Koh Phangan - What To Do Beyond The Full Moon Parties
Koh Phangan maybe famous for its neon splattered Full Moon Parties but there is so much more to this beautiful Thai island than techno beats and buckets of alcohol. Check our our complete guide to the island for all the best beaches, things to do, accommodation and more!
Emerald jewels amid sparkling sapphire seas, Thailand’s islands are legendary.
A trip to Koh Phangan is almost a rite of passage for young backpackers heading to the ‘Land of Smiles’. Doused in neon paint and drawn to the electronic beats of an all night beach rave, Koh Phangan’s famous Full Moon parties are almost an obligatory, non-negotiable bucket list item for backpackers travelling through Thailand. But what if you’re not a party goer? What if the idea of the Full Moon Party just isn’t for you? Is there really any point in booking a trip to Koh Phangan? Is it “just” a party island?
We asked ourselves all the same things, and after visiting the island, we can honestly say that there is so much more to Koh Phangan! We headed to the island unsure what to expect, but we quickly fell in love with the island's laidback charms, its beautiful beaches and stunning national parks. Koh Phangan has all of the benefits of a major, popular and trendy island whilst retaining the old-school, laidback backpacker charm. Cheap accommodation, loads of food and incredible landscapes, Koh Phangan has so much to offer.
Read on to find out everything there is to do on the island beyond the buckets and the beats!
In This Koh Phangan Travel Guide:
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Our Experience Visiting Koh Phangan
We have to be honest here and say that Koh Phangan had never really featured on our travel plans. If we had set off on our adventure a decade ago, then yes, Koh Phangan would 100% have been at the top of our list, but as our raving days are behind us (just!), the idea of buckets, neon facepaint and intoxicated 18 year olds just doesn’t appeal as much as it once did. Yes, we do like late nights and yes, we do enjoy a drink out, but the Full Moon raves just aren’t for us anymore. That longtail boat has sailed!
So why did we head to Koh Phangan we hear you ask?! After spending a week on the shores of Khanom on the mainland and seeing the jagged silhouette peaks of Koh Samui in the distance we decided that we should really head to one of the eastern islands before we travelled further south. As the weather was a bit hit and miss, we decided we wouldn’t be able to give Koh Tao a fair shout. An island famous for its diving and snorkelling wouldn’t mix well with wet weather. We then looked at Koh Samui and although we would love to visit one day, we decided it really needs a month or more to really delve deep into Thailand’s second largest island and so, almost by default we settled on Koh Phangan. A much bigger island than Koh Tao but nowhere near as big as Koh Samui, we decided we should give the island a go, even if we were a little skeptical of its party island reputation!
Throughout our travels we’ve learnt that sometimes you do have to put yourselves out there and visit places that you wouldn’t necessarily pick. Sometimes these decisions don’t work out for the best, but sometimes, just going for it, will turn out to be one of the best decisions you can make. This was definitely the case for us with Koh Phangan. Don’t judge an island by its parties!
As soon as we arrived, we instantly fell in love with the laidback charms, the stunning sunsets and friendly locals. The island is definitely an island of two sorts, a yin and yang of jungle trance beats colliding with yoga and poke bowls! It’s an island, with a great digital nomad community living alongside locals. Koh Phangan is full of modern coffee shops, salad bars and gyms sitting next to traditional street food stalls and local eateries.
We absolutely loved our time on Koh Phangan and really cannot wait to return!
Where Is Koh Phangan?
Koh Phangan sits on the east coast of Thailand just off the shores of Surat Thani Province in the Gulf of Thailand. You can find the island on a map here. The island is the fifth largest in Thailand, and is one of the three islands that make up the popular Samui archipelago. Koh Phangan sits in the middle, between Koh Tao (to the north) and Koh Samui (to the south).
Koh Phangan can also be spelt Ko Pha Ngan or Ko Pha-Ngan. The name of the island translates to ‘Koh’ meaning island in Thai and ‘Phangan’ meaning sandbar. In Thai it is written as เกาะพะงัน.
The island has all the modern conveniences a traveller could want, including plenty of 7-Eleven’s, pharmacies and ATMs.
What Is There To Do?
Koh Phangan has plenty to do, whether you’re the relaxed, ‘sit by the beach and do nothing’ kind of person, or whether you’re the ‘adventurous explorer’ type. Whatever traveller category you fall into, there’s plenty to keep you occupied on the island.
Relax and Swim on the Beaches
As you are on a Thai island, you should expect some phenomenal beaches, happily Koh Phangan has plenty to choose from. When we visited the island we had quite a bit of rain during our stay, making it a little harder to really appreciate the beauty of Phangan’s beaches, but with the few sunny days we had, we made the most of its white sanded shores and turquoise waters and tried to visit as many beaches as possible.
