Koh Pha Ngan, part of the Chumphon Archipelago in Southern Thailand, sits nestled between Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Known for its abundant coconut trees and the infamous full moon parties, this island offers a unique blend of natural beauty and vibrant nightlife.
While the island’s early history is shrouded in mystery, Wat Nai Chedi, constructed around 1800, stands as its oldest structure. Speculation surrounds the first settlers, possibly the Moken People or Semang People. The best time to visit is from December to March when the water is high, clean, and perfect for swimming. Another favorable period is July/August when the water rises after the dry season.
Avoid the dry season (Apr-Jun) when the northwest coast’s best beaches are unsuitable for swimming. The south coast is not recommended due to poor water and sand conditions. The first Full Moon Party, held in 1983 at Paradise Bungalows, marked the beginning of a legendary event. Originally a small gathering, it has grown into a monthly extravaganza, attracting 5,000–30,000 people.
The Full Moon Party, happening every month, features fire skipping ropes, alcohol “buckets,” and a diverse music spectrum, from trance to reggae. Spread across various clubs along Hat Rin beach, the party lasts until sunrise. It has become a must-visit for travelers exploring Southeast Asia, offering an unforgettable mix of beach vibes, music, and a lively atmosphere.
MY EXPERIENCE. On Koh Phangan we checked into a 4-star hotel pre-booked through booking.com – “Phangan Akuna”. Also in a separate house with all the amenities and even its own terrace! The hotel area is gorgeous. Everything is well maintained, everything is beautiful and neat.
The workers walk around and make sure that no snake or anything else crawls out of the forest. During my entire time there, which was about 10 days, I only once saw a hotel employee catch a snake with a special device and put it in a bag to take it back to the forest to freedom.
We also booked this hotel with breakfast included. And they were wonderful here too. Also in European style. And you could eat very well!
In general, I think that the choice of hotels for this vacation was simply ideal! Even with all the desire to find fault, and I had no such desire – there’s no point! Everything is great! 🙂
The island of Koh Phangan itself is smaller than Koh Samui, so the beaches are closer to each other. The most popular here is “Zen Beach”, where a lot of foreigners gather to do yoga, or just to watch the sunrise or watch the sun go beyond the horizon into sunset!
Besides the beaches, there are many different waterfalls to visit! Climbing to the very top you can swim in fresh water among the mountains. The water is cold, but this is very nice, since the air is hot! We were there in early February and the temperature was about 30 degrees. And the water from the waterfall is about 17-18! So it was just the right thing to freshen up!
Most tourists who come to Ko Phangan come for the Full Moon Party! This is mainly techno music, and the DJs who come there play pretty cool techno sets, so it’s simply impossible not to dance or not take part when you’re there! Even if you are not a party man, the atmosphere that reigns under the sounds and rhythms of this music simply draws you in! But you don’t resist it, that’s for sure!
Here on Koh Phangan we sometimes joined a group of our friends from Guangzhou, guys and girls who were already on Koh Phangan when we arrived there. So we often met on the beaches together, and then rode our bikes to techno parties all night!
Sometimes on Ko Phangan you could meet people you knew before absolutely by accident. You are standing by the road, drinking coconut juice, and a biker stands next to you, takes off his helmet, and says, “Hello! Are you here too? How long?” and so on ))
For those who like dating through Tinder, Badu or TanTan, I can say that here through these applications you can more likely meet other foreigners than thai girls)) This is all connected and once again emphasizes the abundance of young and middle-aged foreigners , who are eager to go to Ko Phangan for the sake of parties and get-togethers!
In short, we liked it here too! And especially the day when my friend and I, again on the same bike (my leg was still hurt after Samui), went to a metal tower, climbing onto which we could see the entire island of Koh Phangan at a glance! I added one of these great selfie photo to the post.
And the beach that I liked the most on Koh Phangan is “Ban Tai”! When there are waves there, it is simply gorgeous! I’m no expert, but I think even surfers might check it out! Or it was just that the waves were so great that day.
After Koh Phangan, my friend and I returned to Koh Samui for another week. This time we rented separate rooms for ourselves, in one hotel in the Lamai area (hotel “Chateau de Lamai”), so that we could have more freedom and bring the girls we liked to visit! 😉
