So, equipped with an airconditioned room and a bottle of water, I crashed out in a big way and did a whole lot of nothing! We decided to cut our planned time in Koh Phangan short by a day as it was really hard to organise a dive here in low season. The only place close to go if you wanted to dive all year round was Koh Tao, a place we had planned to avoid due to how developed and busy it is, but all that changed pretty quickly. We had intended to try and get to Koh Tao this afternoon, but the guy at the dive shop hadn’t ordered in my paperwork and I would have to wait until tonight to pick it up…. strike 2 scuba man! Anyhow, we were booked on the ferry for the next morning and went off to do the usual of massages, swims, food and cocktails.

It was kind of sad to be leaving this island as we had settled in really quickly and knew a lot of the faces around town already. If money and time permitted it, we could have quite easily have locked our passports away and stayed here for a very long time. We got dinner at one of our favorite local places run by a lady and her daughter (when she finished school), played with the dogs in the neighbourhood and made our way home.

On the topic of dogs, one thing that I found hilarious on this island was the nightly howling choir that started off for no real apparent reason on the beach. This happend every night without fail and there is no way that I can say how many dogs, or over what distance they were all spread out, but it was huge and like nothing I had heard before. You would see piles of dogs sprinting down to the beach to join in and those who couldnt be bothered just joined in from where they lay… it didn’t carry on for too long though so was more entertainment than annoyance. It was also interesting to note that a number of the dogs appeared to have been ambushed at the last full moon party and spray painted… poor things! With our last recital for the night over, it was time to pack and get some sleep.

Written by Nath_and_erica

As a traveler there are times when no matter how prepared you are you get sucked into something that is a waste.
This time it was renting motorbikes to go see some waterfalls. I have no experience riding a motor cycle nor do either of my friends. So when it was 200 baht a day we thought 7 bucks we would be stupid not to. Right? Wrong. I got on my bike and almost ran a pedestrian over. Not a good start. After getting more comfrotable Rick and I decided to spin the tires. I was fine; Rick on the other hand road off the road and crashed into a ditch. Ok a little blood on the shin is no big deal. So we see the sign for the waterfall; only 4k. Nice. Nope wrong again. We got about 500 meters on the dirt road and it was washed out. When i say washed out i mean there are drop offs of 2 -3 feet in the middle of the road. So we are trying the carfully drive on the road then BAM. Michele road into a wall.

We met a couple from Chicago and decided to walk the 2 k left. I swear we were walking straight up in the air at points. (Again i have pictures but my memory card has a worm) We walked for nearly 2 hours up and down the steepest hills you could imagine in 95 degree heat. We finally arrived at the waterfall. Mind you, at this point we were exhausted and have high hopes of jumping into water. Nope, no water on the water fall. There was a trickle of water down about 4 foot high rock. We got extrelmely lucky and paid 100 baht each for a ride back to our motorbikes. We got ripped off but i don’t think i could have physically made it back so we were all willing to pay. After a relaxing drive back on the motorbikes Rick and Michele had to see what the damages would cost them. Rick ended up paying just over 300USD and Michele paid just under 300USD. I, thankfully, did not crash. Ohh ya, they are both ok and had just minor scrapes and bruises.

Full Moon Party did not disappoint. It was low season so there were only about 10,000 people. Michele, an art teacher, painted Rick and myself. She painted the US Men’s National Team jerseys. I went as Clint Depsey and Rick as Landon Donovan. The US team lost to Ghana and had to listen to every drunk Brit in Thailand yell at us. But they got theres losing to Germany the next day. Back to Full Moon Party. There were fire jump ropes, stages to dance on, black lights, pounding music, and buckets of Coke, Red Bull, and alcohol (100-200 Baht) all on the beach. It was crazy! This was one of the best parties I have ever been to. When i left when the sun was rising people were passed out all over the beach. I mean easily 1000 people were sleeping.

