Come for the full moon, stay for the beach! (Koh Phangan)

Member Name: Qaliq

Product:	Koh Phangan
Date:	03/12/08 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Full Moon is a must, great nightlife

Disadvantages: Gets very busy

Koh Phangan is an Island off the Southern Gulf Coast between Koh Tao and Koh Samui and is probably most famous for the full moon party which is held there every month. The Island can be accessed by boats which run frequently from Surat Thani (easily accessed by overnight bus or train from Bangkok). There are also services between it and Koh Samui/Koh Tao.

The Island is quite large and with steep roads it can be quite difficult to get around. There are a number of gorgeous and secluded beaches around the Island if you are prepared to explore. The Island is known as a party Island and most of this goes on at Haad Rin Beach which is the location for the full moon party (held every month at full moon). I stayed in a Beach Bungalow on Haad Rin Beach with own bathroom with cold shower and a fan for 300B a night (~£5 at the time). Haad Rin town itself is quite nice with lots of shops. At night the beach really livens up with numerous bars pumping music until the early hours. There are also fire shows on most nights and pool parties etc.

Around full moon time the Island gets insanely busy (especially around xmas/new year) and this brings with it all sorts of litter problems and the sea becomes polluted with all the boats dropping people off. People have also reported many crimes happening there and apparently many people have had their rooms broken into although I had no problems with this personally. Having said this, head away from Haad Rin Beach and it's nowhere near as bad.

Summary: Not as nice as some of the other Islands but great for a party!