Bophut Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand - Travel Guide

Bophut Beach is located on northeast of Koh Samui Island between Big Buddha Beach to the east and Maenam Beach to the west. It is frequently said that Bophut Beach actually consists of two parts: the beach itself and a commercial center called "Fisherman's Village".

The beach itself – white, sandy and coconut lined - runs for around two miles. It is at best considered fair, although the calm waters make it a pretty good place for parents with young children.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, all the water activities usually found at Thai beaches are found at Bophut, although only during the high season: jet-skiing, snorkeling, water skiing, and scuba diving.

Adding to the noise that beach goers must deal with from the jet-skis, is the noise from a Go Kart track located just west of Bophut. In recent years, developments on the west end of the beach have also detracted from the peace and quiet which is said to be the outstanding characteristic of the Bophut Beach.

The Fisherman's Village - Bophut Plaza Shopping

Somewhat surprisingly, Bophut is actually an upscale beach where the emphasis is not the beach or beach activities, but boutique shopping and gourmet dining. Most of this activity centers around "Fisherman's Village", which is not a village and has nothing to do with fishing, at least not anymore.

It is essentially a collection of shops, restaurants, restaurant-bars, and bars. Many of the buildings in the village are said to be original Chinese - the island was settled first by the Chinese – and French structures.

Modern building have been consciously designed to blend in with the other building and contribute to a thematic unity which most visitors find aesthetically pleasing. The boutiques seem to specialize in clothing, shoes, and jewellery. For example, one jewellery shop, Siri, focuses on Chinese and Mongolian items.

There are, of course, more typical shopping opportunities available. Bophut Plaza, located, more or less, in the confines of Fisherman’s Village, offers the full gamut of tourist oriented tee shirts, shoes, swim and beach ware, toys and so forth.

Restaurants

Dining, as shopping, centers around Fisherman's Village. Several restaurants serving international dishes, charging international prices, and run mostly by expatriates, are located there. Most of these have "excellent" wine cellars, great ambiences and excellent view of the ocean for diners to enjoy. Several are attached to boutiques and also have bars, which may or may not be separate from the restaurants.

Among these places are:

• The Pier, where diners may recline on sofas, eat seafood and enjoy open air eating and a close up view of the ocean
• Alla Baia, serving Italian food and offering a great ocean view
• The Happy Elephant, a Thai owned seafood place
• Fifty-Six Fusion Cusine, serving Eastern and Western "fusion" dishes
• The Mexican
• Samui Spice
• Starfish and Coffee, famed for its all red ambience
• Villa Bianca, with an Italian cusine
• Jussa Pizza
• Carpe Diem, with an all white ambience
• The Shack, a steak and beef place

• Bakunbung
• Ad Hoc, which serves Japanese food
• Brio, which serves steaks and Italian Food
• Dining on the Rocks, which is described as very nice and very exensive
• Zazen
• My Friend, which serves seafood at budget prices

Bars & Pubs

There are very few if any beer bars or Thai style bars in Bophut. Most of those places classified as bars could also be called restaurants. Perhaps these places are classified as bars because they tend to emphasise music and sometimes have live music.

Most are run by British expatriates and are British style. Most are located in or near the Fisherman's Village. Among these places are:

• Karma Sutra
• Sirocco
• Gecko
• Emerald Irish Pub
• The Crows Nest
• The Pub
• The Billabong Surf Club
• The Frog and Gecko
• Admiral Lord Nelson's
• the Bob Marley Pub

Accommodation - Resorts - Hotels

Accommodation in Bophut is definitely on the expensive side. The average price for accommodation appears to be somewhere in the 1,500 baht to 2,500 baht a night range with many places charging much higher rates. About half of them are centered around Fisherman's Village and the other half on the west end of the beach beyond the go cart track.

Among those places having rates under 1,000 baht a night are:

• The Sundays Sanctuary Resort and Spa
• The Cocooning Hotel (in the Fishermans's Village)
• Sandy Resort
• Free House Bungalow
• and Cactus Bungalow

For those who would like to enjoy the finer things of life at the other end of the price range, they could try:

• Anatara Resort and Spa, (4,200 baht a night)
• Bandara Resort and Spa (4,800 baht a night)
• Bophut Resort and Spa (6,800 baht a night)
• Karmakamet Aromatic Hotel (4,900 baht a night)
• Peace Resort (3,000 baht a night)
• Poonpreeda Pool Villa Beachfront Resort (8,200 baht a night)
• Samui Palm Beach Resort (4,000 baht a night)
• Zazen Boutique Resort and Spa (5,600 baht a night)

Other places are so expensive and luxurious that all prices are quoted in dollars and prices usually start at somewhere around 500 dollars a night. These places include

• Ban Lealay
• Ban Remo Villa
• Ban Tamarind
• Dhevatara Residence

Construction of more five star resorts is in progress and it will be interesting to see if demand will meet supply in the future.

Activities on Bophut Beach - Things to do

Those staying in Bophut Beach who want to venture outside of their resorts can find some rather interesting or unusual activites nearby. Near the intersection of the Bophut Road and the island circle road is the Siam Monkey Theater. This can be very entertaining, at least for the children.

A short distance down the circle road is the "Island Safari Elepahant Trekking" place, which will arrange a one hour ride to a waterfall and swimming pool.

Nearby are the Samui Shooting Range and the Samui Golf Club and Driving Range. Before one reaches the shooting range or the golf club one will pass by the Brandon International Hospital and a Big C Super Center.

These locations can easily be reached during the daylight hours through the island songthaew or local bus system. The songthaews – which resemble large, pickup trucks with canopies overhead - charge cheap fairs and have their destinations clearly marked in English. They stop running at 5:00PM, however.

After that, travellers must negotiate with taxi drivers. These drivers never use their meters and negotiation can be an unpleasant experience.

Nightlife

Those wanting a more exciting and varied nightlife can venture forth to Chawaeng Beach, which is no more than about 30 minutes away. As noted above, traveling at night can be difficult because, unless one has their own transportation, one must deal with the taxi drivers.

Video of Bophut Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand