The party capital of South Thailand! If you are looking for a beautiful island where sleep doesn’t exist and you want to dance till dawn then this is the place to be! Just make sure you come during the lead up to the full moon party as this is when all the big events are on!
where to stay in Koh phangan
We stayed on the southern beach of the island and loved it. We were near to all the parties we went to during the 6 days we were there and loved being right on the beach. However, when we first arrived, the town area was quite dead as many people hadn’t arrived yet. This was fine for us because we had a nice hostel and enjoyed spending time with people there. But, if you are not staying in hostels, or would like to stay somewhere with more people about with livlier bars, I would suggest staying on the west side of the island as we noticed it was much busier along there in the evenings.
Hostel recommendation –
Puk’s Palace. We really enjoyed it here, the workers were lovely and great fun and the place was right on the beach.
things to know/ ADVICE
- The full moon party is once a month – check when it is and arrive before and leave soon afterwards
- A lot of hostels require you to stay a minimum of 5 nights during the full moon party so be prepared for that. They also bump the prices up (we payed £20 a night for 5 nights)
- Hire a bike for the few days you are there – we did a lot of beach hopping here (on the days where we wern’t too hungover!)
- You have to pay entrance fees for the parties leading up to the full moon party – only around £5 but it adds up so just be aware. We spent the most money on this island (but it was SO worth it!)
- Book your ferry at least 5 days in advance if you are leaving the day after the full moon party so you can leave in the afternoon – you do not want a morning ferry TRUST ME.
- You will get your clothes covered in paint at the full moon party so don’t wear your favourite clothes unless you’re coming home soon after and can wash them properly!