Koh Samui’s most impressive landmark is the Big Buddha that was built in 1972. This golden colored Buddha statue sits at 12 meters high at the top of a staircase. The Buddha statue is located inside the Wat Phra Yai, meaning Big Buddha temple. The temple is built on a small island, connected to Koh Samui with a causeway, located in the Northeast of Samui.

There are souvenir shops and small restaurants around the temple. Outside the temple along the water, there are some interesting art sculptures you should not miss. Behind these sculptures, there is a famous story called Phra Aphai Mani, written by Thailand’s best-known poet, Sunthorn Phu. My wife told me that everyone learns this story in schools in Thailand.

At the same place, there was a souvenir shop with really cool scrap metal arts.