Bang Por Beach is located in the northern part of the island, between Thong Plu Bay and Ban Thai Beach.
The length of Bang Por is about 2 miles (3 km), stretching from east to west between the shoreline and the Ring Road. On the west side, the road runs literally 100-150 feet (30-50 m) from the sea, and near a small hill in the middle of Bang Por, the road moves further away from the water up to 650 feet (200 metres).
Beach Overview
The beach is about 65 feet (20 metres) wide and remains fairly consistent throughout its length, as does its slope towards the water. There are two areas with washed-up soil where two drainage channels meet the sea, which are empty during the dry season but turn into small rivers during the rainy season and erode the beaches with runoff water.
In these places, shoals have formed on the beach. Covered with large yellow sand, Bang Por has in some places a rocky and sometimes muddy, shallow seabed where you can’t walk barefoot with a smile on your face.
You’ll need special footwear and to move 150-30 feet (50-10 metres) away from the shore to get waist-deep in water. Although the sea at Bang Por isn’t the most convenient for swimming, there are many hotels and resorts built along the beach whose owners maintain cleanliness and order in front of their properties.
There are several empty, undeveloped areas opposite which the beach has an untouched appearance and piles of rubbish in the surf line. But overall Bang Por leaves a pleasant impression of being well-kept and civilised. There are no grand hotels on the beach.
The dense development creates an impression of privacy, and the sea is an acquired taste – all this contributes to the small number of holidaymakers on the shore. If anyone is interested in reading about other places, I have a brief overview of all Samui beaches to help you decide which beach to choose.
Swimming
At low tide, the sea retreats from the shore by about 30 feet (ten metres), with coral growth and shallow water along Bang Por Beach extending 500-650 feet (150-200 metres). When entering the water, small stones get underfoot and the sticky bottom can be a nuisance.
There are boulders so large that they can be seen 300 feet (hundred metres) from shore (in the left part of the beach; the right side doesn’t have this). On the left part of the beach in the water, in the surf line, there’s a brown suspension and black spots on the bottom.
The best time for swimming at Bang Por, especially for children, is in the morning hours when the ebb tide hasn’t yet begun and the sea covers those 30 feet (10 m) of sandy beach. Waves are regularly absent here and only appear during bad weather and strong winds.
It’s worth noting that in autumn-winter there’s much more water, and during this period the beach becomes better: it’s slightly deeper, and the coral strip becomes 30-65 feet (10-20 metres) further out.
Sunbeds and Shade
Beach equipment for relaxation is presented in the form of sun loungers arranged on the private territory of hotels, sometimes on the public beach. There’s no rental of sun loungers or beach umbrellas.
But there are plenty of palm trees and deciduous trees which allow you to comfortably organise your leisure time on the beach with just a straw mat.
Beach Photos
Amenities
Due to its shallowness and low attendance, Bang Por hasn’t acquired beach entertainments like jet ski rentals, water banana boats or inflatable castles. Massage huts and kayak rentals pop up in places, but the main activity available at Bang Por is beach “dolce far niente” (sweet doing nothing).
Bang Por’s location between Samui’s most popular northern beach – Maenam, and the rather hermit-like Thong Plu, has created a sparse infrastructure around the beach. Along the road you can find a couple of mini-markets, numerous Thai cafes and food stalls.
There are several restaurants with sea views, a few laundries, bottle refill stations – basically the minimum requirements for such a beach. Bang Por is attractive because while being away from the main life of the island, it hasn’t turned into a sleepy kingdom like Taling Ngam, but it’s not buzzing with activity either.
Maenam is more lively in this respect. Hypermarkets are located about half an hour’s drive away, and it’s about 15 minutes by car to the Lomprayah and Seatran Ferry piers. It takes about forty minutes to drive to the airport, provided there are no accidents along the route.
Traffic on the Ring Road along Bang Por is quite intense, and cars drive at higher speeds than at Maenam. The nearest attractions to the beach are:
- At the highest point of the pass there’s a viewpoint pavilion with views of Thong Plu, Bang Por and neighbouring Ko Phangan.
- A hundred metres from the pavilion there’s a road going steeply upwards to villas on the mountain. There’s a spot with a stunning sunset view.
- Closer to Nathon, in the interior of the island, there’s a waterfall called Zong Raue which isn’t popular with tourists but is extraordinarily charming.
Accommodation
The development along Bang Por is quite dense, especially in the eastern half of the beach after the road turns. While in the west there are single restaurant buildings along the water, the east is occupied by full-fledged resorts with 10-15 houses on territory closed off from prying eyes.
The main selection of houses begins beyond the Ring Road, with a significant price range. And if you’re an unpretentious person who isn’t bothered by the absence of a swimming pool and green territory, you can easily find a one-bedroom house without renovation, with internet and 5 baht per unit of electricity, costing 10,000 baht per month.
Although the selection isn’t very rich, nevertheless hotels near Bang Por Beach can be found to suit any taste and budget, from luxurious posh ones to simple wooden bungalows.
- Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui 5
- Natural Wing Health SPA & Resort 4
- Bangpo Village 2
- New Sunrise Village Bang Po Beach 3
All these are hotels with accommodation in bungalows or detached houses. Panalee Resort 3 is an example of a hotel with a multi-storey building, pleasant interiors and green grounds.
How to Find the Beach
The sea’s swimmability is the same throughout its length, so if you don’t mind which part of the beach you visit, head to its middle where there’s a large vacant lot where you can get close to the water by car.
In general, access to the beach is possible anywhere, including through resort territories.
