The most  popular beaches of Koh Samui  lie in the eastern part of the island, but the west, including Samui`s only town, Nathon, also offers interesting places like temples, waterfalls, or scenic view points. In  this tour description we assume that you start at Chaweng but of course you can visit the suggested places just as easily from Maenam or Lamai (just have a short look at our map.) You need either a rental car or motorbike or you must find a songthaew (the local version of a bus) that takes you from Chaweng on highway No. 4169 (the circle islandroad) to Maenam Beach. A little coconut monkey On the way you can make a stop at the   Samui Monkey Theatre. Koh Samui is full of coconut palms and most of the coconuts are not picked by humans, but by macaque monkeys! These small, clever monkeys are trained to climb up the trees, select the best, and pluck the choice coconuts. The monkey theatre offers daily shows, one in the morning and two in the afternoon. In addition, you will find all over the island in the plantations opportunities to watch the coconut monkeys at work, usually for a modest entrance fee, for instance about 10 kilometers past Maenam on the west coast of Koh Samui. Maenam is a relatively large village with many shops and diving centers. Its beach is, along with Chaweng, the prettiest of Samui Island: a gently curved bay with fine, golden-yellow sand. You can see the green silhouette of Ko Phangan, the big island north of Ko Samui, very clearly from Maenam. A lot of small hotels are located in Maenam, as well as the Dusit Santi Buri, a large elegant hotel. From Maenam,the next stop is Hin Lad Waterfall. Drive on on the main road past Nathon. The road runs parallel to the sea and on the way you will able to enjoy beautiful views of the deep blue sea and of Ko Phangan. At the first major intersection after Nathon, leave highway No. 4169 and turn left into highway No. 4172. After about 1 kilometer you get to a parking lot. In order to reach the waterfalls a 30 minute walk upstream along the river with its many pools  is necessary. The walk itself is very pleasant (but don`t forget to take a bottle of water and some fresh fruit to snack on!), but you should not expect too much from the waterfall - in the dry season it is often just a little trickle and not at all impressive When you are back at the parking lot you can visit the charming little forest monastery called Wat Hin Lad or Suan Dhamapala. The buildings are not very sophisticated, but they are located in a beautiful garden with lots of tropical trees and flowers and scents and singing birds - and lots of signs with Buddhist wise sayings attached to them! Please make sure that your attire is correct (see Temple Etiquette). The monks are friendly and will probably let you look inside the temple halls (don`t forget to leave a donation in the donation box). This monastery is a very lovely and tranquil place  and should not be missed. The Elephant Gate of Wat Taling Ngam After your visit to the waterfall, return to highway No. 4169 and head south  (left) until the second major intersection (with highway No. 4170). Turn right (in the direction of the sea) and follow the road until you reach the village Baan Taling Ngam. You will come to a large gate flanked by the statues of two large elephants (the entrance to the village) and if you drive through it you will find another noteworthy temple of  Koh Samui,Wat Taling Ngam (also called Wat Kiri Wongkaram). Although you should not expect too much from its architecture, it is a nice Wat with banyan trees in the courtyard. The most important relic here is a mummy - the mummified remains of a monk (this - the fact that the body of a person does not decay normally after death - is viewed in Thailand as a sign of high spiritual achievement, as a kind of victory of spirit over matter). The body is encased in a glass shrine - not a beautiful, but an interesting sight! View from the cliffs of Ban Taling Ngam If you still do not feel like going back to your hotel - and if you are dressed not too casually, you can make on your way back a stop at the  Baan Taling Ngam Hotel. This elegant resort has been built on a high cliff and offers - besides an elegant atmosphere for dining or sipping a drink at the bar - wonderful and spectacular views of the Gulf of Siam and the little islands of the Anthong Marine Park. Head back north from the temple on highway No. 4172 (not highway No. 4170 on which you arrived) along the coast. There is a sign on the left side of the road after about 2 kilometers. The road to the hotel is very steep!  But you will be rewarded once you arrive - they have an open-air restaurant and a lovely cocktail lounge.  It`s expensive, but very much recommended! If you have enough time, stay until sunset (the sunsets are very beautiful here) - but remember that you still have to drive back!

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