Ko Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 84 kilometers east of Surat Thani Province, or approximately 700 kilometers south of Bangkok. Known as the Coconut Island, Ko Samui is one of the most famous and popular attractions of Thailand. With an area of 247 square kilometers, Ko Samui is the third largest island of Thailand after Phuket and Ko Chang (of Trat Province). The topography of the island is that of a plain with a mountain range in the middle and 7 important streams. In addition, there is a 50-kilometer paved road that encircles the island. Moreover, the area of the island stretches to a group of 48 surrounding islets.

Despite the fast pace of development, Ko Samui has been able to maintain its charm its classical image of a tropical beach resort fringed by coconut trees. Travelers to the island can enjoy a mixed blessing of vibrant day and nightlife along side with tranquility which can easily be found across different parts of Ko Samui as the archipelago is a peaceful home for fishermen and a natural den for seagulls and other rare birds.

The island has a lot of beaches to enjoy. Maenam Beach is one of the most popular, a delightful stretch of yellow sand on the north coast of Samui. It has for years been neglected and talked down by the guidebooks, yet it has some excellent stretch of sand that takes around two to three hours to walk the full length of. For those who are after a sleepy old style beach holiday, Mae Nam is really difficult to fault. The waters are calm most of the year and in places are shallow a long way out making this an ideal location for families with small children.

Thumping beach parties till the early hours are the exceptional rather than the norm -- a fresh change from many other beaches in the area. Another fine advantage of Mae Nam is that the main road runs a long way back off the beach, so there is very little in the way of traffic noise for much of the length of the beach.

Along the beach's entirety great vistas of Ko Pha Ngan are in abundant supply, and the sunsets from the eastern end of Mae Nam can be simply magnificent.