Known as the “island that has it all”, Koh Samui combines verdant natural beauty with a thrilling range of activities, and Maraleina Sports Resort is perfectly placed to explore this gem in Thailand’s crown.
Get an extra workout in at Wat Phra Yai, or Big Buddha Temple, as you climb the stairs to the 12-metre (39-foot) gold Buddha statue. Stretch your legs after a hard day’s exercise exploring the vibrant street market at Bophut’s Fisherman’s Village. Pump that adrenalin with a quad bike ride through Samui’s ancient forests or make like the locals and explore off the beaten track on a scooter.
Hone your strength as well as your diving skills at some of the best dive sites in Southeast Asia and stay active between training sessions with exciting water sports like kayaking, jet skiing, kite surfing or flyboarding. Soothe post-workout muscles in a crystal pool at the foot of Na Muang Waterfall and practise your breathing techniques with superlative snorkelling in the Gulf of Thailand.
From marvelling at nature’s sculpting abilities at Hin Ta Hin Yai (Grandmother and Grandmother Rocks) to shopping ‘til you drop at stylish open-air mall, The Wharf Samui, there’s plenty to help you unwind during your stay too.
Ang Thong National Marine Park is located some 20 kilometers west of Koh Samui. It is comprised of a collection of 42 limestone rock-strewn islands and their territorial waters. The boulders are immersed in the clear tropical waters, creating a sort of natural beauty many tourists describe as being the paradise of their dreams. You can hike to see the hidden Emerald Lake from a distance and experience the wonders of being surrounded on all sides by limestone boulders and cliffs.
Thousand-hand Guanyin Temple is located in the north of Koh Samui and is a relatively new temple on Koh Samui. The temples and many colorful Buddha statues are built on the artificial lake and are magnificent. There are also eminent monks in the temple casting spells and praying for blessings. The temple features two huge Buddha statues on the edge of an artificial lake. On one side is the Maitreya Buddha sitting on a lotus seat. On the other side is the eighteen-handed Avalokitesvara. In the middle of the two Buddha statues is a temple, in the style of 18th century Indian Buddhism. There are not many tourists in the temple as a whole, and it is relatively quiet. The monks in the temple are Thai Buddhists, mostly young believers. They either clean the temple or feed the fish in the artificial lake, and live a carefree life by the lake. Many brightly colored fish are raised in the artificial lake. If tourists donate some money in the temple in the center of the lake, they can get a package of fish food to feed the fish. No shoes are allowed to enter the temple, regardless of men and women, they should not be too revealing. Ladies should not be too close to the monks, seeking peace of mind while respecting the local culture.
Koh Samui Adventure Park is located in the south of Koh Samui and north of National Road 4169. It is a paradise for adventure lovers. You can visit the two well-known waterfalls in the park, participate in activities such as elephant riding, forest adventure, ATV four-wheel drive, watching monkey performances, etc. There are also multiple tour combinations to choose from. There are many agency companies on Koh Samui that can book activities in the park, but the prices are different. It is recommended to book directly on the official website. The official website offers many tour packages, mainly focusing on four-wheel drive off-road vehicles and elephant riding. Many foreigners like the excitement of off-roading. It is recommended to take children to ride elephants and choose one-day or half-day activities. One-day activities generally include round-trip transfers from hotels, lunch, visits to one or two classic attractions in Koh Samui, elephant riding, visiting Na Muang Waterfall, bathing baby elephants, watching elephant and monkey performances, etc. The basic one-day trip takes about 8 hours, and the price is 1950 baht for adults and 1600 baht for children. The half-day tour is generally about 4 hours, excluding the surrounding attractions, the rest is basically the same as the one-day tour, the price of adults is 1400 baht, and the price of children is 1100 baht. Those who like excitement can also participate in forest adventure projects, mainly elephant riding or ATV adventure along waterfalls and tropical rainforest gardens. The entire expedition is accompanied by professionals, so there is no need to worry about safety. In addition, the monkeys picking coconuts are also very interesting.
