Daily Daydream: Big Buddha Beach, Thailand

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

Go for a swim with Buddha as your lifeguard. The two-mile beach on Ko Samui, in Thailand, is supervised by a 12-meter-tall golden statue. It’s not an ancient relic—this statue is only about 40 years old, and is the centerpiece of a meditation center/temple. Be sure to tear yourself away from the beach long enough to explore the temple grounds.

Despite the holy theme, many people flock to the beach for the nightlife. Open-air bars spill out on to the sand, and live music is always bumping. Come on Sundays for the week’s biggest party: a music festival held by Secret Garden Bungalows.

Despite the parties elsewhere on the island, people still like bringing their kids to Big Buddha Beach, as the water is shallow and fairly calm, making it a pretty safe spot for swimming.

Where is it? Ko Samui (North), Thailand

Where to stay? Bacaya Villa, your very own private oasis with a terrace, garden, and infinity pool overlooking the beach. Get a whole group together though, as the villa starts at $500.

What else should I know? You can get to the island by plane (Ko Samui Airport) or boat.

Who’s it for? Partiers, beach-lovers, Buddha-appreciators.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.