I’m the kind of person who prefers to explore on my feet rather than on wheels. That’s why I avoid tour buses and sightseeing trips by car. Renting a bicycle around a city is more of an exercise activity rather than a tourism one. But when I visited Southeast Asia, renting an ATV was one of the coolest things to do in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Koh Samui in Thailand is a stunning, tropical island accessible by a 2-hour flight from Bangkok. The ocean water is turquoise blue, and the interior of the island is a dense jungle. While it has busy areas, Koh Samui Island is still relatively less traveled in comparison to other popular destinations in Thailand.
To explore the lush Koh Samui jungle, wheels become your friend. Yes, you can hike to a lot of places, but climbing those slick, rocky hills and navigating your way through thick brush becomes a challenge.
I rented an ATV for a journey through the jungle, which ended up being the most memorable experience on the island! Here’s exactly how it went, and how you can participate in cool things to do in Koh Samui similar to this.
ATV’ing Was a Super Cool Thing to Do on Koh Samui
The coast gets a lot of attention in Koh Samui. After all, it’s an island surrounded by beautiful beaches and easy access to the water. People from all over the world choose stunning resorts with waterfront views specifically for this. Lots of travelers come here specifically for diving, snorkeling, and boat tours to Angthong, a biodiverse marine park.
However, travelers should not forget about the Koh Samui jungle and the unique ecosystem hidden inside it. Bright flowers grow naturally, and the palm trees rise high into the sky. You can discover secluded waterfalls and stunning vantage points tucked behind fanning leaves.
While looking for things to do in Koh Samui, I decided to book an afternoon tour to explore the jungle. I found this ATV experience on GetYourGuide and made a reservation for the following day.
The Experience
The tour company is operated by Rick, an expat who now calls Koh Samui his home.
One of his colleagues picked me up at my rented apartment near Fisherman’s Village on Koh Samui, and we drove about 20 minutes to the ATV site.
Rick greeted me there and helped me sign a few health waivers. This is normal in the process because, let’s be honest, you’re navigating the Koh Samui jungle with a motor vehicle. While it’s one of the coolest things to do in Koh Samui, it does come with potential risks.
If you’ve never ridden an ATV before, they’ll likely give you a test drive at the base camp so you can get your bearings. The roads here are level and easy to practice on. By the way, I recommend signing up for a traveler’s insurance plan that covers you in sporting activities such as this.
Starting the climb on Koh Samui
Koh Samui is mostly covered by a dense jungle with a lot of tree cover and interesting wildlife, but it is not flat land. At the center of the island is Khao Pom, the tallest mountain peak, standing at 2,083 feet. Your ATV adventure starts with an uphill climb through some of the interior parts of the jungle.
We passed through remote villages where civilization had seemingly never laid eyes on it. At one point, we circled around a small house where a kid no older than six was throwing coconuts into a large burn pile. His mother fanned the flames with a large palm leaf.
The guide and I continued our ascent on zigzagging dirt roads and rocky hills that the ATVs had no problem gripping. Climbing Khao Pom–either by foot or by ATV–is a great thing to do in Koh Samui, but be warned, you will be sweaty no matter what you choose.
The Thai heat is notorious, but inside the Koh Samui jungle, the heat gets trapped under the tree cover and becomes unbearable. Bring lots of water and loads of bug spray.
The viewpoints on Khao Pom
The ground leveled out partway up the mountain where the guide and I stopped for a few moments. By then, we had been riding through the Koh Samui jungle for about 45 minutes.
The guides were super professional. It was my first time on an ATV, and my guide was patient in explaining the machine and how much power to give it. I was not a confident driver at first, but by the time we reached the first viewpoint, I was getting my proverbial sea legs (or, should I say, jungle legs?)
We stopped to talk about the island and his family, then he graciously took some photos of me too! It’s the way to a solo traveler’s heart because we often leave trips without a single shot of ourselves.
The waterfall and Treetop Cafe
Our next stop was a literal cafe suspended in the trees. Between the epic rooftop bars in Bangkok and the stunning hiking trails in Chiang Mai, you’d guess that Thai people appreciate a good view with a little altitude.
We parked our ATVs in a clearing on a hill and first walked across a suspension bridge that arrived at the midline of a tree. Then we walked a few more bridges fastened by wood and frayed rope. A few minutes later, we reached this wooden bar wrapped around a tree trunk overlooking the jungle floor.
You can get some light snacks and refreshments here, which are definitely welcomed after nearly an hour in the humid Koh Samui jungle.
Next up on great things to do in Koh Samui is exploring one of the secret waterfalls. On this particular journey, the waterfall is about a 5-minute walk from the cafe in the trees.
The tour guide let me go on my own to get a taste of unchaperoned jungle trekking. Once I arrived, I took my shoes off and dipped my feet in the water. Without a single other person touring that day, I had the waterfall all to myself!
No longer having to fight a battle against gravity, the journey back down to the base camp was a bit quicker. All in all, the tour lasted about 2.5 hours. I met up again with Rick, the owner, who asked about my experience and made sure I had a good time.
I definitely did! For my first ATV experience, this was unforgettable and one of the coolest things I did on Koh Samui. They brought me back to my apartment before sunset, just in time for dinner downtown.
