11 Exciting Family Activities on Koh Samui

Koh Samui is a magical island that greatly impressed and pleased us. Especially with kids, it was an unforgettable experience to spend four weeks on this wonderful island. The list of family activities in Koh Samui is, of course, much longer than eleven. From numerous jungle experiences to beautiful excursions to the neighboring islands, and last but definitely not least, the excellent Thai food.

In this Koh Samui travelogue, I want to show you our best experiences on Koh Samui. All excursions are perfectly suited for families with small children, but are of course equally exciting and thrilling for young and old alike.

Note: We were in Samui in September, during the rainy season. For us, that only had advantages, but if you don't like a few minutes of rain per day, then it's better to come here from January to March. It doesn't really rain for long here, and in September you never have to queue or reserve anything. That has always worked well for us so far.

Travel to Koh Samui from Europe

Since Koh Samui has its own airport, arriving there is super easy. We flew to Amsterdam and from there to Bangkok, and then to Samui. It was super organized, everything worked perfectly, and we had a relaxed journey. You can fly directly to Bangkok from almost all European capitals.

There are even train connections from Bangkok to the south that allow for a ferry crossing, as well as ferries from Bangkok via Koh Phangan to Samui. So you'll be spoiled for choice.

Pro Tip: We bought an eSIM directly at the airport so we would have a Thai number. We paid a total of 30 EUR for two eSIMs with unlimited data (as of September 2023). Afterwards, we picked up our rental car and drove to our Airbnb.

Fisherman's Village

We've settled in Bophut, right near Fisherman's Village. From 6 PM onwards, no vehicles are allowed here anymore. But even before that, it's relatively quiet here. We've spent some lovely evenings here. There are numerous small shops selling beachwear, souvenirs, handmade items, clothes, and looooots of restaurants. You can walk wonderfully on the beach here, and the kids can collect shells and splash in the water. Towards the end of the village, there are some large hotels and a few very good restaurants.

Our favorite restaurant here was the Rice X of Pier. An Italian restaurant, albeit with very good food. The advantage for us here was that we could sit comfortably inside while the kids could play on the beach. We used this occasionally in the afternoon to work and have a delicious coffee.

Additionally, Fisherman's Village hosts many massage parlors and even a few street food stalls. We like the atmosphere here, so the village should be on your bucket list for your family vacation to Koh Samui.

02. Big Buddha Temple Koh Samui

We've visited quite a few temples in Thailand overall. However, the Big Buddha Temple on Samui is special. It's located on its own small island, Koh Fan, in the northeast of Samui. You can easily reach the temple by car, as Koh Fan is connected to Samui by a causeway. You can also park right next to the temple, for free, as is the case almost everywhere in Thailand.

On this small island, in addition to the temple, there are some lovely little restaurants right by the sea. We had a delicious lunch here before we drove back to Samui. Please note that in Thai temple complexes, women in particular should always cover their shoulders. That is respectful. No one would probably complain, but we explained the same thing to our kids, and thus it was also a learning experience for them.

03. Samui Elephant Haven

The most important thing right at the beginning: We have informed ourselves extensively about what activities we can do here in Samui that involve animals, and especially elephants. The Samui Elephant Haven was the only attraction with elephants, which is truly fair and species-appropriate. Elephants from the circus and other attractions like elephant rides have been rescued here and are now being cared for. Elephant riding and circus tricks are sometimes the worst thing you can do to these animals!

We spent a wonderful morning at this sanctuary. It costs a few euros to enter, but in return, you're right in the middle of the action. After a short talk and some instruction on how to handle elephants, we got to prepare their food. The menu included watermelons and rice balls. We made the latter from bananas, banana leaves, rice, and a few other ingredients. In the end, it was a sticky paste that we rolled into balls. The elephants enjoyed it, and feeding them was an absolute highlight.

You can book the tour here by the way

Our youngest didn't want to stop. Unfortunately, the food ran out at some point. The elephants would simply keep eating. They eat about 250 kg of food a day. We probably gave them around 2 kg. But those were just the treats. And after us, there were still a few more groups.

04. Magic Garden – Family Activities Koh Samui

Our kids love botanical gardens. We had in Barbados even a yearly pass to a botanical garden, for two years in a row. 🙂 Therefore, this botanical garden must not be missing from my list of family activities in Koh Samui. While the Magic Garden is not exactly a botanical garden in the classic sense.

You won't find a colorful variety of plants here, as we expected. We were even a little disappointed at first. But after a few more steps in the Magic Garden, we discovered so many beautiful things. The garden itself was created privately by a local. It was a spiritual retreat. And that's exactly what creates a special atmosphere here.

There are statues and sculptures all over the garden, which is why the Magic Garden is also known as the Secret Buddha Garden. Surrounded by tropical greenery and natural rock formations, you'll find pure nature here. In addition, there are a few small waterfalls and ponds where we even spotted a turtle and a few fish.