This list below is by no means a list of every beach on Koh Phangan and we’re not going to say any one beach is the “best beach on the island” but these are just some of our favourites that we stopped to chill, swim or sunbathe on.
We’ll start our list off at the very southern tip of the island, on what may be Koh Phangan’s most famous beach….
Haad Rin Beach
During the Full Moon, the population of this beach swells to a 30,000 person all night rave. With revellers donning neon paint, slurping from buckets of questionable alcohol and dancing under the light of the full moon. During the day though and when it’s not Full Moon, Haad Rin Beach is completely unrecognisable!
The beach absolutely blew us away with just how pretty it was. We really hadn’t expected much, in fact, on the long drive to the beach (we were staying about as far away as you could from Haad Rin) we were even contemplating giving up and heading to a different beach, but as we headed down a non-descript street full of bars and massage parlours and emerged onto the pure white sand we were gobsmacked!
Stretching out in front of us lay one of the prettiest beaches we’ve ever seen! Pure bright-white sand spread out all around and in front, gently lapping at the shore, was some of the most vibrant, blue sea we’ve ever come across. Haad Rin Beach really looked like a tropical paradise!
If you’re planning to spend a full day at Haad Rin, just be aware that there is very little shade on the beach, but there are plenty of bars and restaurants offering sunloungers and deck chairs with umbrellas.
There is a carpark just behind the beach where we parked, but it gets very busy very quickly - when we came to leave we had to tetris quite a few scooters out of the way to get our ride!
The area around Haad Rin is stuffed full of bars, hostels and restaurants. If you’re after a sociable stay on the island, then Haad Rin would be a great shout!
Haad Rin and the Full Moon Party
If you’re planning a trip to Koh Phangan during the Full Moon Party, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance! Rooms and beds close to Haad Rin (in fact across the whole of the island) sell out very quickly during this time. Also expect to pay a lot more for your bed as prices during the Full Moon can double or triple in price. See more about booking accommodation in our “where to stay” section later on in the article.
Also make sure you bring lots of cash with you. There are plenty of ATMs dotted in and around Haad Rin Bay, but they can run out during the Full Moon party.
We would also recommend that if you’re not into a 30,000 strong party outside your room then maybe plan your visit to Haad Rin when it’s not the Full Moon Party. We visited the beach between parties and practically had the beach all to ourselves!
Haad Yao Beach
Haad Yao Beach is a huge white sanded beach dotted with moored up longtail boats sitting in the shallow surf. At one end of the beach you have the Haad Yao Bayview Resort that clings to the side of the cliff and all along the sand are smaller resorts and beachside bungalows. We spent a couple of hours enjoying a walk along the beach and taking in the beautiful views.
Haad Yao Beach is a very popular stretch of sand and there are quite a few beachside cafes and bars built under the swaying palms. The beach also faces northwest, so it would be a fantastic spot to watch the sunset. You could easily spend a full day at this beach, starting with brunch at the cliffside eatery What’s Cup (read more here) then spending a day swimming and sunbathing, before watching a fiery sunset show with a beer in hand.
If you’re travelling by scooter, there is plenty of parking available at the Haad Yao Bayview Resort.
Salad Beach
Another beautiful cove full of golden sand, swaying palms and an inviting sea! Salad Beach felt much smaller than its neighbours, but no less beautiful.
We parked our scooter in the carpark of the Salad Beach Resort (there was a lot of parking available) and followed the signs, through their very pretty garden and swimming pool to the beach.
On the beach we found a spot to lay our towel down and spent a chilled out afternoon relaxing to the sound of the waves!
There are a handful of scooter rentals, dive agencies, restaurants, cafes and bars dotted in the area behind the beach.
Mae Haad & Koh Ma Beaches
Joined together, the sands and shorelines of Mae Haad and Koh Ma Beaches are perfect spots for a full day of relaxation. During low tide, a sandbank emerges and you can walk across the sand over to Koh Ma Island. On Koh Ma look out for the small stone stacks piled on the shore. There is also an abandoned floating raft that’s full of graffiti and street art.
Back on Mae Haad Beach, there’s a couple of resorts and restaurants lining the shore and the beach is plenty big enough for you to get your very own spot on the sand!
A lot of coral has been washed up on the shore of this beach and we loved how the sand crunched with the shards of mini shells as we walked. During low tide, you’ll need to wade out quite a long way to reach a depth that’s higher than your knees, but that’s just us being picky - it really is another stunner of a beach! Also if you’re after a good spot for sunset, Mae Haad is a great shout.
