What is a good 2 day itinerary for Koh Samui with families?

This itinerary is a suggested rhythm, not a fixed schedule. Swap days around based on weather and energy, the only thing worth protecting is the early afternoon nap and pool window if you've got a napping toddler.

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Temples, Choeng Mon beach and the fire show

• Morning: Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem
• Midday: Carnival Beach Club at Choeng Mon
• Afternoon: Back to the hotel, nap and pool time
• Evening: Fisherman's Village, dinner at the market, then the CocoTam's fire show

Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem

Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem sit close together and are both flexible in how long they take, which makes them easy to fit around a young family's pace rather than the other way round. Wat Plai Laem is particularly good with kids, it's open and spacious. Dress appropriately for both temples.

Carnival Beach Club

Once you're done at the temples, head to Carnival Beach Club, on Choeng Mon beach, our pick for families on this beach specifically. It has a shallow pool and small play area for younger kids, plus paddleboards and jet skis are available on the beach if anyone older wants something more active. Back to the hotel for a nap and pool time once you've had enough.

Fisherman's Village

Fisherman's Village only really comes alive in the evening, so it's deliberately placed here rather than as a morning wander. It's easy to get around with young kids, so eat at the market itself, plenty of options to wander and pick something.

CocoTam's fire show

Kids can play in the sand while you settle in, and the parents get a cocktail before the show starts.

Elephants and a loop around the island

• Morning: Samui Elephant Kingdom in Taling Ngam
• On the way: scenic loop, east on the way there, west on the way back
• Late afternoon: swim and dinner at Karma Two Palms in Bang Por

Samui Elephant Kingdom

Samui Elephant Kingdom in Taling Ngam is fully ethical, observation-only with a raised skywalk, no riding. It's the one big outing of the trip, and a good excuse to see more of the island.

Half-day tours typically include hotel pickup and lunch.

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If you drive yourself, it's about a 35-minute drive each way, easily enough for a car nap if needed, and a good excuse to make a loop of it rather than driving there and back the same way.

Go to Samui Elephant Kingdom first, take the scenic route, head east on the way there and west on the way back, effectively a loop around the island rather than a straight there-and-back and you make sure you're on the right side of the island for sunset on the way back.

It's not strenuous, just a change of scenery through parts of Samui you won't otherwise see on this trip.

Karma Two Palms

On the way back, stop at Karma Two Palms in Bang Por. It's a relaxed beach club rather than a straightforward restaurant, so if you're arriving in the late afternoon, it's a good spot for the kids to have a swim first before you settle in for dinner and the sunset. Good with kids, with plenty of space to run around and a long stretch of beach.

What do we do if it starts raining?

If you get caught out and rain disrupts your plans, be assured that rain often comes thick and fast in Koh Samui, you can wait it out at several good options for families during the rain.