Bophut & Fisherman Village Place guide

Bophut is split into two places: There's Bophut Beach, sweeping down between Big Buddha and the Maenam beaches, all through towards the Fisherman's Village, taking up the middle section of the beach. The Fisherman's Village has the reputation of being an elegant and well-preserved section of the island, stretching beyond Samui. With the charming wooden Chinese shop-houses interspaced with modern buildings, the entire area has a Mediterranean ambience as fitting for the Village; it was the main French outpost on the island for many years. It's a tranquil spot that's both inviting and soothing, perfect for relaxing with friends and family. If this sounds like paradise, then Trip Guru definitely recommends a visit to Bophut Beach.

Some of the best entertainment hubs in Bophut Beach is teeming with cultural diversity, with pubs such as the Karma Sutra bar, which features Indonesian architectural design, music and delicious food. There's the Billabong Surf Club, which is Australian-inspired, and some of the Western-style pubs and bars are the Emerald Irish Pub, English Pub and the British Sweeney Todd’s Café bar is popular among the local expats, and British tourists. They all offer international and local drinks, delicious food, excellent scenic views and live music for entertainment. In some bar you can relax sitting in comfortable sofa directly in the sand.

From the Koh Samui City Center, you can head to Bophut by hiring a taxi at a fixed rate of 500 baht if you would like some added privacy and just make arrangements with the driver to flag down the taxi's rate to get a better deal. Or you could take a mini bus from the city center to the Fisherman's Village--in comparison, this will only cost about 120 baht. From the Fisherman's Village entrance, you can then choose to take a bike or jeep, and this can cost about 250 to 1000 baht.

Most of the nightlife areas are active and busy around 10:00pm, such as the Billabong Surf Club. There are also places such as the Karma Sutra that open around 7:00pm, and most of these bars close from 1:00 to 2:00am. Do remember to drink in moderation, and to have someone trustworthy around you when bar-hopping, just to be safe.