Thailand’s third largest island is only an 80-minute flight from Bangkok.

White sands, tall coconut trees, dense foliage, rocky hills, and small coves – this is Koh Samui. Images like these are so like other famous islands of Thailand, Phuket, Koh Chang and Koh Samet, but Koh Samui has secrets and quiet allures that set it apart from all others.

The main town, Nathon, houses the basic necessities, including a post office and retail shops, but the experience of the island is in the surrounding areas. On this minute island the beaches of Chaweng, Lamai and Maenam offer the shade of palm trees, bars and restaurants hidden in the background, and perfect weather conditions most months of the year. Near the airport is the Temple of the Big Buddha, where a flight of stairs leads to a 12-metre golden statue sitting on an islet. He guards the area’s many small standing and reclining images and has a view of the bazaar down below, where vendors sell everything from cotton shirts to religious talismans.

The island’s three inland waterfalls are made for quiet afternoon picnics or cooling swims. A few kilometres away, the Bophut fishing village is a trip back into time, with its old beachfront houses and slow pace of life.