The landscaped hillside grounds at Butterfly Hill in Koh Samui are home to hundreds of colorful butterflies, as well as insects, moths, and bees. Tropical flowers add to the Garden of Eden–like setting, and picturesque views from its hilltop position showcase the island and the sea. Plus, you can take a walk to a nearby waterfall to cool off.
Take a walk beneath the water as sharks and rays glide overhead at Underwater World Pattaya. This walk-through aquarium highlights the diverse range of marine creatures found in Thai waters, from shallow rock-pool dwellers to colorful coral and deep-ocean fish. More than 2,500 critters are on display, representing some 200 species.
Bangkok is one of Asia’s most exciting capital cities, and there’s plenty to keep visitors entertained while in port. Bangkok Cruise Port (Laem Chabang) is a popular start or end destination for cruises to China, Singapore, and Southeast Asia, welcoming cruise liners from Viking, Windstar, and Silversea, among others.
Seclusion and solitude might be hard to find on Koh Tao, one of Thailand’s most popular islands, but on its southeastern side, between Sai Daeng Beach to the north and Tanote Beach to the south, lies the 65-foot-long (20-meter Aow Leuk Beach. This stretch of sand is slightly more remote so the large crowds stay away.
One of several Talu Islands in Thailand, the Koh Talu Island Resort is a private island off Bang Saphan in the Gulf of Thailand with a dramatic natural stone arch. The white sand beach offers gorgeous sunset views, while activities run from snorkeling and diving to kayaking, sailing, hiking, massage, and cooking classes.
Head to the beachside Pattaya Water Park to cool off from the hot Thai sun. The classic water park features everything you need for a day of fun in the sun, including a lazy river, wading pool for toddlers, water slides, a whirlpool, and private beach access for swimming in the Gulf of Thailand.
Sometimes known as Ripley’s World, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Pattaya combines seven distinct attractions. The classic Ripley’s “Odditorium,” with 10 galleries of bizarre exhibits, is the star of the show. But you can also enjoy waxworks, two spectacular mazes, a haunted house, a shooting ride, and a “9D” multisensory moving cinema.
Nobody goes to Pattaya for the snow, but Frost Magical Ice of Siam, a wintry theme park kept at a temperature of 14°F (-10°C), features plenty of ice. Inside the chilled dome, enjoy ice carvings themed around the Arctic, an ice bar, an ice slide, and even an ice tuk-tuk. Outdoors, view white-sand sculptures inspired by Thai culture.
Big, bold, and glitzy, with an exterior modeled on the Roman Colosseum and plenty of marble, the Colosseum is one of Pattaya’s top cabaret venues. Transgender performers deliver a family-friendly show three times a night in one of the city’s largest theaters, with a lounge bar. Costumes are fabulous, and the lighting is spectacular.
Covering 8 acres (3 hectares) of downtown Hua Hin, Vana Nava Water Jungle is one of Thailand’s largest water parks. In addition to around 20 slides and rides, some of which will thrill even adults, the park has a kids’ zone, food options, massage stations, and retail outlets. The adventure area features a ropes course, surf simulator, and climbing wall.
Home to a collection of more than 2,000 teddy bears spread across 13 different themed zones, the Pattaya Teddy Bear Museum (also known as Teddy Island) is exactly what it sounds like. Unlike at traditional toy museums, though, where exhibits are kept behind glass, here visitors are free to pose with the bears. There’s a well-equipped gift store, too.
The 10-acres (40,000-square-meter Black Mountain Water Park is one of the most popular regional attractions. Large, clean, and staffed with lifeguards, this waterpark has all the crowd-pleasers, including Thailand’s biggest wave pool, lazy river, zero-entry pool, children’s pool, and a 56-foot (17-meter tall tower with nine water slides.
Chaweng Beach (Hat Chaweng) is Koh Samui’s longest, and perhaps loveliest, beach. A clear blue-green sea, palm trees, coral reefs, and a lively nightlife scene come together to create a laid-back party vibe at Chaweng, the second-biggest resort hub on the island. Ideal for swimming and water sports, the 3-mile (5-kilometer) crescent of white sand is bookended by rocky headlands.