We made good time in arriving on Ko Pha-Ngan, with a decent chunk of daylight hours remaining and plenty of time for exploring its allegedly nicer, more “authentic” beaches (ha!). A s a precaution I brought only my passport and Jeff brought only his passport and cash. The risk of being robbed a t the Full Moon Party was excessively high so we didn’t want to carry anything important that we didn’t need. Unfortunately there was a little miscommunication between us two resulting in Jeff thinking I was bringing some cash of my own a long, thus bringing less of his own. Even if I’d wanted to, I had no cash remaining to bring. When we arrived on Ko Pha-Ngan we discovered to our horror that there was only enough cash for the two ferry tickets back and *exactly* $5 of food money for each of us. It would not be impossible to survive on this, but meant we’d be living off of rationed pad Thai and banana cakes from 7/11 for the next twelve hours and that our drink budget would be virtually nonexistent. So be it.

The island itself was much more like Ko Phi Phi than Samui, with its only settlement being a tightly backed traffic free web of cobblestone alleyways, pancake stands and surprisingly little stench. The “sunrise beach” was, as promised, sparkling clean with crystal clear water though the water had a strange stinging effect. My first impression was one of charm; what an adorable little innocent beach town this was. Little did we know what heathen abomination it would transform in to once the sun went down and the full moon rose. We lazied about Sunrise Beach for a while, where the locals were busy setting up shop for the craziness to come. Makeshift alcohol stalls with names like “So F#cking Bucket”, “One More F#cking Bucket”, “Lucy F#ck You Long Time”, etc painted on their fronts. Apparently the locals thought that by inserting the f-word randomly into their signs, they’d make the whiteys laugh and buy from their stalls. Unfortunately they are correct. As for what a “bucket” is, they are nifty drink combo packages consisting of a can of soda, a medicine bottle of “Red Bull” (definitely something different in there), and depending on the price a bottle or full handle of Jack Daniels or Sketchy Thai Whiskey. And of course, the lil plastic bucket you’re meant to mix all these into and drink from. They’re sort of a fixture at these Thai beach shindigs.

We left Sunrise Beach briefly to go watch the sunset on Sunset Beach. The ensuing psychedelic majesty was hands down the most jaw-dropping, perfect sunset I can remember seeing. A resident kitten befriended us as we watched it and began purring up against our arms. We showed it love and in return it betrayed us and lightly bit my wrist (though not deep enough to bleed), prompting what must’ve been a funny-for-Jeff panic attack on my part as I demanded we rush to 7/11 and use the rest of our money on a bottle of rubbing alcohol, to sterilize the theoretical Rabies I’d just “contracted.” Two minutes later I calmed down and realized there was nothing to worry about. Stupid cat. With the sun now thoroughly set and dinner overwith, it was time to return to the other beach and see what chaos had began unfolding. By now the settlement was booming with crowds of late-teen and college aged Westerners, and the Thais deploying every stall on the island to rake in the imminent dough.

We stepped out onto the beach and… all holy hell was about 30% unleashed. Scattered crowds of shirtless dancing 20-somethings, fire dancers juggling flaming nunchuks, GoGo-girls making stealthy rounds, even the beginnings of a laser-light show. In the background boomed the recent Coldplay song “Viva la Vida”, its beats matching up to the bobbings of moonlit longtail boats along the shore. If there was a song that accurately conveyed the epicness I felt thinking back about the trip as a whole, it was this one. Soon, a commotion… a local firedancing teen had lit the fuse to a rocket in his hand, stuffed it into an empty water bottle, stood up on a chair like a warrior leading his men on a charge, and launched a makeshift firework into the sky.

Spotlights swinging around, silverly moonlight on the water, increasingly deafening techno beats, ravers high out of their minds… Holy Hell was at 90% and it added up to a shocking catharsis of debauchery and mayhem that would remove any faith the viewer had in humanity’s future. This wasn’t a dance of dozens, or a hundred, or even hundreds but rather thousands. Thousands of Australians, Europeans, Americans, and Thais, all of whom plastered out of their minds were crammed onto this formerly modest beach dancing away in ways that only illicit substances of the most severe order could inspire. My humble little beer could do nothing to numb my senses and help this all make sense. After it all became too much, I retreated to a quiet corner of sand to (successfully) pass out. Jeff stayed awake and spent the rest of the night watching fire dancers nearly kill their audiences with errant fire.

