Which Koh Samui beach is right for you?
All seven compared — so you book the right one

Chaweng is Koh Samui's longest and liveliest beach — roughly 7 km of fine white sand down the east coast, backed by Chaweng Beach Road and its wall-to-wall restaurants, bars, massage shops and the Central shopping mall. Almost anything you want is within walking distance. The northern end has shallow, clear water looking out to little Koh Matlang, while the southern tip, Chaweng Noi, is a different world — far quieter. The honest trade-offs: the biggest crowds on the island, music carrying late into the night along some stretches, and food and rooms priced higher than anywhere else. If you want convenience and a beach with a pulse, start here.

Lamai, on the south-east coast, is the island's second beach and the balance many travellers end up happiest with — sand nearly as good as Chaweng's, noticeably fewer people, a more relaxed mood, and rooms and meals that cost visibly less. The water gets deep a little faster than at Chaweng, which makes for proper swimming. At the southern end sit the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks (the "Grandfather and Grandmother" rocks), the island's most photographed natural oddity, and the town behind the beach runs an evening walking street on certain nights (the schedule shifts, so check locally). If you want a beautiful beach without elbowing for space, this is the one.

Bophut sits on the north coast with Koh Phangan floating right across the water. Its draw isn't really the sand — golden and coarser than Chaweng's, with water that isn't always as clear as the east coast — but Fisherman's Village, a lane of old wooden shophouses turned into the island's best-feeling strip of waterfront restaurants, cafés and small bars. Every Friday evening the lane becomes a walking street market that pulls half the island in. The bay itself is fairly calm and the beachfront is made for slow evening strolls. Pick Bophut if a great dinner counts for more than a full day on a towel.

Maenam is a roughly 4 km stretch of the north coast that has stayed the quietest of the big beaches — palms and casuarinas along the sand, and guesthouses and small resorts that are among the friendliest-priced on the island. That makes it the favourite of budget travellers, families and people settling in for a month. The water deepens quickly enough for a real swim, the view is Koh Phangan filling the horizon, and the beach sits closest to the speedboat piers for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao — very handy if you're island-hopping onward. Nights are genuinely quiet, with a modest spread of restaurants and a Thursday-evening walking street (check the day when you visit). You trade buzz for peace of mind.

Choeng Mon is a small curved bay on the island's north-east corner — soft sand, clear water, and waves that are usually gentler than Chaweng's because the bay is well sheltered. The islet of Koh Fan Noi sits just offshore, and at some low tides you can walk across the sandbar (check the tide before you try). The bay is ringed by good resorts up to the top end of the market, and the mood is grown-up: quiet, but not remote. The location is quietly excellent — close to the airport, close to the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, and only about 10 minutes from Chaweng when you want noise again. A strong pick for families and anyone after calm without isolation.

Lipa Noi, on the west coast, has the shallowest water on the island — soft sand with barely a rock anywhere, and you can wade a long way out with the sea still at your knees, which makes it the most relaxing beach on Samui for small children. Then evening arrives and this beach becomes the star: the sunset drops behind the silhouettes of the Ang Thong islands right in front of you, and it's the best on the island without much argument. The quiet is real — only a handful of restaurants and bars, with villas and resorts spaced well apart. If you want everything on tap you may feel stranded; if you want to escape the crowds, this is exactly the place. It's also near the car-ferry piers from Donsak, so arriving and leaving by sea is easy.

Tucked between Chaweng Noi and Lamai, Silver Beach — also called Thong Ta Kian or Crystal Bay — is one of the most photogenic corners of the island: rounded granite boulders standing in clear green water, with fine white sand between them. On calm days you can snorkel along the rocks and actually see fish without getting on a boat. Its small size is both the charm and the catch: in high season it fills up fast because everyone drops by, and only a few places to stay sit on the sand. Most people visit for a half-day from Chaweng or Lamai, each just minutes away. Come early in the morning and you may have it nearly to yourself.