As far as popular islands in Thailand go, Ko Samui is surpassed only by Phuket. With an international airport, a mass of ferry connections and close to 500 hotels and guesthouses, this is not somewhere to come to glimpse a corner of the Thai kingdom untouched by tourism development. But if you're hunting for white sand beaches, turquoise waters and all-day sun, Samui can be a fine choice.

With over a million visitors a year, Ko Samui's inadequate infrastructure is at breaking point, yet development continues unabated. Huge swathes of land are cordoned off for developers to slap up massive "luxurious" residential compounds -- well away from the chaotic mess some of the beachside developments have become. Then, as Ko Samui's first million-dollar house was sold, the lure of big bucks has even more developers scrambling for a piece of the action.

For backpackers and the budget traveller, Samui is not yet a lost cause. Mae Nam beach in particular has some outstanding old-style backpacker guesthouses that are excellent value. Big Buddha is also decent, though the noise from the aircraft darting in and out at the nearby airport is a distraction. For mid-range and up, Chaweng and Lamai are home to the majority of hotels, though Lamai should be considered Chaweng's ugly sister -- the beach is fine enough, but the guesthouse, hotel and restaurant selection is not nearly as good.

Getting There

Air

You can take a direct flight to Samui. Fare is the most expensive but obviously the fastest, ideal for the persons who have only a little time. The direct flights from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) to Samui are by Bangkok Airways and 2 flights daily by Thai Airways. Or you can fly to Surat Thani. From the airport there are minibuses which shuttle up to Donsak's port, the ferry boats place of departure.

Boat

As far as popular islands in Thailand go, Ko Samui is surpassed only by Phuket.