Half-Day Temples & Viewpoints Island Tour with Pickup Koh Samui

Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

The Big Buddha of Wat Phra Yai is the best-known landmark on Koh Samui. The golden statue, around 12 metres high and built in the early 1970s, sits on Koh Faan, a small islet in the north-east of the island joined to the shore by a causeway. A broad staircase guarded by colourful naga serpents leads up to the terrace, where the Buddha looks out over the sea.

From the top you can see across to Koh Phangan on clear days, and planes descending to the nearby airport pass low overhead. The temple is free to enter but is an active place of worship: remove your shoes where signs ask, keep your shoulders and knees covered, and walk clockwise around the statue as local visitors do. Most visitors spend 20 to 30 minutes here.

Wat Plai Laem

A few minutes from the Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem is one of the most photogenic temples on Koh Samui. Its centrepiece is a huge white statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, with 18 arms, standing on a platform in a lake. Around it are a laughing Buddha figure and an ornate Thai-style ordination hall decorated with murals and coloured glass, also seemingly floating on the water.

The temple blends Thai and Chinese traditions and is popular with local families who come to pray and feed the fish in the lake. It is a calm stop, and your guide explains the meaning of the statues and the symbols around them. Allow about 20 minutes to walk around and take photos from the bridges.

Lad Koh Viewpoint and Hin Ta Hin Yai

On the coastal road between Chaweng and Lamai, Lad Koh Viewpoint is a rocky headland with wide views over turquoise water, granite boulders and the curve of the east coast. It is a short stop, perfect for photos, and on clear mornings the colours of the sea are at their brightest.

Further south, at the end of Lamai Beach, are Hin Ta and Hin Yai, also called Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. These natural granite formations are linked to a local legend of an elderly couple lost at sea, and their unusual shapes make them one of the most talked-about sights on the island. Waves crash against the rocks and a small market sells coconut sweets nearby.

Wat Khunaram and the Mummified Monk

In the south of the island, Wat Khunaram is visited for one remarkable reason: the preserved body of Luang Pho Daeng, a respected local monk who died in 1973 while seated in meditation. As he had wished, his body was placed upright in a glass case, where it has remained ever since, still in the meditation posture and draped in saffron robes.

The sight is unusual and moving, and the temple asks visitors to be quiet and respectful, with shoulders and knees covered. Your guide shares the story of the monk and why he is revered by islanders, and you have time to look around the temple grounds before continuing towards the waterfall. Photos are allowed, but keep your voice low near the shrine.

Na Muang Waterfall

Na Muang is the best-known waterfall on Koh Samui, set in the forested hills in the centre-south of the island. The first tier, about 18 metres high, pours over striking purple-brown rock into a natural pool where you can cool off after the temples. Wear shoes with grip, because the rocks around the water are slippery.

The waterfall is at its fullest after the rains, from about October to January, and quieter in the dry months, but it is pleasant all year thanks to the shade of the jungle. Bring swimwear if you would like to take a dip, and some cash for snacks or fresh coconut at the stalls near the entrance. It is the perfect natural finale before the drive back to your hotel.