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One of many idyllic beaches in Koh Samui

New in 2006, Sunsail offer chartering in Thailand from our base in the Gulf of Thailand on the island of Koh Samui. Located 50 miles off the coast of Suratthani and about 340 miles south of Bangkok, Koh Samui’s unique style means it is is rapidly becoming one of Thailand’s most popular destinations. Due to its unique location, Koh Samui and its surrounding islands offer fine and dry weather in the European Summer season of May to September. Yachts can be chartered any day for any duration between May and September.

The island, Thailand's third largest, measures 13 miles at its widest point and 15 miles at its longest and is one of a group of 80 tropical islands, most of them deserted. A mountain ridge runs east to west and the rich hues of wild vegetation inland are dappled throughout with the contrasting greens of coconut palms and emerald paddy fields. The local population of a mere 34,000 consists mainly of Buddhist Thais and until the recent arrival of tourism, coconut farming and fishing were the main sources of income. The latter are still practiced though to a lesser extent and the fish you’ll eat in the many restaurants and hotel dining rooms comes from the surrounding waters.

The largest and most popular beaches on Koh Samui are Chaweng, Lamai, Maenam and Bo Phut where Sunsail is based. Bo Phut has followed a low-key approach, transforming itself from a fisherman’s village to a classy, friendly beachfront restaurant area. This is the best anchorage on Samui and a great place to start your charter.

Away from the beaches there is still so much to see and do. If you have time after your charter why not try your hand at golf, bungy jumping, elephant trekking, canopy tours, Thai cooking courses or the popular all encompassing jungle safari? All be booked through our office.

Cruising notes

Koh Phangan
Meaning ‘island meets sandy beach’, Phangan can only be reached by boat and with only one 5 star hotel still counts coconut exporting as its main income above tourism. Although there are a few tarmac roads it’s not advisable to hire a motorbike on this island. 70% of the island is still jungle with the lowland area being coconut plantations and although originally settled by Muslim sea gypsies from the Malay peninsular, today Thai Chinese Buddhists make up the majority of the islands 8000 permanent inhabitants.

Significantly quieter than Koh Samui, enjoy a deserted picture perfect anchorage off a tropical beach. Thong Nai Pan is the favourite anchorage on this island, just round the corner from the popular Than Sadet Falls. This large double bay offers a flat anchorage throughout the season with a wide sandy beach, clear waters and a great selection of restaurants. On your sail from here to Koh Tao, be sure to stop at Sail Rock for a swim or snorkel as it’s rated one of the top dive sites in the world.

Koh Tao
Marking the northern limit of our cruising area Tao (or Turtle) island is 50 miles off the mainland. Koh Tao today is far removed from the prison island it was just 50 years ago. Relying on generators for electric, rain to sustain it’s water requirements and sporting only one tarmac road, this diving mecca still caters for the budget traveler, although things are changing fast. Ferry links to Koh Samui and the mainland have led to an explosion in the number of dive tour operators on Koh Tao and Spa resorts are also moving in on this paradise island. But don’t worry - with over 30 dive and snorkeling sites dotted around the island there’s still enough space to accommodate everyone!

It’s worth spending three days up here visiting all the top dive spots or booking up for one of the very cheap dive instruction courses. The luxury of being on a yacht means you have the stunning boulder lined bays to yourself after the procession of dive boats head home for the evening. Every anchorage has live coral in it so be careful when dropping anchor in the near crystal clear water with fish ranging from little 'Nemo’s' to reef sharks.

The rugged terrain of Koh Tao is crossed by several jungle trails and the reasonably fit should be able to explore the island in about half an hour. If walking isn’t for you, all the restaurants on the east coast have a 4WD and will have a pretty good attempt at driving you over the mountain to town. Mee Haad, the main town, consists of two streets always bustling with activity and everything you need from ATMs to internet, ice cubes to iced beer.

Ang Thong National Park
This group of islands is a good days sail from Koh Samui or Koh Tao, but well worth the trip as for most charterers this is the highlight of their holiday. If heading out here make sure you have plenty of provisions as the only restaurant often runs short of supplies in high season! Managed efficiently by the park wardens, these islands remain undeveloped and pristine, pretty much as Alex Garland describes them in his book The Beach. There are several well maintained jungle trails leading to hidden lakes, caves and panoramic views, but most are best attempted early in the morning wearing stout shoes.

Day-tripper boats visit the islands but depart in the afternoon leaving Sunsail yachts alone to enjoy the peace. Rising steeply out of the shallow emerald green water, these towering Jurassic islands and the wildlife on them, remain as they were thousands of years ago. Despite a few rocks that need to be avoided, trying to choose from the hundreds of perfect locations is the only problem when picking a spot to safely anchor for the night.