Chaweng

Chaweng is definitely the liveliest and busiest place on Samui.

Here you’ve got everything you could want and then some more.This is largely due to the fact that Chaweng Beach is one of best on the island. Since Samui arrived on the global tourist map, local and international hoteliers have been occupying the beachfront here. The main street runs parallel to the beach, where the highest concentration of everything tourist is.

When people come to Samui to party this is the place they base themselves and besides a quick trip to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party many never leave. The main area for clubbing and lively bars is the Soi Green Mango, a circular street that runs off the main thoroughfare in the centre of Chaweng.

Here you’ll find bar after bar, some with ladies for entertainment, others without. The Green Mango is a huge open-air club at the very back. Other clubs and bars in the nearby area include Sound and Solo Bar. If you want to party into the small hours this is where you want to be. There’s also a few Beach Bars that party into the night, including the infamous Ark Bar, of which there are now 2. The Lake View on Chaweng Lake has also recently re-opened, International club events such as Ministry of Sound are held there. 

You’re never more than a bottle of water away from the likes of 7-11 or Family Mart. Here you can pretty much find whatever you need in holiday size packets. All your regular toiletries, sunscreens, mosquito repellents. You can also buy beer, spirits and cigarettes. As with any local store or 7-11 elsewhere on the planet, there are plenty of drinks, snacks and scary looking hotdogs!

The other reoccurring phenomenon is pharmacies. They are everywhere, stocking many of the same items as 7-11, with the addition of all your medicinal needs. Items that you may need a prescription for in your home country can be bought over the counter here.  The staff are highly qualified pharmacists and speak relatively good English.

The rest of the 7 kilometre street is filled with all sorts, tailors for your custom made suit or dress, market stalls selling all the usual wares, watch shops, tattoo parlours, boutique clothes and shoe stores.

Besides all the shops there are plenty of bars and restaurants the full length of Chaweng, with every theme you can think of. There are many seafood restaurants, with some of the finest fish and shell food at fantastic prices.

There are plenty of ATM’s, local banks and money exchange services throughout Chaweng.

Last but not least, tour agents for your safari tours, day trips or diving outings, bike and car hire, with massage and spa operators making up the rest.

Around the back of the main street of Chaweng is the lake. Around the lake are many side streets running left and right packed with bars, massage and road-side eateries. 

On the ring road section of Chaweng it's less tourist orientated, with many bike repair shops, bike dealers and the kind of shops expats or locals frequent. There are the big supermarket chains, Lotus-Tesco and Big C and again there are many restaurants and roadside food stops.

As we mentioned earlier, Chaweng has the lot and then some more, it is a busy place, not for everyone but definitely for many.