Explore the Area

Around Karma Panalee

Bang Po Beach, Koh Samui

Karma Panalee sits right on Bang Po Beach on Koh Samui's calm north coast. Fisherman's Village, the island's famous temples, jungle waterfalls and the Ang Thong islands are all close by.

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About The Area

Life around Panalee.

Bang Po is one of the quietest stretches of Koh Samui's north coast. The water is calm and shallow, the sand is lined with coconut palms, and the sunsets across the sea to Koh Phangan and the Ang Thong islands are some of the best on the island.

Local seafood shacks sit along the beach road. Maenam's Thursday walking-street market is about 10 minutes away, Fisherman's Village in Bophut around 20 minutes, and Samui Airport roughly 25 minutes.

A Little History

Stories of the past.

For generations Koh Samui lived from coconuts and fishing. At its peak the island shipped out around two million coconuts a month to Bangkok, and trained monkeys still help with the harvest on some plantations.

Until the first ring road was built in the 1970s, villages such as Bang Po were reached mainly by boat or jungle track. Backpackers arrived in the 1970s on coconut boats from the mainland, and the airport opened in 1989. The north coast has kept much of its old village feel.

Limestone islands of Ang Thong Marine Park near Koh Samui

On Screen

The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio

The Beach (2000) was inspired by Alex Garland's novel, and the book's hidden lagoon is set in Ang Thong Marine Park. On a clear evening you can see these 42 limestone islands from Bang Po.

The film's main beach scenes were shot at Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi, near Phuket. Ang Thong is the real setting from the book, and day trips by speedboat leave from Samui's north coast. You can kayak through the lagoons and climb to the Koh Wua Talab viewpoint.

Right On The Sand

Two Palms Beach Club

Two Palms is Karma Panalee's own beach club, right on Bang Po Beach. There is a pool by the sea, loungers and day beds under the palms, and a bar serving cocktails and fresh coconuts.

Guests stay here from lunch until the sun goes down. The kitchen serves Thai and international dishes, with seafood grilled on the beach in the evening. It is the resort's place for long lunches, sunset drinks and relaxed dinners with your feet in the sand.

The Lay Of The Land