In keeping with Ko Pha Ngan’s party spirit, Slip N Fly is more than just a water park. It’s a daytime pool party, with two 130-foot (40-meter) slides, a couple of smaller slides, a large freshwater pool, plus dancers, musicians, and DJs. As you’d expect, the island’s notorious “bucket” drink options flow throughout the day.
Lamai Beach vies with Chaweng Beach for the title of Koh Samui’s prettiest beach, especially along its less coral-strewn southern stretches. Less developed than Chaweng, and therefore more relaxed, Lamai offers year-round swimming, and boasts the granite rock formations known as Grandmother and Grandfather. As Lamai has grown in popularity, the backpacking crowd has been replaced with resort seekers.
Set on a hill in Chaweng, High Park Samui is a small water park with an adventure zone that also hosts regular pool parties and foam parties. Besides several pools, two large slides, two climbing walls, a zipline, a freefall vertical drop, and bumper-car drift racing, enjoy massages, sunset views, DJs, and food and drink.
Set within gardens in western Hua Hin, the Hua Hin Artist Village (Baan Sillapin) is a colorful community of local artists. Enter the plain-looking gateway into a tropical haven of huts and studios to watch creatives at work, join art workshops, and view and buy paintings, antiques, and crafts in quirky galleries; afterwards, unwind at a waterside café.
For a relaxing beach day, head to Maenam Beach. This isn’t a party atmosphere like you’ll find on other Koh Samui beaches like Chaweng or Lamai. Grab a lounge chair and a good book, and enjoy the gorgeous caramel-colored 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) stretch of beach. This is one of the best spots on the island to relax, but still close to excellent restaurants and resources.
Fronted by a house balanced on its roof, Upside Down Pattaya is a quirky attraction that’s too small to count as a theme park. Pose for photos inside the upside-down house, where floors work as ceilings and vice versa; spin on an astronaut-style gyroscope; explore the labyrinth; enjoy the leaning castle; or brave the wobbly bicycles.
The Thai Alangkarn Theater troupe entertains up to 2,000 guests on the huge modern stage, complete with parading elephants, fireworks, a laser show, and historical reenactments during the Alangkarn Pattaya Show extravaganza. The facility also includes a 1,000-seat restaurant for dinner shows and a cultural market.
Samui Water Park Pink Elephant boasts an impressive 15 slides, including the Twister and Superbowl high slides. With a wave pool, lazy river, food and drink outlets, and Jacuzzis, it’s the island’s dominant water park. This family-friendly venue has plenty to offer younger children in particular.
The aptly named Magic Eye 3D Museum in Hat Yai isn’t your ordinary museum. The halls of this whimsical attraction are painted floor to ceiling with more than 100 scenes and murals that create a 3D illusion, especially when captured through the lens of a camera; visitors are meant to step inside and become part of the paintings.
Don’t let the name deceive you: Hat Yai Municipal Park (Hatyai City Park) is both larger and less urban than the name would suggest. Home to lakes, pavilions, a cable car, a playground, a waterfall, an astronomical observatory, and a range of temples—one featuring a towering golden Buddha—it sprawls around and over lush hills just east of Hat Yai city.
Ko Chang’s most popular waterfall, Klong Plu Waterfall tumbles down three tiers of rocks into a swimmable pool. But it’s not really the falls that are the star attraction here: It’s the fish. Freshwater critters, including tiny “doctor fish”, frequent the swimming hole’s clear waters. The doctor fish nibble on dead skin to deliver a natural pedicure.
As well as serving as a center for marine research, Bang Saen Aquarium (Institute of Marine Science) is a creatively curated museum dedicated to underwater wonders. It’s split into three zones, where you can marvel at rock pools, watch films about the sea in a theater, see models of whales and sharks suspended from the ceiling, and more.