Away Koh Pha Ngan is a modern beachside resort nestled in tropical gardens that cascade down the hillside to the unspoiled beauty of Had Rinn with a superb combination of cool tropical forest and striking beachfront accommodation. The resort is also conveniently located just 5-10 minutes walking distance from the market and the famous full moon party, that attracts visitors from around the world, yet far enough from the resort to ensure peaceful harmony for guest.

Koh Pha Ngan (Pha Ngan Island) is located in the Gulf of Siam as a neighboring island of Koh Samui, only 20 minutes away by speed boat. Most its land area is formed of mountains, stretched in the middle of the island from North to South with virgin forest, tropical jungle and plains. Koh Pha Ngan is unique in many ways: it has been known for unspoiled beaches, undamaged coral reefs, the primitive nature of jungles and waterfall.

START CONSTRUCTION SOON

www.resort-kohphangan.net/

This is a Full Moon Party Dates for 2011

Wednesday 19, January
Friday 18, February
Saturday 19, March
Sunday 17, April
Tuesday 17, May
Wednesday 15, June
Friday 15, July
Saturday 13, August
Monday 12, September
Tuesday 11, October
Thursday 10, November
Saturday 10, December
Sunday 25, December
Saturday 31, December

Koh Phangan is a very special place, there are few places in this world where you can live out your desert island dreams of palm trees and white sand beaches, and still have a blinding night out at a rocking party every month. With the global notoriety that the Full Moon Party has gained as being one of the biggest and best beach bashes in the world, we get more than our fair share of hedonists gracing our shores. Each year the scene here grows with the ever-increasing number of party faithful that return, bringing their mates and spreading the vibe.

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This is a Full Moon Party Dates for 2010

Saturday 30 January 2010
Monday 01 March 2010
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Saturday 29 May 2010
Saturday 26 June 2010
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Thursday 23 September 2010
Saturday 23 October 2010
Sunday 21 November 2010
Tuesday 21 December 2010
Saturday 25 December 2010
Friday 31 December 2010

Koh Phangan is a very special place, there are few places in this world where you can live out your desert island dreams of palm trees and white sand beaches, and still have a blinding night out at a rocking party every month. With the global notoriety that the Full Moon Party has gained as being one of the biggest and best beach bashes in the world, we get more than our fair share of hedonists gracing our shores. Each year the scene here grows with the ever-increasing number of party faithful that return, bringing their mates and spreading the vibe.

Check Accommodation Rates in Koh PhaNgan

Thursday 09 April 2009
Saturday 09 May 2009
Sunday 07 June 2009
Thursday 09 July 2009
Thursday 06 August 2009
Friday 04 September 2009
Sunday 04 October 2009
Monday 02 November 2009
Wednesday 02 December 2009
Friday 25 December 2009
Thursday 31 December 2009

Koh Phangan is a very special place, there are few places in this world where you can live out your desert island dreams of palm trees and white sand beaches, and still have a blinding night out at a rocking party every month. With the global notoriety that the Full Moon Party has gained as being one of the biggest and best beach bashes in the world, we get more than our fair share of hedonists gracing our shores. Each year the scene here grows with the ever-increasing number of party faithful that return, bringing their mates and spreading the vibe.

Haad Rin is home to the Full Moon Party and also houses about 3-5000 rather mad people; it is the island’s nightlife capital and has Koh Phangan’s biggest concentration of beach clubs that collectively put on the ultimate travelers get together. There are over 12 major sound systems running the length of Had Rin beach, catering for 8000 to 12,000 punters in low season, 15,000 to 20,000 in high season and up to 30,000 at New Year. Within this transient crowd of party animals some highly talented DJ’s pass through, banging out their wares to the raging lunar explorers that have landed on planet party.

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As the evening progresses the beach explodes into a dancing frenzy as different m.c.’s take their furn on the decks. There is something for everyone here, trance, techno, drum and bass, commercial dance and reggae, no-one is disappointed. Jugglers and fire-eaters entertain the crowds as the night goes on and with the brilliant impromptu fireworks display, the party atmosphere is complete. After a few hours it could be time to chill-out for a while, maybe grab a drink or a bite to eat from one of the many beach traders and wade out or sit down in the warm surf of the Gulf of Thailand, pure, pure heaven.