The place is great for kids because there's so much to discover. On the opposite side, we found a kind of exit that leads to a meadow. There are countless durian trees there. We had never experienced durians in nature before, or at least never so up close. If you like taking pictures, this place is also perfect for you. All in all, we were super happy afterward that we actually explored the whole garden.

Here's the tip: Just go for it and pay attention to the details. There's a lot of beauty to discover here, so you should definitely visit this place on your family vacation in Koh Samui.

05. Pig Island Koh Madsum

Pig Island (German: die Schweineinsel) is a very special place south of Samui. Pigs live freely on this small island here. Allegedly, fishermen bought them at a market and took them to the island. What once were three pigs have naturally become more and more in recent years. The island has of course become a tourist magnet by now.

This makes the pigs accustomed to people. Our kids weren't the only ones who enjoyed it. We took countless photos and it was super fun watching the pigs. Some even go swimming.

A tip: You can take a longtail boat directly here from the south of Samui, about a 20-minute ride. However, we decided to go on a tour that we booked the evening before. This meant we were picked up from our apartment and went to Pig Island by speedboat from the north. The advantage was that there was something to eat for us on Pig Island. We were also allowed to borrow kayaks, which were included in the price. That was extra fun for all of us. You can then just paddle back and forth in the bay here. Nothing earth-shattering, but totally exciting for the kids.

Towards the end of the tour, we briefly walked to a viewpoint that offers a view of the back of the island. Here you walk for five minutes through a small forest, and at the end, it goes slightly uphill to the viewpoint. It's definitely worth it, so you should absolutely do it. We learned about it from our tour guide and might have missed it if we had just come by longtail boat.

06. Crocodile Farm Koh Samui

Let's move on to an activity of two on my list here that isn't directly suitable for everyone. If you have a fondness for reptiles, then the Crocodile Farm is always worth a visit. It should be noted that the enclosure for the crocodiles is quite large. However, there are also turtles and other exotic animals such as snakes and lizards here, whose cages and enclosures are significantly too small.

Nevertheless, we went to the crocodile farm, as we are very interested in reptiles, and the fact that the farm was practically around the corner and housed many animals we like meant we didn't have to think twice.

Even for younger children, the place is super exciting. We were able to buy food for the pigs and rabbits for 50 cents. That was, of course, a highlight for the kids. But the real highlight was yet to come. Because there were whole chickens for sale, frozen, of course. You were allowed to feed them to the crocodiles yourself. We then bought two of them right away, for about 2 EUR per chicken. Of course, no child is allowed to do the feeding. You have to do that yourself. I found it extremely exciting.

So, I'm holding the stick with the chicken on the end near a crocodile. For this, I chose the coziest one, which was lying there extremely relaxed and calm. And then, completely unexpectedly, it happened!! Within half a second, it went „snap!“ and the chicken was gone. 😳 How crazy is that? I was super startled because I thought the crocodile would first look at the chicken, take a leisurely bite, and try to nibble it off the string. 😀 With the second chicken, I was prepared, and it happened with another crocodile at the same speed. What an adventure.

If you're looking for something more exciting than petting pigs, I can definitely recommend a visit to the Crocodile Farm in Samui. For us, it was an exciting excursion that we've mentioned the most in our stories so far.

07. Central Festival Samui

From adventurous crocodile feeding to a shopping mall. A rather rough transition, but this shopping mall is now next on my list. 😉 We've spent many great afternoons and evenings here. Besides numerous shops, from H&M to large electronics stores and luxury labels, you'll find everything a shopper's heart desires.

We bought everything here that we had forgotten at home, such as lighting for our videos, some books for the children, art supplies, and a sweater for myself. That sounds strange, but I forgot it and caught a cold on the flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok. That won't happen to me on the return flight.

Beach Eats, a great food court with a beach atmosphere in the middle of the mall. We ate here far too often. There are about ten different restaurants here offering dishes from all over Asia. Everything is super fresh, super delicious, and affordable. Just like everywhere in Thailand, really. Why we loved eating here so much is very easy to explain. It's air-conditioned. Most other restaurants are outside or open all around. At Beach Eats, we could always cool down a bit.

There's a huge parking garage under the mall, which makes parking here super easy. It's also free, and you park in the shade. Three top advantages!

Central Festival Samui is located in Chaweng, making it very easy to get to. Of course, there are several other shopping malls on Samui. Another good mall is Big C Super Center, which is located in Bophut, in the north of the island. We went there more often because Big C is a large supermarket and very affordable, unlike 7/11, Tops, and Lotus, which are three other supermarket chains on the island.

