Amari Koh Samui

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Chaweng is the loud end of Samui, and this place puts you right in it. That's the whole point. You get restaurants, shops and bars within walking distance, and a resort with enough polish that you can retreat from all of it when you've had your fill. If you're after silence and an empty stretch of sand, book somewhere on the south or west coast instead. This isn't that, and pretending otherwise sets you up for disappointment.

Inside the grounds there are three restaurants plus an open-air bar, so you can go a couple of days without leaving if you can't face the strip. There's an outdoor pool, which I'd use in the late afternoon when the beach crowds are at their worst, and a spa on site. It's an Amari, so the standard is consistent rather than surprising. That suits a lot of travellers just fine, particularly families and anyone who wants a known quantity for a first trip to the island.