Revived and relaxed it’s time to return to the main beach and get blown into another dancing dimension, While all around people are doing the same, there are no barriers here, no inhibitions, just people enjoying themselves with one unified intention, to rejoice in the magic that is the paradise of FULL MOON PARTY!

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Haad Rin is home to the Full Moon Party and also houses about 3-5000 rather mad people; it is the island’s nightlife capital and has Koh Phangan’s biggest concentration of beach clubs that collectively put on the ultimate travelers get together. There are over 12 major sound systems running the length of Had Rin beach, catering for 8000 to 12,000 punters in low season, 15,000 to 20,000 in high season and up to 30,000 at New Year. Within this transient crowd of party animals some highly talented DJ’s pass through, banging out their wares to the raging lunar explorers that have landed on planet party.

Drink

If you’re after party heaven you can’t do better than Haad Rin. It is most popular one night a month – the night of the Full Moon Party. Every bar is hopping, the beaches packed with trance, dance, buckets, and various other suspicious substances. However, if the sight of thousands of bottles and other trash repulses you, make sure you leave the beach area before the sun comes up, or grab a garbage bag and help tidy up a little.

• Cactus Bar. A busy place that tends to play R’n'B, pop and all the other chart rubbish that you can hear in any cheesy nightclub the world over. Serves its purpose though as it separates the hardcore of ravers from the annoying “spring break rules!” types.
• Drop Inn Bar at the top end of Haad Rin is one the biggest bars on the beach. Cocktails are cheap, they have plenty of beach seating and great fire shows. Music is generally commercial dance mixed in with house. One of the best music selections on a regular night.
• Mellow Mountain. Built into the side of a cliff. After a precarious ascent up the stairs, expect to find ‘special shakes’ (the “Happy Shake” is the house special) and a very chilled out, laid back atmosphere – perfect if you want to escape the bustle of the beach party.
• Vinyl Club is more for dancing to techno, but serves drinks as well. Right next door is Zoom Bar which offers more of the same.

Eat

• Casanostra, located near the 7 Eleven. Real home made Italian food.
• Kingfisher. Good breakfast, fresh seafood and grilled steaks and big burgers.
• Om Ganesh, (next to the ferry pier). excellent indian restaurant serving tasty curries

Sleep

Anywhere up to a week before a Half-Moon or Full-Moon party, the hotels in Haad Rin and the immediate surrounding areas get booked out as the population around the beach swells, with the more comfortable places being taken first. If you’re planning to visit about this time, look into staying outside of Haad Rin, and taxi in and out, rooms on the other side of the island are not only cheaper but also much quieter.

• Phangan Sunrise Resort . All rooms have Twin bed with light comfortable duvets, shower and bathtub , large balcony, safety box, minibar, Wi-fi connection at the whole resort.
• Tommys Resort, (90/13 Haad Rin East), ☎ (077) 375 215-6. excellent location beach front bungalows, lively bar playing music throughout the day and great for a drink at night and at the full moon party. 1000 b. edit
• Full Moon Party Packages  make sure that you have place to stay, pre-book our dream packages and save up to 30%, hassles free
• Phanganburi Resort, Haad Rin Nai Beach, . checkin: 11.00; checkout: 10.00. Phanganburi Resort is one of the finest and largest hotels on Koh Phangan in Thailand. Built at Haad Rin within walking distance of the full moon party the resort offers guests luxury accommodation at very reasonable prices. 2375 Baht.

