Ko Phangan

17th – 24th February

The famous backpacker island of Ko Phangan is known amongst many as home to the world’s first and biggest full moon party, attracting many thousands of revellers each month. We’d missed the last full moon party by one week, and the half moon by one night, so nothing was scheduled during our planned stay on the island. Still, by all accounts we’d been told to avoid Haad Rin like the plague and, reluctant to spend the whole of our time there (since this is where we’d arranged to meet Amy and Ali), we headed to Had Yao for a few days rest and relaxation.

The beautiful backpacker island has certainly lost it’s roots – our first “fleecing” took place just as we’d stepped off the boat as we were quoted 300 baht for the 10km songthalew transfer up the coast. How much?!! Only recently we’d hired a taxi for an 88km private transfer, for just 400 baht, and regularly travelled across Bangkok for a fraction of the cost. We managed to battle the driver down to 100 each by insisting we needn’t leave until the van filled up.

Had Yao was still sleeping when we arrived and we had to knock a few people up in our search for a room. Again, prices for basic huts were pretty steep but we were lucky to find a hut at the Seaboard Guesthouse, right on the beach for just 300 baht. The place prides itself good value accommodation and encourages guests to eat at their restaurant (at very un-backpacker like prices!) to minimise unnecessary price hikes. There was little to do here other than sunbathe and swim and, with little in the way of nightlife we soon understood Amy’s reasoning behind Haad Rin. Having said that, we were content. The sweeping bay was lovely and the sea was clear and clean. There was a reef a little way out and at high tide the snorkelling was spectacular – Ady even managed to see some reef sharks, something that has eluded us when diving. We’d planned to dive at Sail Rock, the Gulf of Thailand’s most famous and spectacular dive site, but deterred by the expense and the expected low visibility we explored the reef some more.

On Thursday we set out to Haad Rin, again, bewildered and amazed at the prices we were quoted (enough to buy a tuk-tuk!) for a transfer across the island. Unfortunately there is nothing in the way of public transport here and we were completely at the mercy of the tuk-tuk mafia. We ended up travelling back to Thong Sala, the port, by jumping in an already full songthalew and refusing to pay more than 100 baht each. Once there, we managed to negotiate small discount for the second leg of the 20km journey, again, 100 baht each. Whilst in Thong Sala, we decided to pay the ferry ticket office a quick visit, pre-empting our escape from party hell. We’d travelled down from Bangkok to Ko Tao with Seatran for 850 baht, also checking the price for the return journey but from KPN. The office here on the island told us the price was 1450 baht, an increase of 600 baht!! We queried this with them and they said simply that the prices had been revised two days before!!

Next to the party capital of Haad Rin. We checked into the Palita Lodge, and lazed by the pool waiting for our second set of guests to arrive. Amy and Ali were to join us for 4 days before going off to a wedding on the next island.

We spent the next few days relaxing by the pool and on the beach, people watching and hunting for pretty boys for Amy. Our vision of wild sleepless nights partying into the early hours couldn’t have been further from the truth. The party scene was pretty dead, this being the period exactly 2 weeks after Full Moon, and the quietest time of the monthly party cycle on Haad Rin.

Food at least was good, and we found lots of good cheap eats – the kind of thing that we’d been craving for the past couple of weeks. We also sampled a few buckets of Samsong, Coke and Redbull on the beach in the evenings – well it wouldn’t be Haad Rin without them!

After lots of fruitless searching, Amy’s luck was in on day 3 when she met a young man by the name of Ben. Up until then the fit men count had been very disappointing (the fit girl count on the other hand was pretty good, much to Adys delight!). A pool party which felt more like a Butlins holiday camp provided the perfect environment to get chatting. One thing led to another, and we soon found out that Bens hut was actually next to ours – how we worked that one out in the middle of the night we’ll leave you to decide, but let’s just say the walls weren’t that thick….!

Top Traveller Tip #16 – If you decide to go back to a new friends hut for ‘coffee’, make sure you don’t know the person staying next door, or they may hear your coffee drinking and they may give you marks out of ten in the morning.

Suitably embarrassed the following morning, it was only fair that we ridiculed Amy for her behaviour. She was due to get the boat over to Koh Samui at 11am, so there wasn’t much time in which to get stuck in!

Sadly, we had to say our goodbyes and spent the final 2 days relaxing on the last beach that we will see for quite some time. Our next stop, India, will have some beach action, but not before we explore the north of the country, far from the sea.