So you'll find everything you really need on Koh Samui. If you can't buy it here, you don't need it. =)

Chaweng Beach

At seven kilometers long, Chaweng Beach is the longest beach on Koh Samui. It's also the most popular and busiest beach. However, since we were there in September, it was also relatively quiet. If you're on Samui during peak season and prefer a quieter experience, I'll show you another beach further down.

There are many cool beach clubs on Chaweng Beach. We're spending an afternoon at ARK Bar Beach Resort. There, you can spend an entire day with a minimum spend of approximately 20 EUR per adult and use the pool and everything else. We're not doing that and are just sitting next to the pool, right on the beach, and being served there.

If you like electronic music like I do, you'll feel right at home here. There are always DJs playing, which creates a great atmosphere. The music isn't too loud though, if you're sitting a bit further away. Meanwhile, the kids are looking for shells on the beach, and we're enjoying our food here. This beach club is located in the southern part of the beach. If you go north, it gets a bit quieter too.

Despite the afternoon party, the beach is ideal for families because it's so spacious and always has something to offer with restaurants and cafes. If your kids are older, you can also go banana boating and do other fun things like jet skiing and parasailing. No risk, no fun!

09. Lamai Beach

If you prefer something a bit shorter, then Lamai Beach is ideal. This beach is only four kilometers long, making it the second longest on the island. It’s also very quiet and much more relaxed here. There are some hotels here with beach access, but overall far fewer restaurants, cafes, and bars.

We've been here a few times, both for swimming and just for running and exploring. Lamai offers fine sand (not as fine as Chaweng!) and clear water. Of course, you can also book water sports activities here and race up and down the beach on a jet ski, but the beach is also perfect for relaxing.

In the far south of Lamai (not accessible from the beach!), there are two fun rock formations: „Hin Ta and Hin Yai,“ which in German means „Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks.“ These two rocks look, well, like male and female genitalia 🫢, and that has brought them a lot of attention. Even our kids found it super funny and amusing.

Directly in front of the rocks, you'll find many small shops offering clothing and souvenirs. Right by the rocks, by the way, there's also a great restaurant, the Rock Bar. It's located right on the sea, and you have a wonderful view from there. We ate lunch there and then relaxed a bit afterward, with chill reggae music. We love the vibe on Samui. Everything here is very relaxed and casual.

10. Snake Farm Koh Samui

Oh oh, I warned you, but you kept reading. Here comes the second, perhaps at first glance somewhat questionable place. The Snake Farm, or in good German, the Snake Farm of Koh Samui. Is this really a family activity in Koh Samui? YES! Because...

We visited the Snake Farm first thing in the morning and were the first and only visitors at the time. I'm sure it's different during the high season. We decided to visit the Snake Farm because my research showed that it's about research on snakes and reptiles. There are almost exclusively native animals here, which I found very exciting. We had other excursions planned into the jungle, and it's certainly helpful to know a few facts about snakes and scorpions.

On this farm, a guide takes us to different stations and shows us king cobras as well as regular cobras, which are native to Thailand. The king cobras spit venom, which is why they are behind glass. Furthermore, there are all sorts of snakes here, all of which are native to Thailand. Some are venomous, others completely harmless. For example, we are shown two green snakes that couldn't be more different. Only the head shape is slightly different. One can kill you in a matter of minutes, the other just wants to play.

It's a little more obvious with the scorpions. The large black scorpions sting like a small, sweet honeybee, but the small brown ones really hurt. We are also explained how Thailand gets its antivenom. Furthermore, we are told that it is crucial for survival to know which snake has bitten you. 🤔

Overall, we're really learning a lot here about snakes, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes, the latter of which we already know quite well from Barbados. However, the centipedes here are even a bit bigger. I get to touch a centipede, which caused a real thrill. Our youngest is also totally thrilled and gets to hold some baby snakes in her hand. Most snakes don't develop their venom until they are six months old. With cobras, however, it's different. They are deadly from the start. That makes the young ones so dangerous because they are less fearful.

50% unserer Family hatten hier eine super Zeit, für die andere Hälfte war es etwas zu aufregend. Das musst du natürlich abwägen. Auch ist es in Thailand natürlich so wie überall: Die wirklich giftigen Schlangen wie Kobras und Vipern bekommst du im Dschungel kaum zu sehen –> Scheues Waldtier mit fünf Buchstaben? _ OB_A 🐍

11. Organic Farm & Coffee Shop

And now for some relaxation at the end. We discovered this café as we were driving by. Specifically, after the Snake Farm. 😃 For a successful Koh Samui family vacation, you definitely have to visit one of the cafés with these nets. As in the picture above, you can stretch out your legs and enjoy the peace and quiet.

