This year we spent a week in Koh Samui with my three children aged 10, 8 and 6. It was a beautiful place, ruined only slightly by us getting some kind of stomach bug whilst we were there. In a way this actually helped us out, as instead of booking a tour to visit the sights of Koh Samui, we hired a driver. This meant that we could do things at our own pace, which was ideal. Here are the things that we got up to in Koh Samui to give you an idea of what there is to do for families.

1. Visit the temples.

We visited the big golden Buddha as well as Wat Plailem.

Both are close to each other and although there is no entrance fee, there are donation boxes around.

I particularly liked the colourful temples at Wat Plailem. You can also pay 10 Bhat to get some fish food. This is meant to be good luck and the children will love seeing the massive catfish scramble for some food.

2. Visit the waterfall

There are a number of waterfalls in Koh Samui, but the most accessible one is Namuang Waterfall 1. There are elephant rides in this area and you will be asked if you want to pay for a ride when you get out of your car. They were fine when we said no and didn't hassle us further. The waterfall is through the woods and you can swim in it. After seeing a water spider I wasn't keen on this idea!

3. Visit Samui Elephant Sanctuary

Not a cheap outing for a family but a far more ethical one than taking an elephant trek. The Sanctuary opened this year and has 5 elephants. It really was a highlight of our holiday.

4. Take a Kick Boxing Class

We were able to do this as part of our hotel's entertainment program, but you can also arrange to book classes. It was good fun, even in the heat and worth having a go if your children are into martial arts.

5. Learn about the Thai culture

Our hotel was good here with many Thai themed evenings. It also happened that we were in Koh Samui just before the Thai new year and Tak Bhat. This is where Monks are given non perishable foods to use for themselves or the needy.

Things we didn't do:

There are plenty of watersports, including diving, snorkelling (outside Koh Samui) and paragliding. If the weather had been nicer and the boys older, a trip to Ang Thong Marine park would have been lovely, but at a 2hr trip to get there we felt it was too far for us at this time. There are many animal attractions that I would be wary of. Personally there is no way I am getting near enough to a tiger to have my photo with it - feeding one behind a fence at PWP was scary enough. There are also monkey attractions that we chose to avoid as well.

 

There is plenty to do with children in Koh Samui for a week with children. My boys really enjoyed it and would happily go back (if they could guarantee they didn't get ill again!) Have you visited Koh Samui with children? What did you enjoy?