Your first time in Lamai is a chance to discover a pleasant seaside resort town with a quiet village atmosphere. Located on the east coast of Samui Island, between Taling Ngam and Chaweng, Lamai is famous for its superb beaches dotted with large boulders. Its popularity as a holiday destination makes it the second most popular place on Koh Samui.
Our Lamai Beach survival guide is here to ease you into your first visit to this quaint village. We’ve selected the three top attractions, activities, restaurants, bars and shops, so you can easily enjoy your first day in Lamai. These options include low-cost, mid-range and upscale choice so that our list has something for most tastes and budgets – just like Lamai itself!
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Lamai at a Glance
Despite its popularity, Lamai still has the feel of a charming seaside village. There are a lot of things to see and do in Lamai. The resort town's dining and nightlife entertainment scenes offer something for all ages and styles. Beaches, peculiar rock formations, viewpoints and manmade attractions make Lamai a very pleasant place to stay. Being mostly much quieter than Chaweng, Lamai is often considered the better choice for families and older travellers.
WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT LAMAI:
Superb beaches
Plenty of dining, shopping and nightlife entertainment options
Good range of hotel prices
Village atmosphere
WHAT IS LESS GOOD:
Access to the beach can be difficult if you’re not staying in a beach hotel
Traffic on the narrow roads is intense at rush hours
Lamai features a good choice of attractions and activities. It’s especially good for those who like their sports, with good diving to snorkelling along the coast and cycling along jungle tracks on land. If that sounds like too much activity, you can also enjoy a good pampering at one of the many spas. There’s a water park for the kids and the delightful rock formations for those with a slightly more adult sense of humour. If this is your first time in Lamai Beach, do not miss the cool things to see and do on display below.
Silver Beach
Silver Beach is a 250m-long tropical beach paradise set in a charming little bay facing northeast located just north of Read More»
Hin Ta & Hin Yai
Samui's phallic rocks are as popular with Thai visitors as foreigners. In local legend the rocks represent two doomed Read More»
Coco Splash Adventure & Water Park
Relatively small in size, but with an impressive number of slides and attractions, Coco Splash Water Park is a fun way Read More»
Lamai is a cool place for bargain hunting. The resort town has a lively scene of cool boutiques and shops for some unique souvenirs. Daily and weekly night markets make the centre of the resort town vibrant. If you just want to cover the essentials, you’ll also find a good number of convenience stores and small supermarkets. If it’s your first time in Lamai, the following shops and markets are highly recommended.
Lamai Night Plaza
In the centre of town, diagonally opposite McDonald's and leading to a bar beer square, you'll find a mini-version of Read More»
Buddy Oriental Plaza
This sleek shopping plaza is just south of Lamai on the island’s ring road. With plenty of parking and appealing Read More»
Samui Hot Club
Samui Hot Club has row after row of colourful sarongs, T-shirts, beachwear and more, all billowing under extra-strong Read More»
Lamai’s nightlife is very different from the high-energy partying of Chaweng, which is what makes this destination more popular with families. It still has its exciting bits, particularly in the centre of town. There is quite a bit of variety in between, including live Muay Thai boxing, live music bars, beach clubs and easy-going hut-like beachfront joints. Do not miss the following nightspots on your first time in Lamai Beach.
Lamai Central Plaza
Lamai Central Plaza is, as its name implies, located right in the centre of Lamai resort town, opposite McDonalds. It is Read More»
Swing Bar
No, Swing Bar is not a wife-swapping venue, as the name suggests. Rather, it’s a big beachside affair with Read More»
Beach Republic
A combination of resort, pool and beach club, spa, restaurant and more, Beach Republic is its own little private Read More»
From the beachfront to the centre of the village to the sides of the Ring Road, there are plenty of dining options in Lamai. You’ll find here restaurants for all tastes and budgets. We’ve selected three must-try restaurants for your first time in Lamai, including one cool beach club, one restaurant famous for its excellent Thai food and one stylish beachside diner.
No Stress Beach Bar
Exactly as the name suggests, No Stress is a great place to spend a lazy day on the beach, with free sun loungers, Wi-Fi Read More»
Kob Thai Restaurant in Koh Samui
Kob Thai Restaurant offers authentic Thai food in a serene tropical setting, just off the main hub of Lamai Beach Road. Read More»
The Bistro at Rocky’s Boutique Resort
The Bistro is located at Rocky’s Boutique Resort and has a menu of Mediterranean and Thai favourites that emphasise on Read More»
It’s best to pick a beachfront hotel in Lamai. The shore is so beautiful and the sand is so soft in this area of Samui that it would be a pity to miss the opportunity. It must be admitted that Lamai’s hillsides do host a good choice of pleasant hotels with great views, making for a tempting alternative. We’ve picked three beachfront resorts for your first time in Lamai. Each of them boasts high quality and offer a good range of facilities, but at different rates.
We try to provide free information that is as up-to-date and accurate as possible. However, if you are planning to travel it's a good idea to double check specific dates and information to avoid surprises.
