Bangrak Beach

If you have flown into Koh Samui, you have already seen Bangrak from the air. It is the long shallow strip on the north coast, framed at one end by the Big Buddha pier and watched over by the golden Wat Phra Yai temple on its little island. Most people know it as Big Buddha Beach, and most arrive here to catch a boat to Koh Phangan rather than to lay out a towel.

That sets the tone. Bangrak is a working stretch of shoreline, not a postcard. The sand is soft but narrow, and at low tide the bay pulls back to reveal wide flats of pale mud that you can walk across more easily than swim in. At high tide the water returns and the bay softens, and in the windy months the kiteboarders come out to play across the shallows.

What it does have is character. Planes bank low over the bay on their way in, longtail boats nod at their moorings, and a row of relaxed bars and local kitchens runs along the back of the sand. It is the kind of place you come for a slow beer and a sunset, with the temple lit gold behind you, rather than a day of swimming.

Who it suits: anyone who values convenience and atmosphere over a perfect swim. If you are flying in late or out early, or you simply want a relaxed sundowner with the temple as a backdrop, Bangrak delivers and costs almost nothing.

Who should skip it: if your heart is set on clear water and a long swim, head ten minutes along the coast. The calmer, prettier swimming is at Choeng Mon, and the livelier beach scene is at Bophut and Chaweng.