Baan Tai Beach - Mimosa Beach on Koh Samui

At the northwestern end of Koh Samui, Ban Tai beach is compact and secluded. Many tourists do not even know about it, because this place is located at a distance from the main infrastructure of the island and the traffic routes. The sea here has a beautiful turquoise color, it is shallow with a smooth and flat entrance, which is very convenient for kids, but adults have to walk 30 meters to be in the water about half-length. At low tide, the sea can go 10 meters from shore. Big waves on the beach, as a rule, no, except for the rainy season - during this time there is simply nothing to do.

Ban Tai is small, the length of the beach strip is about 1 km, it is surrounded by tall palm trees and other sprawling trees, in the shade of which you can hide from the scorching rays. The sand is very fine, almost white. But there is a significant disadvantage - the sharp rocks at the entrance to the sea and a wide strip of dark algae a few meters from the shore to the water, swimming over which is not very pleasant. In April the water here starts to bloom, so for swimming at this period is better to choose another beach on Koh Samui.

Structure of the beach

Ban Tai Beach in the west borders the modest Bang Po, even flows seamlessly into it, and in the east it rests in Maenam - one of the main centers of family holidays on Koh Samui. The entire area can be divided into two parts. Its right half is studded with large boulders and rather sharp stones, the entrance to the sea here is not very comfortable. The left half, which stretches along the hotel Mimosa and the eponymous restaurant, is more crowded. The coast here is covered with amazing white sand, the beach is much wider, the entrance to the water is clean and comfortable. This is the place and fancied for the rest of moms with babies, living in nearby hotels and private houses.

The sandy part of the beach is bounded by a rocky promontory, behind which there are large and picturesque stones. Nudists like to sunbathe here. You can get to this area by water, by swimming or wading, or over a rock.

How to get there

It is not very difficult to find Ban Tai on Koh Samui, but you need to get to it by transport - it is more convenient to rent a bike. The first thing to do is to take the ring road from Maenam Beach to Nathon. If you see a billboard for the Mimosa Resort hotel and a 7/11 supermarket on the corner, you must turn onto a secondary road.

To make sure no one misses the turn, there is also a blue placard stating that this road leads to a public beach. After that, you have to keep going in a straight line until the road ends at the motorcycle parking lot and the coastal strip by the sea. At this point, the beach is not very clean and comfortable, so you can drive further by turning left and following the water's edge.

After Mimosa Resort the next hotel is Kho Samui Resort - here you should look for a place to leave your bike. The road along the sea is limited by a fence with barbed wire, and it is impossible for two vehicles to pass each other here, and there are signs that say "private area" everywhere, so do not park your bike on the side of the road, it is better to do it in the parking lot near the hotel.

Hotels and homes for rent

On Koh Samui within a kilometer of Ban Tai Beach there are several accommodation options. First of all, these are hotels of different categories, which are located on the first line, the most popular of them are Mimosa Resort & Spa 4 *, Kho Samui Resort 3 * and Baan Kuasakul Resort. On the rocky part of the beach is a 5-star hotel The Lotus Terraces.

Along the coast and outside the ring road closer to the center of Samui there are many private houses that are constantly rented. During the high season they are almost entirely occupied by families with young children.

Infrastructure and Entertainment

Most of the infrastructure is concentrated around the beach - on the neighboring streets and sides of the highway. On the way to the sea there are small stores, a supermarket "7/11", a laundry and a motorcycle rental shop. To get to the nearest hypermarket will have to travel by car for 40 minutes. Without leaving Ban Tai, you can eat at one of the hotel restaurants. Sometimes on the next lane pancake maker runs, on the beach sells cocktails.

There are sun loungers on Ban Tai only at the part where it expands to form a sandy area, and it is always quite crowded. There are deciduous trees and palm trees all along the beachfront, with hammocks and rope swings hanging from the branches.

There is also an excellent Thai massage here, the price is higher (8$) than on other Samui beaches (5$), but it is well worth it. Many lovers of romance come here to enjoy the magnificent rocky scenery against the backdrop of the sunset.

There is no other entertainment on the beach, you will not find noisy parties and fun discos, there is no nightlife. This place is ideal for those who crave solitude and isolation from civilization, as well as mothers and families with children, especially small ones. Kids here can spend hours splashing in the water and will find companions to play with.

Ban Tai is a picturesque, quiet and secluded spot on Koh Samui. You can feel the peace and relaxation here even in winter, not to mention the low season in summer. Disturb the peace can only noisy kids, but it can hide from them in the sparsely populated part of the beach. The lack of high waves, a smooth descent into the water, "Maldivian" sand and amazing sea beauty - the distinctive features of the beach. It will be an ideal place for a holiday with the kids or for a romantic couple who wants privacy and fully enjoy the magnificent exotic scenery.