Koh Samui waterfalls: Na Muang 1 and 2, Hin Lad and Khun Si, and when they are worth the trip

Which Koh Samui waterfalls are worth visiting?

For most people, Na Muang 1 is the one to visit: easy to reach, with a proper pool to swim in. Add Na Muang 2 if you are fit and want a climb, and Hin Lad if you would rather walk through forest than stand in a car park.

Walking times are rough figures from published trail guides; fitness and mud change them.

Na Muang waterfall 1 or 2: which is better?

Na Muang 1 is better for a swim and Na Muang 2 is better for a view; most people who have the time do both on the same morning. They share a valley in the south-centre of the island, reached by a road heading inland from the ring road, and are a short drive apart.

Na Muang 1 is about 18 metres high and drops over a wall of rock into a broad pool that is the main reason to come. The walk from the car park takes a few minutes. There are drink stalls by the entrance. It is also the busiest of the two: tour groups arrive from mid-morning, so before 10:00 you will usually share the pool with far fewer people.

Na Muang 2 is much taller, usually given as around 80 metres in total, falling in a series of tiers. Getting to the base takes a walk from the car park, then a steep, rocky climb with steps and ropes in places. The pools near the top are small and shallow, and the reward is the quiet and the view over the forest. You may pass elephant camps on the roads inland; if seeing elephants is on your list, read our guide to choosing an ethical elephant sanctuary before booking anything on the spot.

The upper tiers of Na Muang 2 are where a slip does the most damage. Stay on the path, stay behind the ropes and keep away from the lip of any tier, especially when taking photos.

Entry to both has been reported as free in recent years, with a small parking charge, but that has changed before. Carry small notes in cash.

Hin Lad waterfall: the forest walk near Nathon

Hin Lad is the waterfall for people who want the walk more than the swim. The trail starts at Wat Namtok Hin Lad, a temple a few kilometres south-east of Nathon, the island's west-coast port town, and climbs through forest past a series of small cascades and pools to the upper falls.

Published estimates for the trail run from about 1.2 to 2 kilometres one way, which most walkers cover in 30 to 45 minutes going up and less coming down. Allow one and a half to two hours there and back with time in the water. The path is narrow, rocky and rooty, and after rain it is muddy. It sees far fewer visitors than Na Muang.

The trailhead is a working temple: cover shoulders and knees in the grounds, and change into swimwear at the pools, not in the car park.

Khun Si waterfall and the Secret Buddha Garden hills

Khun Si is a small fall of tiered boulders and pools in the central hills, and its appeal is that hardly anyone finds it. That is also the catch: it is reached by a dirt track off a hill road, followed by a short, steep and slippery scramble, and the directions published online do not agree with each other. Go with GPS coordinates you trust or a driver who knows the way.

If you found photos of wide turquoise terraces under the name Khun Si, they are probably of Kuang Si Falls in Laos, near Luang Prabang. The names get mixed up all the time; Khun Si is much smaller.

In the same hills, the Secret Buddha Garden (also called the Magic Garden or Tarnim Magic Garden) is a hilltop collection of stone statues that a retired durian farmer, Nim Thongsuk, began in 1976, with small streams and falls running through it. The road up is steep, so go by 4x4 or on a tour. Expect a small entry fee.

When to go: rainy-season water or dry-season trickles

The best months for Samui's waterfalls are roughly January and February, when the streams still carry water from the monsoon but the trails have had time to dry. Each part of the year trades water against footing.

• Mid-October to mid-December (the north-east monsoon): the most water, often brown with run-off, and the muddiest paths. Rain comes in bursts with sunny spells between; go in a dry spell, never during or straight after a heavy downpour. Our rainy season guide covers the rest of this stretch.
• January and February: good flow, firmer paths, cooler walking. The best balance.
• March to May: the hot, dry months. Flow drops steadily, and by April or May Na Muang 1 can be reduced to a thin veil and the smaller falls to a trickle. The pools are still pleasant on a hot afternoon.
• June to August: usually moderate flow; July and August are busy with European school holidays.

Whatever the month, go in the morning: cooler climbs, and ahead of the tour vans at Na Muang 1.

Waterfall safety on Koh Samui: slippery rock and sudden flows

The two things that hurt people at Samui's waterfalls are wet rock and water that rises after rain. Algae makes the rock around every fall slippery in any season, and the worst spots are often the ones that look dry.

• Footwear: trainers or sports sandals with a heel strap and a grippy sole. Flip-flops are the wrong choice, and bare feet on the climbs are worse.
• After heavy rain: if the water is brown, loud or noticeably higher than it was a few minutes ago, get out and move away from the stream bed. Rain falling higher up the hill can arrive at the pool after the sky above you has cleared.
• Edges and tiers: Stay on the marked path and behind any rope, and never step towards an edge for a photo.
• Jumping: check the depth first and look for rocks under the surface. Pool depths change from one season to the next.
• Company and daylight: go with someone, tell your hotel where you are going, and start down in good time. It gets dark quickly under the trees.
• Bring: water, insect repellent, a dry bag for your phone and a change of clothes.

How to get to the Na Muang waterfalls: scooter, taxi or a tour

A taxi or a hire car is the easiest way to get to Na Muang; there is no public transport to the falls. From Lamai it is roughly a 15 to 20 minute drive, from Chaweng a little longer. Agree a price for the return trip, or for the driver to wait, before you set off, because there is no taxi rank at the car park.

A scooter works if you are licensed and experienced and wear a helmet. The valley roads are steep in places, and after rain the bends collect sand and run-off. The roads up to the Secret Buddha Garden and Khun Si are steeper still and are not for novice riders.

For Na Muang itself, a taxi whose driver waits is simpler than a tour. If you would rather pair a waterfall with something else, this FLY zipline, Tree Bridge jungle café and waterfall trip spends about three hours in the hills above Mae Nam, with a waterfall stop after the zipline. Good if the waterfall is the side dish. Rated 4.77 from 1,577 reviews at the time of writing. Our zipline guide compares it with the shorter course.

What to combine with a waterfall morning

Na Muang pairs naturally with the sights of the south-east. Back on the ring road, Wat Khunaram, where the preserved body of the monk Luang Pho Daeng sits in a glass case, is close by; the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks near Hua Thanon and lunch in Lamai are a short drive east. Our things to do on Koh Samui guide sets that loop out in order.

Hin Lad is the one on the west side: walk it in the morning and eat in Nathon afterwards, a few minutes' drive back down the road. The small waterfall by the zipline park above Mae Nam suits anyone staying on the north coast, and comes with the zipline.

Keep a jungle day and a sea day apart. Our Half-Day Trip boards at 09:00 and is back alongside by 14:00, Monday to Friday, which leaves no sensible window for a waterfall the same day. A waterfall the morning after works well: legs in the forest one day, snorkelling at Silver Beach or Coral Cove the next.