The food at the Organic Farm was super delicious. Prepared very fresh, there's a large selection of everything your heart desires and excellent organic coffee in addition. We spent a few hours here and enjoyed the view. The cafe is also located in the middle of the jungle. That's no longer a problem, because we know which little critters to watch out for. 😁

Bonus Tips for Your Family Vacation Koh Samui

There is so much more to experience on Samui and the surrounding islands. But as a family, we are also often happy when our kids can do something specifically for children. So we are always looking for indoor playgrounds or activities exclusively for the kids. We discovered some great locations in Samui that also helped us get some time for other important things. Sometimes we had important business meetings, in between a few Thai massages, and unfortunately, also three dental appointments.

With the following tips, you can free up a little time for yourself without your kids having to wait around unnecessarily.

Maya Resort and Kids Club Samui

A few minutes' walk from Fisherman's Village is the Maya Resort. We've spent countless hours here. The family that runs the Maya Resort moved from Hungary to Koh Samui a few years ago and opened a small family resort here.

The resort also has a kids' club that is available to outside families. You pay the equivalent of about 10 EUR per child, and in return, the child can play there all day. A nanny is always present, and there is an indoor playground, an outdoor sandbox, and scooters and roller skates that the kids can use to ride around the hotel grounds. On the very first day, we met a daughter who happens to be named Maya and is the same age as our older child. They hit it off immediately, and as a result, we didn't always pay the full price afterward.

By the way, the price also includes one meal per child, and parents can use the coworking spaces (offices for working) free of charge. The restaurant is also tasty. We always left the kids here alone for a few hours with a clear conscience because we got to know the owners and the nanny well after a few sessions, and the children were never alone. You hardly saw any other parents here. Some just drop the kids off from the car and leave.

Our kids enjoyed it so much every time that we sometimes just popped in briefly to say „hello.“ So cute. 😍 If you're in Koh Samui with family and young children, you absolutely must go here.

13. Fun House Koh Samui

Funny thing is, I only took a picture of the food here. The Fun House Samui is a classic indoor playground, air-conditioned, with a restaurant attached. That was also ideal for us to work. The playground is also supervised. The kids basically only come to the table to eat and drink.

Here too, admission costs only a few euros for the first couple of hours. Then a few more euros are added. We were usually here for less than three hours.

The children's menu impressed us here, because for about three euros, you got a plate like the one shown above. It included salmon with rice, vegetables, and fruit. The healthiest meal we've ever had at an indoor playground. Otherwise, it's always chicken nuggets with fries.

14. Central Festival Samui Indoor Playground

This playground in the shopping mall in Chaweng is a real game-changer. This playground is also supervised. We were here mostly once or twice a week. It's a classic indoor playground that nonetheless allows parents to shop and browse in peace.

However, we often also used our free time to sip a delicious cocktail. The mall has very good bars in addition to the food court, even with a direct view of the playground. But we were always in the bar next door. 😜

Things you should not do in Koh Samui

It's important for me to point out two things again. Samui and Thailand in general have a very species-rich flora and fauna. The latter, above all, unfortunately leads far too many organizers to exploit animals and make a profit from them.

Elephant riding

The most classic example I already mentioned above: Elephant riding. You don't do that! It doesn't have any real added value. The animals are tormented for months so that they let themselves be ridden. Elephants remember everything, they forget nothing. If they are beaten once, they know forever why it happened. That's why they let everything happen to them.

Samui Aquarium & Tiger Zoo

Unfortunately, we were there because we had previously visited other places that kept the animals in a much more species-appropriate way, or that had a genuine scientific background, as was the case with the Snake Farm, for example. However, the Tiger Zoo actually exists solely for commercial interests. We didn't find a single animal there that was kept in a remotely species-appropriate manner. Huge fish in small aquariums, tigers and monkeys also in enclosures and cages that were far too small.

In the end, they insisted that we absolutely had to take a photo with a tiger. They had a large, a medium, and a baby tiger to choose from. WHAT? No, we are definitely not taking a photo with a tiger. Why? This turned into a real discussion, as it was completely incomprehensible that we didn't want to. We were the only ones there at the time as well.

I wanted to highlight these two things again. Ultimately, we primarily used our visit to Tiger Zoo to show our kids how *not* to do things. But these two excursions should not be on your bucket list for a family vacation in Koh Samui. 🙏

Conclusion Family Activities Koh Samui

Thailand, Koh Samui, a paradise for children... and adults too (subtle advertising 🧸). We had a wonderful month on this beautiful island. In addition to all the activities listed above, we also took a short trip to Krabi and after Koh Phangan undertaken. We particularly liked that everyone was so friendly and cheerful. The country, the landscape, the jungle, and the food are fantastic. This was not our last time in Thailand.

If I had to spontaneously name two family activities in Koh Samui that the kids liked best, they would be Pig Island and the Snake Farm. We experienced the most there, and it was also the most interesting for the kids.

I hope I can inspire you with my post here and give you some valuable tips for your next trip to Samui. Enjoy this wonderful country, and below you will find many great pictures and snapshots.

Impressions of a family vacation in Koh Samui