Chaweng Beach - Koh Samui
Koh Samui's busiest and biggest town has sprung up over the last decade around one of the island's best beaches. As well as offering more accommodation options than elsewhere on the island, Chaweng is also nightlife central with bars and restaurants catering to every taste. From beachside institutions to sophisticated cocktail bars, Chaweng's nightlife is streets ahead of anywhere else on Samui in terms of choice.
The famous Green Mango strip still forms the axis around which the rest of the town's bars revolve and is packed with (mostly) young revellers every night, crawling between the go-go bars, girly bars, dance bars and theme pubs. Chaweng's main strip is nearly three kilometres long though, and lots of smaller centres of activity have sprung up along it. McDonalds' forms a landmark in the south of town just across the road from Chaweng's single most popular bar, Tropical Murphy's Irish pub.
The choice of places to eat can be equally overwhelming at first glance and a drive down Beach Road can pass by in a blur of seafood restaurants displaying their wares in ice trays out front. Closer inspection however reveals a surprisingly cosmopolitan selection, including fine Japanese, Italian, Israeli, Pacific Rim and Indian restaurants. A cornucopia of cuisine every from fabulous Thai-style beachside food to traditional continental fare with all the trimmings and everything in between, Chaweng has it all . The most recent addition to the scene is Zico's - a Brazilian restaurant and bar complete with authentic band and dancers that put on a wicked show that could only come from the heat of Brazil... |
Over the past twenty years, Chaweng Beach has been transformed from a near deserted tropical bay, inhabited by a handful of fishermen and visited by a few adventurous backpackers, into a vibrant, busy, cosmopolitan resort town.
This is undoubtedly the most popular tourist area on Koh Samui, and with its 5-kilometere white-sand beach, water sports, entertainment venues and shopping facilities, as well as a fabulous range of dining options, it is easy to see the attraction.
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Accommodation ranges from a few remaining backpacker bungalows, which are nevertheless considerably more expensive than elsewhere on the island, to the five star opulence of Poppies Samui and the mega-hotel Central Samui Beach Resort. Given the amount of bungalows, resorts and hotels jammed along the beach, it comes as a pleasant surprise that the beach itself isn't usually packed with people. Obviously it's a lot busier than anywhere else on the island, but getting a sun-lounger and a reasonable degree of isn't a problem.
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Looking for a nice beachfront hotel in Chaweng Beach, somewhere in heart of the action?a luxurious five star resort maybe? Or a hotel that children would love? This page will help you find exactly what you're looking for, it covers all areas and recommends hotels that we know are good. Alternatively, see the complete list of Chaweng Beach Hotels or see our Last Minute Hotel Deals in Chaweng Beach.
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Chaweng Beach is Koh Samui's most popular stretch of powdery white sand. The wide bay has been the focal point for the development of the island's tourism industry and the majestic five-kilometer long crescent is bordered by rocky headlands on either end, with an offshore reef and the tiny island of Koh Matlam to the North.
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Whether right on the beach or located along the bustling main tourist strip, Chaweng has dining options for every conceivable budget and palate.
Fresh exotic vegetables, meat, and locally caught seafood provide the basis for the deliciously spiced Thai dishes you can sample around Chaweng, and most places will tone down the chilli quota for uninitiated foreign taste bud upon request. In addition, there are some excellent International restaurants serving a wide variety of global cuisines, with Indian, Mexican, English, Japanese, Scandinavian, Italian and French all well represented.
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Chaweng has by far the largest number of restaurants on the island, plus a huge range to choose from. Italian, Japanese, French, Pacific-Rim, local specialities and Royal Thai cuisine, just to name a few!
Dine literally on the beach, seated on cushions, or under a thatched roof, or in air-conditioned comfort. From local Thai food to gourmet international your taste buds will be satisfied.
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Chaweng Beach has developed a great range of activities to complement just eating, shopping and sunbathing. If you stay on the island a few days and want to expand your horizons, or the weather plays up, there is still plenty to do. So switch off the TV and switch onto some of the fun holiday activities on offer.
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Chaweng deserves its reputation as the place to party on Samui. There is a huge range of venues to sample on a night out, everything from relaxed lounge bars to full-scale dance clubs.
In the warm-up to a night on the town, a stroll along the main beach road offers ample choice of European style pubs and bars where you can while away the after-beach hours, grab a bite and a drink, watch world sport or just let the world go by.
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Chaweng Beach is definitely where the action is, full of eateries and dance moves. Samui's most popular nightlife area. From classy air-conditioned places with imported DJ's and loud, loud, sound systems, to outdoor venues featuring live Thai and foreign bands. If you need to chill out, before hitting the semi-regular beach parties, try beachside dining.
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For shopping, Chaweng is equally hard to beat. Although there is a certain sameyness to the market stalls, which line most of the Beach Road, selling faux designer clothes, bags, CD's and DVD's, there are some very good Thai craft, jewellery, sportswear and swimwear shops. Chaweng also has the highest density of dive shops on the island, several high quality opticians and a vast array of tailors all touting for business.
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Chaweng is a little more pricey than Lamai but the choice here is vast. Up and down both sides of the beach road are hundreds of stalls selling watches, DVDs, CDs, clothes, shoes, sunglasses - you name it they sell it in Chaweng! The standard of the copies in Chaweng tends to be pretty good but be prepared to bargain quite hard with the vendors. There are also name brand stores selling international brands at a fraction of the western price. The best way to shop in Chaweng is just start walking and see what grabs you!
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Something guaranteed to provide a relaxing and indulgent alternative to the beach is a treatment at one of Chaweng's many high-quality Spas. You can find many massage, reflexology and beauty salons scattered along the beach road. Most of these have trained staff and provide a great level of service and range of treatments, but for a truly pampering experience in opulent surroundings, try one of the spas attached to the smarter hotels, or an independent day spa.
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