Stay safe

Be very careful where you sleep and store your belongings if you’re going for the Full Moon Party, as every month at this time many people have their bungalows broken into and valuables stolen. There are safety deposit boxes available at many resorts and in the town itself, but there are also reports of theft from some of these. Try find somewhere where you can at least use your own padlock, or stay at one of the higher end resorts if you can afford it. Alternatively, consider not staying at Ko Pha Ngan – you can get a boat over to the party from Ko Samui. If you do have stuff stolen, expect a long line queuing to report thefts at the police station the next day, and to have to pay for a report if you need one for your insurance. It might be a great night out, but it’s not so great in the morning when you find yourself with no money and no passport…

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Ko Pha Ngan (or Koh Phangan, Thai: เกาะพะงัน) is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in South East Thailand. It is famous for its full moon party at Haad Rin Beach and as a backpackers destination. Ko Pha Ngan has two sister islands: the larger Ko Samui to the south and the smaller Ko Tao to the north.

Attractions

It’s the simple beach life which continues to attract visitors each year along with the island’s reputation for full moon parties and a hedonistic approach to life. The backpackers, budget tourists and aging hippies are beginning to give way to families and more mainstream tourists as all the beaches are fully developed. The full moon party consists of tens of thousands in high season – all on the beach. Revelers from all over the world still flock to the world’s biggest beach party every month. The music from the multiple sound systems is made up mostly of electronic styles such as Psytrance, house, techno and drum & bass and a predominantly youthful crowd dance ’til dawn on party nights. It has been reported that western tourists have been victims of unprovoked assaults by gangs on a number of occasions, particularly around the time of the full moon parties late at night in the vicinity of bars in Haad Rin.

Other events such as the Half Moon Party and Black Moon Party also attract large crowds. Despite the special titles the events on the beach are identical every single night. However, it is still possible to visit the island and avoid the full moon party altogether, with dozens of quiet, secluded resorts and beach huts dotted all over the island for a variety of prices. Many of the more costly resorts offer such facilities as daily yoga, yoga teachers’ training, meditation, a variety of healing, healthy & natural therapies, spa massage & pampering services and herbal steam rooms.

As a natural paradise island in the Southern Gulf of Thailand, Ko Pha Ngan serves as the perfect getaway retreat, where one may go relaxing on the many quiet deserted beaches including the beautiful Chalok lam Bay, Ban Tai, Ban Khai, Haad Yao, Haad Salat, Haad Son and the Mae Haed beaches. There are many activities in which to participate including snorkeling and learning to dive at the distinctive island of Ko Ma, trekking in the footsteps of Thai Royalty at Than Sadet National Park steeped in history and culture, or seeking adventure in the nearby Ang Thong archipelago composed of over 40 islands endowed with pristine beaches, natural caves and the tranquil Tha Laem Nai. Ko Pha Ngan has over 250 resorts to choose from, ranging from the budget 80 baht a night beach hut without private toilet to luxury air-conditioned accommodation with private swimming pool.

Other activities available on the island include scuba diving with a number of companies offering very reasonably priced training courses and excursions, snorkelling, especially off the Mae Haad sandbar in the north west, wakeboarding, archery, fishing, walks in the national park.

Boat Services to Ko Pha-ngan

From Ko Samui
There are approximately 10 daily transfers to Ko Pha-ngan. Boats depart between 7.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. The trip takes approximately 30 minutes to an hour, depending on weather conditions. Boats leave from Thong Sala Pier and Hat Rin on Ko Pha-ngan to Ko Samui Pier including Na Thon Pier, Mae Nam and the Big Buddha. The fare is approximately 115 baht to 250 baht / trip / person.

From Surat Thani
Surat Thani Pier operates a minimum of 6 daily departures to Ko Pha-ngan. Boats leave from 7.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. and arrive at Tha Sala Pier on Ko Pha-ngan. The fare ranges from 200 baht to 370 baht / trip / person.

From Ko Tao
Approximately 6 daily departures from Thong Sala Pier to Ko Tao are provided. They leave from 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. The fare ranges from 180 baht to 350 baht.

Getting around Ko Pha-ngan
Traveling around the island by rented motorcycle from bungalows is recommended. The cost is approximately 200 baht / day. For those who prefer truly Thai-style transportation, songthaew services are also available. The fare is 50 baht from Thong Sala Pier to any place on the island. Exceptions are on routes to Ban Khai (30 baht) and Ao Thong Nai Pan (80 baht). Car rental service is also available at approximately 1,000 baht / day.

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