Koh Samui: Hidden Gems on the West Coast
Where to Stay, Eat & Explore Around Nathon, Koh Samui
The hidden gem of Koh Samui might just be the western coast.
We’ve spent time in some of the more popular areas of Koh Samui and, while I understand why people love them, places like Chaweng Beach, Fisherman’s Village and Maenam Beach are a little too touristy, overpriced and hectic for me.
If you want a lively island holiday with beach clubs, restaurants, shopping and nightlife all around you, those areas are probably perfect.
This trip we decided to stay on the western coast instead and I honestly didn’t expect to love it as much as we did. It was quieter, less touristy and much more our style of island holiday. We stayed in Nathon, hired a motorbike and spent five days exploring this side of the island. By the end of the trip, I really wished we’d booked longer.
Where We Stayed on Koh Samui’s West Coast
Nathon is an urban coastal town and the main ferry port on the western side of Koh Samui.
I chose Nathon because I wanted somewhere with enough going on that we’d have plenty of places to eat, while still being away from the really touristy areas.
There are plenty of cafés and restaurants, prices are reasonable and you have easy access to 7-Eleven and supermarkets. The one downside is Nathon Beach itself. It experiences one of the most dramatic low tides on Koh Samui, so it isn’t a great beach for swimming. But with a motorbike, there are plenty of beautiful beaches nearby. For us, Nathon became our base rather than our beach.
Getting from Koh Samui Airport to Nathon
Nathon is around a 45-minute drive from Koh Samui Airport.
You can take a taxi or book a Grab. We used Grab, but there is one thing worth knowing before you arrive. Grab drivers aren’t able to collect you from inside the airport terminal area, so you need to walk out of the airport and meet your driver on the road heading into the airport. It’s much easier than it sounds. The walk takes about five minutes, the Grab app gives you directions and once you leave the airport you’ll also see signs showing you where to meet your driver.
Where We Stayed in Nathon: Boon Heritage House Koh Samui
Boon Heritage House Koh Samui
Tambon Ang Thong, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84140
Book on Trip.com
We stayed at Boon Heritage House and will definitely stay here again.
Our bungalow was spacious, new and really tidy, with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, bathroom and kitchenette. It’s right on the beachfront with direct sea views and a two-minute walk from 7-Eleven, which was very handy.
We also organised our motorbike through reception. They arranged for a local rental company to drop it off at the accommodation and collect it again when we were finished. We paid 300 THB per day. The bike was in good condition and we had no issues with the rental.
Running and Training in Nathon
A new holiday destination also means a new place to explore on a morning run and, of course, a new local gym to check out.
One thing I loved about Nathon was the cool sea breeze that never seemed to stop. It made running in the morning so much more pleasant. Each morning I headed in a slightly different direction from our accommodation and usually ended up doing around a 7 km loop.
The footpaths around Nathon Pier and the side roads through town were easy to run and I felt completely safe around the area. I even saw a horse with a bird sitting on it one morning!
And of course we checked out the local gym, O2K Fitness. Read my full O2K Fitness Koh Samui gym review here.
Best Beaches on Koh Samui’s Western Coast
Most days after a morning run and breakfast, we’d get on the motorbike and head to one of the nearby beaches. The three we spent time at were all quite different.
Laem Yai Beach
Laem Yai was probably the quietest beach we visited.
There were very few tourists around and only a couple of upscale hotels nearby. There are quite a few rocks and pebbles on the beach itself, but the water was clear and blue.
Very quiet, very peaceful and a beautiful spot for sunset.
Bang Po Beach – Karma Two Palms Beach Club
We came to Karma Two Palms at Bang Po Beach straight from O2K Fitness and ended up staying until after sunset. It has a swimming pool, direct beach access, loungers, beds and shade umbrellas, so we spent the day going between the pool and beach. The beach here was beautiful. It was clean, the water was blue and we didn’t experience the dramatic tide we had back at Nathon. Food and drinks were reasonably priced, the service was excellent and they had a rinse-off shower. Later in the afternoon they also had a good cocktail deal for sunset. We’d only planned to stop in for a while after the gym. We stayed all day.
Lipa Noi Beach – Chill Inn Lipanoi Hostel and Beach Cafe
Lipa Noi was another favourite.
The beach is known for its soft white sand and shallow, rock-free water. When we visited, it was clean, beautiful and the water was perfect. We spent the day at Chill Inn Lipanoi Hostel and Beach Cafe. They had beach chairs, good coffee, food, cold beers, music, a rinse-off shower and bathroom facilities. We’d saved a few other places along Lipa Noi that we planned to check out, but we never made it to any of them.
We were comfortable and had everything we needed, so we didn’t move all day.
Our Favourite Places to Eat & Drink in Nathon
There are plenty of places around Nathon for coffee, brunch, dinner and sunset drinks. These were some of our favourites.
☕ Coffee & Brunch
Little Green Cafe · Great coffee and food · 📍 Google Maps
SO CAFE SAMUI / HQ · Delicious brunch and coffee · 📍 Google Maps
King of Bread Nathon · Great for brunch and coffee · 📍 Google Maps
🍜 Places to Eat
Lucky Restaurant · Great Pad Thai and cheap prices · 📍 Google Maps
Jacky’J Pizzeria · Yummy pizza and pasta · 📍 Google Maps
For Rest Bar · Food, drinks and sunset · 📍 Google Maps
🌅 Sunset Drinks
Umbrella Tree Villas & Sunset Bar · Cocktails and sunset views · 📍 Google Maps
Sunset Restaurant · Drinks, sunset and the Samui sign · 📍 Google Maps
Reggae Station · Reggae tunes and a very chilled vibe · 📍 Google Maps
Nathon Night Food Market
Near Nathon Pier you’ll also find Nathon Night Food Market.
There are open-air restaurants and street vendors along the waterfront road serving grilled squid, spicy papaya salad, noodle soups, traditional Thai sweets and plenty of other local food. There’s also a weekly walking street market with local artisans and performers, which gives the area a much more local feel. It’s nice to stroll through, but personally we found better places around Nathon to sit down for dinner.
Is Koh Samui’s Western Coast Worth Staying On?
I loved this part of Koh Samui and we’ll definitely be back.
It was quieter, less touristy and much more our style of island holiday. Nathon gave us a convenient base, while having a motorbike meant we could easily get out and explore during the day. We are newbie riders and found the roads on this side of the island easy, with very little traffic, so getting around wasn’t scary at all.
And the sunsets are incredible. Even on the cloudiest afternoon, the sky seemed to put on a show.
If you want nightlife, shopping and busy beach clubs, the more popular parts of Koh Samui will probably suit you better. But if you prefer quieter beaches, local places to eat and a slower pace, I’d definitely consider the western coast. Our only mistake was not staying longer.
For more honest gym reviews, active travel experiences and destination guides, explore more from Gym Travel Blog - GTB.
Message me if you have any questions or want to know more!
Stay strong, stay travelling, and keep the adventure alive. 🏋️♀️✈️🌏
Travel, move, repeat.
Mi-Ree 🧡
