Scenic, Incredible and Unspoiled Phangan Island Thailand

If you are looking for an unspoiled tropical hideaway look no further than Phangan Island, which is just 3 hours by boat from the mainland of Thailand. Koh Phangan is very close to Koh Samui in miles, but surprisingly distant in character. While Koh Samui is developed and commercialized, Phangan is more chilled out and still maintains a natural splendor. You will notice some development on Phangan Island, but mainly it is confined to small enclaves of bungalows and the natural splendor of the island has yet to be ruined.



Phangan is best known because of the monthly bash held there known as the Full Moon party. Many young travelers, sometimes as many as thirty thousand travel to Phangan Island each month at the full moon to drink and dance all night long under the full moon on the beaches of Phangan. This experience is one that quite a few people take back with them as their top moments of their trip to Thailand. Haad Rin is the site of this monthly party, where you will find almost every resort and room booked full, so if you want to come make certain to book your accommodations ahead of time.



Traveling north from Haad Rin we next encounter Ban Tai, location of both the Half Moon Party and the Shiva Moon Party both impressive events themselves. Ban Tai is also where you will find the 'horny mile', a stretch of road almost a mile long that is populated by gogo bars on each side. These bars are a lot more relaxed than their similar venues in either Bangkok or Pattaya and seem to be a top choice of the middle aged tourists who arrive upon Koh Phangan.



Even further north you will arrive at Thongsala, the only real town upon Koh Phangan, a vibrant collection of Thai shops, western clubs and dining establishments along with traditional food markets at every turn. At night the central market square becomes an open air restaurant serviced by a couple of dozen street vendors who set up tables and ply their trade. You will find the most delicious meals on Phangan Island can be had here after the sun goes down. Thongsala also houses the main boat pier for Phangan and creates a natural gateway to the mainland.



Departing Thongsala life starts to take on a more relaxed and sedate feel as you travel to the villages to the north. You will feel things change at their own pace and infrequently and stopping at the village of Hing Kong you will learn it is ideal for anyone searching for a quieter way of life and a low stress life.



Still farther up the coast road you will come upon Haad Yao and Haad Salad, both amazing snorkeling locations with a reef near the beach allowing quick access for beach dives, even further north you will find Mae Haad and the tiny island of Koh Ma sitting an easy wade across the shallow water from Koh Phangan. This is the top snorkeling spot on the island; offering sites typically only witnessed by scuba divers.



Finally, the northern tip of Koh Phangan brings you to the fishing village of Chaloklam. As you might guess, the seafood here is out of this world and to make things even more outstanding, there is a stunning beach just outside the village. Sitting and gazing on the lights of the fishing boats at night is a favored activity as is watching them come back at dawn with their haul while savoring your breakfast at a beachside restaurant.



While the east coast is the most developed, the west coast is perhaps the most beautiful. Only recently has development come to this side of the island and mostly it is expensive high end resorts catering to the richer beach lovers. Many tourists who come to the beaches on the west side of Phangan Island claim that they are the best on the island.



If you are thinking you want to know more about Phangan Island then take a look at the authors website where he writes about not only the Kingdom of Thailand, but all areas of the world.