint for a small price.
The area has plenty of photograph and selfie opportunities, including the viewpoint itself and ‘Valentine Rock’ – a rock that has been naturally carved into the shape of a heart.
During your trip to Lamai Viewpoint, you’ll be able to make a stop to Siva Tara waterfall, made up from a small fresh-water flow and a splash pool where you’ll experience a few fish nibbling at your toes.
Next to the viewpoint, there is a café and bar with the same spectacular views over Lamai, as well as a restaurant so that you can make a full morning/afternoon of your trip here.
The Overlap Stone
Lamai Overlap Stone is one of Thailand’s best natural wonders that will leave you wondering how on earth a stone this enormous ended up here.
There’s a beautiful view over Lamai and the east of Koh Samui that is definitely worth the trip up here and is not to be missed! It’s not a particularly popular viewpoint – as viewpoints go – so you might find that you spend much of your time in this lovely spot completely undisturbed and free to soak in the surroundings in silence.
On the trip up to Lamai Overlap Stone, near the parking area, there is another small viewpoint that is worth the short walk. You’ll find the signs next to where you are asked to leave your motorbike.
Be aware that the drive up to (and down from) Lamai Overlap Stone is fairly steep, so don’t drive up here as a moped-newbie.
The Golden Pagoda Khao Chedi
The Golden Pagoda and Khao Chedi are set within a temple complex in the south-west of the island. During one trip you’ll have the time to visit both!
The Golden Pagoda is an impressive attraction that, though built with yellow tiles, glows a golden colour in the sunlight. It’s guarded by two impressive and colourful yaks, and about 100m away you can find a glass building known as the ‘Boat Hall’. Within the glass building is a wax figure of the monk who built the pagoda. People come here to make wishes, and place a small boat within the larger one if it comes true!
Khao Chedi is not far from The Golden Pagoda but requires a short climb. This pagoda is white coloured, and the spot is one of the best places to catch both sunrise and sunset.
There is a small lake and forest just next to The Golden Pagoda that provide you with the perfect place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Koh Samui’s busier spots. It’s a (normally) quiet spot where you will be able to enjoy a bit of time relaxing.
Hin Ta Hin Yai
Hin Ta and Hin Yai are two of the most famous rocks in Thailand and are also referred to as Grandmother (Yai) and Grandfather (Ta) rock.
This spot has been the source of many a giggle for tourists visiting Koh Samui due their uncanny resemblance to the male and female genitalia. How they came to appear on the island is the result of a tragic but beautiful tale of folklore that you can read all about on the information board near the site.
The tale tells of an older couple who wished their son to become married. On a journey to a neighbouring island where they intended to request the hand of the daughter of a man who lived there, they were struck by a storm. Unable to swim ashore they died at sea, and instead became the grandfather and grandmother rocks that remain today – a message to the father of their son’s bride-to-be of their intentions.
The rock formation itself allows for beautiful views over the ocean and to neighbouring islands. The small white-sand beach is not suitable for swimming but is the ideal place to dip your toes and cool down under the hot sun.
Lamai Temple
Wat Lamai is a temple (wat) and is the hub of social gatherings in Koh Samui. Here is where locals will gather for weddings, funerals, and religious holidays, but it also hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Many of which will last for over one week and are worth attending if you are on Koh Samui at the right time.
Events hosted here include food, cinema, games, and concerts. Spending some time here will give you a real feel for local celebration what it feels like to really experience ‘The Land of Smiles’.
Guarding the entrance to the temple are two yaks, but keep your eyes open as you enter the grounds for all sorts of sculptures that you might otherwise miss.
Next to Wat Lamai, you’ll find the Cultural Hall – home to a variety of folklore objects from Koh Samui before tourism took over. Here you can see ancient bicycles, dried pufferfish, swords, and a 2000-year-old ceremonial drum that was discovered in Lamai.
The monks who take care of the grounds welcome donations of dog and cat food so that they can more easily feed the strays who wander here.
The Mummified Monk
Wat Khunaram is an unusual spot – it is home to Koh Samui’s mummified monk! Luong Pordaeng died in 1973 in a seated meditation position. It is said that before he died he told his followers that, should he begin to decompose, his body should be cremated. And if he showed little signs of decay, he should be placed on public display as a reminder of the teachings of the Buddha.
Shockingly, the monk appears to show very few signs of decay in almost 50 years since his death! Though the sign of a dead body is a little shocking to tourists, the mummified monk provides Thais with the opportunity to reflect on the end of life and the natural order of being reborn into a better place.
The monk lived a long life, thought to be the result of a good diet and long meditation sessions. Though there are several mummified monks on Koh Samui, Luong Pordaeng is the most deeply respected.