Laem Nan Beach could be called Samui’s paddling pool. Firstly, it has shallow water with a sandy entrance which is perfect for little ones and secondly, this beach is popular with French tourists.
Laem Nan is located north of Lamai, between Lamai and Tongtakian, beginning and ending with large round rocks characteristic of Samui’s east coast. In terms of its landscape and seabed condition, Laem Nan is very similar to the northern part of Chaweng.
Beach Overview
It has the same shallow, light yellow to brown sand with shell fragments. There’s the same accumulation of silt and stones underwater and a very similar quietness and lack of popularity due to these characteristics.
Thanks to its small length about 2,300 feet (700 metres) and isolation, almost the entire coastline territorially belongs to one of several hotels.
This means the beach cleanliness is perfect and rubbish only appears on the shore during low tides and during strong waves in the rainy season. In case anyone’s interested in reading about other places, I have a brief overview of all Samui beaches to help you decide which beach to choose.
Swimming
The sea at Laem Nan is very shallow from the water’s edge to 1,650 feet (500 metres) from shore, so the tides are very noticeable on the flat beach. During high tide, the water leaves just a couple of metres of sand for sunbeds and umbrellas.
When the water is high, it’s more pleasant to swim with children because the sandy beach temporarily becomes a sandy bottom. As the tide begins to ebb, it recedes 30-100 feet (10-30 metres) in different areas of the beach and approaches the boundary of stones and silt deposits on the bottom.
Here you’ll need to move your feet carefully, choosing where to take your next step. It’s quite a trek to reach deep water, so it’s better to wear swimming shoes.
The waves are much more pleasant than at the deeper neighbouring Lamai. The shallow water at Laem Nan usually dampens large waves and the sea can only become unswimmable during very strong winds in the off-season.
Sunbeds and Shade
Laem Nan Beach is narrow with sparse vegetation along the sea. High water allows for just a couple of rows of sunbeds on the shore. Only some guests come out to swim in the shallow sea and walk around, while others prefer to stay by the pool, enjoying the beautiful view from under the shade of umbrellas.
There are both palm trees and several deciduous trees on the beach itself, some of which are so large that you could fit a company of soldiers with a field kitchen in their shade. In the south of the beach stands one of these giant trees, under which hides a rock – a favourite spot for older children to play pirates.
Beach Photos
Amenities
The area of Samui island around Laem Nan Beach is on the outskirts of Lamai. To be more precise, the turn-off towards Laem Nan is located near the IT Centre on Lamai. On the ring road there’s a Family Market mini-mart, a real estate agency, several other commercial organisations and shops.
Literally 1,000 feet (300 metres) away begins the uphill climb of the Ring Road which leads towards Chaweng past a small number of hotels. All the main amenities, shops, services and facilities are located in Lamai itself.
Laem Nan is built up with luxury hotels and expensive villas so all services are offered to guests as part of a package and included in the rental cost. The beach is usually only visited by guests from nearby hotels and curious tourists on motorbikes.
Entertainment at Laem Nan includes the hotel’s beachfront restaurant with high prices, the well-known private restaurant Uncle Rang and kayak rentals.
Nearby on Lamai are children’s entertainment centres: Dino Park and Aquapark. The nearest Lotus’s hypermarket in Lamai is about ten minutes away by car, even accounting for Lamai traffic jams. It takes about forty minutes to the airport. Near Laem Nan are all the attractions of Lamai:
- Overlap Stone;
- Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks (Hin Ta Hin Yai);
- Valentine Stone;
- Elephant Rock;
- Lamai Cultural Centre.
Accommodation
There are no private houses for rent directly on Laem Nan, only hotels:
- Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & SPA 5
- Samui Tonggad Resort 3
- Palm Coco Mantra 3
- Silavadee Pool SPA Resort 5
But the minute’s proximity to Lamai beach opens up a wide choice of accommodation, both on the shoreline and inside the island, beyond the Ring Road.
How to Find the Beach
The main landmark to not miss the turn towards Laem Nan is IT Complex Samui. If you’re travelling from Chaweng towards Lamai, then when you descend from the last hill of the pass and exit the large bend in the ring road, look carefully to the left. About 150 feet (50 metres) after the IT Complex there will be a secondary road towards the sea.
Then drive straight until you reach the beautiful Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & SPA 5, and a hundred metres after it there will be a crossroads where you need to turn right. This road ends with a car park for five vehicles, after which you’ll need to walk to the beach.
