Hat Sai Kaew beach, Ko Samet

Koo Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya - Ko Samet National Park, which encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland, as well as various islands in the region.“Diamond Beach” (also known as “Crystal Sand Beach”), is an especially beautiful and popular beach for Thais and expats living in Bangkok during long weekends. Hat Sai Kaeo is about one-third of a mile long and is filled with things to do. In addition to swimming, many tourists enjoy jet skiing, windsurfing and riding banana boats — a long, yellow inflated float that bounces riders off if they don’t hang on tightly enough.

Where you choose to stay on Ko Samet depends largely on what your ideal scene is. The east coast is the most popular, as it's dotted with sandy beaches, coves and most of the island's restaurants, bars and accommodation. The tiny west coast beach is more secluded and upscale, with only three top-end resorts to choose from. Though the nightlife on the west coast is fairly limited, the resort bars see a fairly good crowd coming to watch the sunset over the water.