Mae Nam Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand

Mae Nam (or Maenam) Beach is located on the northern coast of Koh Samui Island, with Bophut Beach two kilometers to the east and Bang Por Beach to the west. From Mae Nam Beach, one can see Koh Phangan Island across the channel and there is a pier in Mae Nam from which one may travel to and from Koh Phangan, home of the original full moon party.

The beach itself, four kilometers in length and yellow sanded, is considered one of the prettiest and quietest on Koh Samui Island. The road which rings Koh Samui Island runs relatively close to Mae Nam, but does not intrude, neither visually or in terms of noise. The waters which wash up upon the beach are shallow for long durations on many parts of the beach, and are clean and calm, although in November and December the wind surfing is excellent.

For those who want more action and excitement, the wildness and craziness of Chaweng Beach is only about a ten minute drive away. Accommodation in Mae Nam is still very reasonable – many budget accommodations are to be found there along with some five star resorts. Many locations on the beach can only be reached by dirt trials.

Accommodation - Hotels - Resorts

Mae Nam is still considered by many to be a "backpacker" beach because of the relative abundance of low priced accommodation. The eastern end of the island is home to the following low priced – under 600 baht a night accommodations, most of which are small guest house or bungalow operations, often run by families:

• SR Bungalows
• Maenam Cheer
• Cleopatra Palace
• Morning Glory
• New Star Bungalows
• Mea Nam Villa
• Sea Shore 2 Bungalows
• Magic View
• New Lapaz Villa

The western end, which is less developed, is home to the following:

• Palm Point Village
• Phalarn Inn Resort
• Shangrilah Bungalows

There are also some high priced five star resort type places on the beach, the most prominent of which is the 71 room, 14,000 to 24,000 baht a night Santiburi Resort, which is located at the western end of the beach and is surrounded by gardens, has a large swimming pool and a full golf course. Some of the bungalows operated by Santiburi are on the beach. Its Sala Thai Restaurant is considered the best on the beach.

On the eastern end of the beach, one will find the five star resort Ban Lerm Sai, which is located on a ridge and offers a great view of the beach. It also has a very nice swimming pool. Rooms are between 8,000 and 9,000 baht a night and bungalows are available for around 16,000 to 18,000 baht a night.

There is a "midrange" luxury resort on the eastern end of the beach, The Paradise Beach Resort, which has rooms available in the 4,000 to 8,000 baht a night range and is very popular with families. It also has a nice swimming pool.

There are only a few midrange type places on the beach and most of these are found on the western end. In the 600 baht to 1,500 baht a night range are Coco Palm Resort, Shady Shack Resort, and Home Bay Resort, and in the 1,500 to 4,000 baht a night range are the Sea Fan Beach and Mae Nam Resort.

Restaurants & Dining

Much of the dining opportunities centers around the various resorts and guest houses, most of which offer guests food and drink – and sometimes insist that guests partake of the food and drink offered as the income of many guesthouses and bungalows is based more on the food sales than on the room rates paid.

As noted, the "best" restaurant on the beach is the Sala Thai Restaurant of the Santiburi Resort. The ambiance is, of course, very nice, and the restaurant focuses on royal Thai traditional recipes.

Opposite the Santiburi Resort on the ring road is a reasonable and nice Italian cuisine restaurant, Caffe e Cucina da Angelo. Another resort-based Italian style restaurant is the Roma at the Paradise Beach Resort.

A Thai cuisine is served at the Lai Thai Restaurant at the Napasai Resort on the ring road, this restaurant is said to have a great ocean view.

Near the pier where the boats to Koh Phangan Island are caught, one will find a nice but affordable seafood restaurant, the Seaview Restaurant, a pastry bakery, Fish and Chips, and an English and German breakfast place, The Corner.

On the ring road – which is the beach road in Mae Nam Beach - one will find, opposite the post office, The Boudoir, a French cuisine place, the Lazy Coconut, an English style pub opposite Siam City Bank, and Angela's Bakery, next to the police station.

Nightlife & Entertainment

Mae Nam Beach does not have an active nightlife as the word is usually understood in Thailand. There are no beer bars, discotheques, or go-go bars in Mae Nam. Entertainment is low key and centered around the resorts, such as the rim Talay Beach Bar, and the Taskin Lounge at the Santi Buri Resort, and the Paradise Beach Resort Pool Bar.

The nearest thing to a "real" bar in Mae Nam is The Lazy Coconut, which is modeled after an English pub. Those who desire more wild and lively entertainment can travel to Chaweng Beach, which has plenty. It takes ten or fifteen minutes to drive there.

At night, however, it will be necessary to take a taxi as the no buses or sangtheaws to Chaweng stop running around 5:00 PM, Unfortunately, the bad stories about the taxis are true, and the drivers will refuse to use their meters and charge as much as they possibly can.

The entertainment atmosphere in nearby Bophut Beach is similar to that in Mae Nam, There is some nightlife in Big Buddha Beach, which is next to Bophut Beach.

Shopping

Mae Nam beach is not a shopping destination or paradise, although there are several furniture stores on the ring road going toward Chaweng Beach. Highly recommended are Benavadee and Beautiful World. These stores are accustomed to doing business with foreigners and shipping world-wide.

Also recommended is a shop near the pier, Samui Coconut Beads, which is more of a jewellery store as is Samui Lapidary on the ring road. In Bophut Beach, to the east, there is a boutique shopping center called the Fishmerman's Village which is definitely worth a visit. The area is a virtual mall of upscale shopping opportunities, especially clothing.

There are also many opportunities to buy more typical tourist items there. There is a Big C Supercenter and a Lotus-Tesco store near Mae Nam beach. They are on the road to Chaweng Beach and are, of course impossible to miss. There is also an International Hospital, Brandon International Hospital, near the Lotus- Tesco.

Spa

Many spa and health treatment facilities are located relatively short distances from Mae Nam, in or near Chaweng Beach, Lamai Beach and Big Buddha Beach. Many of these are residential but most offer day treatments. In Mae Nam, the Santiburi Spa is located in the Santiburi Resort and is oriented toward day treatments, which it offers in both luxurious indoor and outdoor settings. Among these treatments are a variety of massages, mud wraps and facials.

Video of Maenam Beach, Koh Samui