Thailand is a fantastic incentive travel destination: tropical sunshine, palm-fringed beaches, Buddhist temples, warm hospitality, delicious food and hundreds of islands to explore!

Angela from our incentive team led a consumer incentive group to Koh Samui, Thailand’s second-largest island. These were a few of their highlights …

Incentive group travel in Thailand
The group in front of a statue of Guanyin, the goddess of compassion and mercy.

Buddha Statue, Temples & a Waterfall

The first afternoon was spent settling in to our hotel. Then, the next morning, we set off on a private guided tour of the island. This is an excellent way to see the best that the area has to offer. There is so much more to Koh Samui than shopping, nightlife and beaches!

The day was filled with excellent photo opportunities including the Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai). The temple lies on its own small island connected to Koh Samui by a causeway, and at its heart is a 12-metre golden Buddha statue. One of the most beautiful temples in Thailand in my opinion.

Big Buddha Temple and Wat Plai Laem
Our guided tour included the Big Buddha Temple and Wat Plai Laem.
Day tour around Koh Samui
The beautiful, tropical colours of Thailand

We also stopped at the Na-Muang waterfall and went for a quick dip in the cool waters – a fabulous experience! It is best to get there really early though, before the crowds arrive.

Koh Phangan Full Moon Party

The Full Moon Party was a major highlight for the group. These all-night festivities have developed into one of the world’s wildest beach parties, attracting around 30,000 people each month to the white sand beaches of Koh Phangan.

Vendor stands sell plastic drink buckets, DJs pump out music raging from reggae to trance, fire dancers entertain the crowds, and thousands of travellers—some wearing little more than body paint— dance under the full moon.

Koh Phangan Full Moon Party
The Full Moon Party is about everything neon, as partygoers cover themselves with copious amounts of neon body paint.

A short drive took us to the pier where, together with other partygoers, we caught the boat to the island of Koh Phangan. The party begins at dusk, peaking at sunrise and eventually tapering off late the next afternoon. Many revelers literally sleep where they fall, still clutching their buckets! It’s quite something to witness and experience.

Koh Tao & Nang Yuan

Our last day was spent exploring Koh Tao and Nang Yuan. The morning started with a 90-minute speedboat journey across to Koh Tao or ‘Island of the Turtle’, so named because the shape and form of the island resembles a diving turtle.

Incentive travel to Koh Samui
More bright, beachy colours. The islands have a real holiday feel!

Koh Tao is a haven of snorkelling and diving, and the group absolutely loved our snorkelling experience. The ocean is so clear, and beneath the surface lies a stunning underwater world of rainbow-colored corals, shellfish, and starfish.

After a casual beach lunch, we headed to Koh Nang Yuan – a beautiful y-shaped group of three islands connected by a sandbar. For the best views, we climbed to the top of the island’s viewpoint. The heat and humidity made the walk pretty hard going, but the photos were well worth the effort! And after the hike, wallowing in the cool, blue waters was utterly divine.

Koh Nang Yuan in Thailand
A short but steep hike was rewarded with amazing views over Koh Nang Yuan.
Day trip to Koh Nang Yuan
Koh Nang Yuan is known for its white, sand beaches and aquamarine water. Bliss!

Is Koh Samui The Right Choice For You?

Koh Samui exceeded my expectations. I definitely prefer it to Phuket Island and the beach resort town of Patong. We stayed at the stunning luxury Amari Resort – a very cool 5-star property with an excellent location, superb facilities and direct beach access to one of the nicer, less crowded beached in the Chaweng area.

Personally, however, I think it would be even better when Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party is NOT happening as it would mean fewer crowds and people. The party is probably best for travellers in their twenties. How I managed to gather everyone and get them home safely in amongst the thousands of dancing revelers and beach chaos is something which still baffles me, and definitely features on my list of top 5 tour leading achievements. ?

– By: Angela Field –

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