Explorar Koh Samui

The pool is the point here. It runs out toward the Gulf of Thailand, and if you're the sort who books a resort to spend most of the day in and around the water with a drink in reach, this one earns its keep. Rooms are contemporary and pared back rather than teak-and-silk traditional Thai, which suits some people and leaves others cold. Know which you are before you book.

Mae Nam sits on the quieter northern coast, and that's the trade-off. The beach is calmer and less built up than Chaweng or Lamai, but you're a fair way from either. If your idea of a vacation involves walking out of the lobby into bars and night markets, this isn't your resort. If it involves an on-site bar, an early night and nothing much on the schedule, it very much is. I'd say couples get the most out of it.