Paya Temple, also known as the Big Buddha Temple, is famous for having a 15-meter-high golden Buddha statue in the temple. The temple is located on KohFan, near Banglaike Beach (Big Buddha Beach). Originally, there was no road between the beach and the temple. Later, a road was reclaimed from the sea so that people could reach the temple. Phaya Temple, the iconic attraction of Koh Samui, is a famous attraction on Koh Samui and a very sacred building. This big temple dedicated to the Buddha is built on the top of the mountain, and when you climb up to look into the distance, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding sea and nearby islands, and the scenery is charming. There are many vendors at the entrance, and when you walk in, you can see the golden Buddha at a glance, sitting in Mara posture, showing a charming silhouette against the tropical sky and ocean. When you approach Koh Samui from any angle, you can see this tall Buddha statue first at a glance. Whenever the sun goes down, reflecting the boundless sky, the big sitting Buddha looks even more spectacular. Tourists need to take off their shoes under the steps if they want to go up to the side of the Buddha. Girls can’t wear very revealing clothes. It is recommended to bring a scarf or jacket. The steps are not too high, and there are cyan dragon-shaped handrails on both sides. The middle of the steps is dark red, and the two sides are white. It is recommended to walk from both sides, mainly because the sunshine in Samui is very strong, and it will be very hot to walk on the dark steps. Going up all the way, we came to the side of the big Buddha. You can kneel down reverently and pray for peace. There is a small temple on the left side of the steps of the Buddha to pray for blessings and peace. Visitors can go there to pray for blessings and peace, but only need to give a little money. In addition, there is a corridor for ringing bells next to the small temple. Visitors can use a hammer to knock down the corridor. The ringing of the bell is free. There are still monks living in the lower floors of the temple, accepting donations and giving blessings.
Nawan Waterfall is located in Samui Namuang Adventure Park, a few kilometers north of Highway 4169, and is easily accessible from the road. Namang 1 Waterfall is one of two waterfalls in the park. The waterfall has many layers, and the No. 1 waterfall has a large pool, which is very suitable for swimming. The park also offers a variety of travel combinations. For example, forest adventure projects mainly include elephant riding or ATV adventure along waterfalls and tropical rainforest gardens, and exciting forest ropeway experiences. In addition, you can also hike through the rainforest gardens. The entire expedition is accompanied by professionals, so there is no need to worry about safety. The price of the project includes forest adventure, monkey show, elephant riding and waterfall tour. There are two tours at 9:00 and 13:00 every day, and the tour lasts for more than 5 hours. 1600 baht for adults and 1200 baht for children. Elephant rides are held three times a day at 9:30, 13:00 and 15:30. Riding an elephant for 1 hour costs 1200 baht for adults and 700 baht for children; for half an hour, it costs 700 baht for adults and 600 baht for children.
Samui Aquarium and Tiger Park are located on the south side of Lamai Beach, where you can enjoy a variety of marine life, such as sharks, turtles and other tropical fish, which are very rich. At the same time, the tiger park next to it is also very worth visiting, there are many kinds of animals, and all kinds of beautiful birds are guaranteed to make you overwhelmed. Tiger Park and Aquarium are connected, 13:30 is the sea lion show, 14:30 is the tiger show. In addition, you can also see the funny performances of two small animals similar to meerkats or beavers, which are naturally cute. Courageous friends can choose to get up close and personal with the little tiger and take a photo for about 50 baht. There is half an hour between the two performances, you can visit the aquarium and buy a pot of cabbage leaves for 20 baht to feed the turtles. In short, there are not many tourists as a whole, it is very comfortable and leisurely, and it is very suitable for children to play.
Fishermen’s Village is located on Bophut Beach in the north of Koh Samui and west of Big Buddha Beach. It is a relatively clean but beautiful place. Fishermen Village, as the name suggests, was originally a fishing village, but now it has developed into a tourist attraction where tourists gather and gourmet food everywhere. Entering the Fisherman’s Village is a one-way street with a single lane. It is relatively quiet during the day, but at night, the liveliness is second only to Chaweng Beach. From the beginning to the end, go in and see every alley. There are many vendors on both sides of the street, selling snacks, selling goods, and many restaurants and bars are very distinctive. It is recommended to find a restaurant by the sea in the evening, enjoy the sunset, taste the food, and in the evening you can listen to the music in the bar and swing slowly. In addition, there is a very lively night market here every Friday, if you are interested, you can visit it.
The flesh relic temple is enshrined in the flesh relic of an eminent monk. The eminent monk Luong Pordaeng passed away in 1973, in a zazen posture before his death, and has remained in this state ever since. Now temples store physical relics in glass boxes for believers to worship, and people are amazed at the mystery and unpredictability of Buddhism. It is said that this eminent monk has the ability to predict and accurately predicted his own death. Before his death, he stopped eating normal food, but ate more spices with antiseptic function. In this way, after his death, the corpse can be preserved completely, and it will no longer rot and deteriorate. Now the people in the temple put a pair of sunglasses on the face of the flesh to cover up the void. There is free ice water at the entrance of the temple for everyone to drink, burn incense and flowers to the flesh Buddha, and no one is there to collect money, only a merit box. Flowers, candles and incense are placed on the table, depending on your own wishes, you can take some money and put it into the merit box, or you can take the offerings yourself. In addition, you can ask for a lottery inside, and give it to the monks there, and they will sprinkle holy water on your head and release the lottery for you at the same time. Of course, you must take off your shoes and dress modestly when entering the temple.
