Phangan Island (Full moon Party) @Suratthani Thailand
Koh Phangan or Phangan island become popular destination for tourist who want to enjoy the beach down south in Thailand. After Samui island getting crowded with tourist from local and abroad Phangan island become their alternative destination. It much easier now to travel to Phangan island. There are many ways to reach there. First, you can purchase ticket, air-conditioned bus from the Bangkok Bus Terminal (South) on Borommaratchachonnani Road, Bangkok go to Surat Thani province and then take ferry to the island. Another option you have is drive your car to ferry boat from “Donsak pier”. Last but not least, you can fly to Samui island or Surat Thani province then take ferry to Phangan island. Finally, you can take ferry from Koh Tao/ (Tao island) Koh Nang Yuan (Nang Yuan, which I will talk about this island for next blog) to Phangan island. Am I confusing you? I know, it all the names make your head spin. If you have question about how get there just leave the comment, Magnifier Thailand team will help explain it to you on how to reach the island. For now, just read along with my writing. Back to the traveling, from all the options how to travel to Phanhan island and just remember, the options you choose will reflect your budget, schedule, and how convenient you want to travel.
Thong
Sala Pier: a front yard of Phangan
island
Welcome to Phangan island! Thong Sala Pier is like front gate that open up to the island. All the boats either large or small will be docking into this pier. Also it considers being the center transportations of the island, it provides all kinds of transportation for to you travel off or on the island. No matter which island you want to go visit, you can find your vehicles here.
Rin Nok Beach: Where the Full Moon Party begin.
Speaking of Phangan island one thing I cannot miss to mention is Full Moon Party, a festive beach party held in almost every full moon night at Rin Nok Beach. How is the Full Moon party started? Well, when Gandalf visited Bilbo at his house…. NO NO NO! that not how it starts, hahaha. Here you go a real story; form the beginning, Full Moon Party was just a small party that Paradise Bungalows had at the beach for small group of their customer. Since their customer, most of them are foreigners and they stay at least a week or sometime the whole month about 20-30 of them. Therefore, the bungalow saw them as friends not customer so when they leaved the bungalow want to have a nice farewell party for them. Right place at the right time, the party was happened to be a full moon night. At the party, the Moon shaded the light to the ocean with the soft breeze and waves sound. Not to mention the sand that smooth as baby powder. They said the atmosphere was hard to forget.
The party went very well, and all the tourists were very impressed and gave bungalow an idea that this place should have the party like this, every year. By taken the night of the full moon the next time around as same as that night. Since then, the party continues every full moon night and that was the story of how Full Moon Party was begin.
The Full Moon Party at Rin Nok beach, Phangan island gain famous tremendously, from the 20-30 participants for the party become a festive party that has participants of 20,000-30,000 participants. For this many of crowd, it can consider to be one of the world best festival, you think? ;)
The Full Moon Party normally held on full moon night of almost every month. Except if the full moon day was on the same day of important Buddhist day such as Visakha Puja or Makha Bucha Day, etc. After Sun set, tourist who love to go out, will start to walk along the Rin Nok beach. Most of them will go out with cloth that can expose their skin so they can have the reflective paint on them. The colorful boosts were mixing up for the drinkers that gather from everywhere around the world. The music was mix with loud and soft mixing along with the sea breeze. All the crowd and music will be mix up until you cannot distinct which is which. The party will continue all night until dawn, you can see some past out partier sleep on the beach or on their table.
Phangan island, nowadays, hotel operators, bungalows, resorts, bars, restaurants and shops in the surrounding area has try to gathered to have these kind of party more often. From the “Half Moon Festival” at Ban Tai beach and Ban Khai Beach, the party for the dark night at Ban Tai beach, “Black Moon party”, “the Sramanora Waterfall Party” at Sramanora Waterfall that have it 3 times a month around Ban Khai beach, etc. The parties make Phangan island never deserted by tourists, even a single day. No matter how many a party they have around the island area, Full Moon Party is still considering the best party to be in Phangan island.
Let talk about something else besides party, Rin Nok Beach, located on the southeast coast of Phangan island. The beach has the white smooth soft sand stretch along the beach about 2 kilometers or about 1.5 mile. The sea has blue color and a touch of green that reflect from the sun. I’m telling you, this is beauty! At the north end of the beach locate of restaurants, bars along the mountainside. You can walk up to see view from the top of Rin Nok beach. Also, you can hire a charter boat or Jet Ski ride around the island. The beach was full of entertainment for you to choose however the trade of is the peaceful.
Rin Nai beach located on the southwest coast of Phangan island, the beach was used to be as much as beautiful as Rin Nok beach. However, after they build Haad Rin Pier the beach lost their beauty completely.
Ban Tai Beach: Plan ahead whether you want to stay close or far away from the nightlife
Ban Tai Beach has the white sandy with brown color mix and quite rough located on the southwest coast of Phangan island. In the afternoon the beach is very quiet and peaceful not many tourists walking around. The beach has the coconut trees growing along the beach sometime you can see the local people out and looking for the claims.
Haad Yao Beach with white smooth sand and the sea as blue as it can be; the beach stretch along around 1 kilometer or about half a mile. Along the beach you can find a diving school, restaurants, and bars along under the shade of coconut trees that are fluttering their leaves to the sea breeze. If you decide to rent a scooter, you can visit the sights of Haad Yao beach by stop by the high point of the hills on the south side.
Haad Salad beach, the sand was smooth as silk when it touches your feet the clear blue ocean is gorgeous as much as the Haad Yao beach the only thing that different is the beach stretch shorter than Haad Yao beach. This beach is more peaceful than Haad Yao, away from the shoreline of the beach about 150 meters there is a deep sea dive spot that well known among tourists hiding beneath the dark blue water.
A perfect season to travel:
you guys can come here all year round but on September to December is a hurricane season so I want you to check with weather man ahead so you won’t miss the fun when you visit here.
Some information that I wrote some might change in the island so again please check the update info and plan ahead. If you have a question about Phangan let me know, I’ll be happy to help you out about information.
Photo Credit: tourismthailand