To the right of the main beach, there is a fishing beach, with plenty of colourful boats moored up. This beach (despite some large hotels) still felt very quiet, however there was quite a lot of development going on and it looks like things will change in the future.
If you’ve travelled by scooter there is plenty of parking linking the road next to the Koh Ma Beach Resort.
Chaloklum Beach
As we were staying in the north, Chaloklum Beach is where we would spend most of our time. A curving white sand bay split in two by a small pier, with warm shallow seas that are perfect for a dip. Chaloklum is another pretty beach to add to the mix.
If you’re planning a full day on the beach, the best spots for relaxing are to the right hand side of the pier (if you’re looking down the pier towards the sea) or to the very far left of the beach next to the volleyball court (here). This left hand spot seemed to be the unofficial backpacker hangout of Chaloklum. There were always loads of sunkissed / burnt travellers relaxing in the sea.
Every evening when the sun started to set, the beach would swell with backpackers, families and locals. We would always join them, either by sitting on the beach, having a beer in a bar or, taking a dip under the setting sun!
Haad Khom Beach
We stumbled upon this little gem of a beach on our last day and wished we had come earlier in our stay. Haad Khom Beach was such a pretty spot. A small, sandy cove surrounded by palm trees and rock pools, it was a great spot to spend the afternoon.
To reach the beach, just park on the side of the road (free to park) and walk down through the very pretty garden of the Coconut Beach Bungalow resort.
At low tide, there are plenty of boulders and rocks for you to sit or sunbathe on and at the far end there’s a rocky peninsula that’s full of rock pools. The beach still felt very underdeveloped and the wooden bungalows of the Coconut Beach Bungalow Resort were some of the prettiest we’ve seen in Thailand. There is a small restaurant at the far end of the beach serving beer, soft drinks and meals.
Bottle Beach
A curving arc of white sand and blue water surrounded by dense jungle and huge mountains, Bottle Beach is exactly the type of beach you hope to find on your backpacking adventures in Thailand. It’s the type of beach that just radiates that ‘OG backpacking’ kind of vibe. The beach itself is very remote and a little difficult to get to, which means it’s never that busy, plus it’s a huge beach so there’s always plenty of space for you to get your own little slither of paradise.
To get to the beach you have three options: walk, drive or get a boat.
If you’re planning on hiking to the beach, there are 2 routes. One route starts close to Haad Khom Beach (located here on a map) and loops through the jungle and around the headland down to Bottle Beach. The second route winds its way down through the jungle next to the Phasawan Viewpoint (Bottle Beach Viewpoint). We looked for the start of this trail but failed to find it, so decided on the another route.
The other way to approach the beach is via a road. When we say “road” what we actually mean is a crater-pocked, gravel ski slope that descends almost vertically down the mountainside. We are not exaggerating, it is a treacherous, technical trail that is well beyond our scooter abilities.
If you (sensibly) decide you do not want to drive your scooter to its doom. There is a small car park just before the road gets truly unmanageable (located here). Even this short stretch of road is a little sketchy, so we left our bikes at the Bottle Beach Viewpoint carpark (located here) and walked the 5 minutes down to the car park.
When you reach the carpark, you have two choices. One is to wait for a 4x4 to take you down the vertical descent or two, you can walk the 3 KMs to the beach. If there are no pickup’s waiting in the carpark, there is a poster with a telephone number that you can message and they’ll come to collect you. To get down to the beach it’ll cost you 100 baht per person per trip.
As we are cheap backpackers and love hiking, we decided to walk. The walk started off fine, but as soon as we turned the first corner, we can only describe the route down as a gravel covered adventure full of deep trenches, slick sand and absolutely no grip whatsoever! We were wearing our trainers and we still managed to slip over multiple times - it felt like we were Bambi on ice!
Whatever you do, do not attempt to ride your scooter down this hill. No matter how confident you are, how much of an expert rider you think you are, just don’t do it! The hill is super steep and very slippery, and you really don’t want to come off your bike here - Bottle Beach is very far away from the nearest hospital! There are signs all along the route warning those who do decide to scooter down the hill that it’ll cost 1500 baht to get rescued with your bike and that’s if you’re lucky. The road was slick enough just walking down it, that if you decided to ride down, we’re sure you’d be left with a very large scooter repair bill and one hefty hospital fee. Trust us, don’t be an idiot, listen to the signs!
At the bottom of the hill (around the last 1KM), the path flattens out and you follow the valley floor down to the beach itself. Although very slidy in places, we still enjoyed the walk down and it really didn’t take us that long. At the beach (when it’s time for you to leave) there will be plenty of drivers waiting to take you back up the slippery, sandy road, again for a 100 baht fee per person.
The other, much pricier, yet less sweaty way to get to the beach is to take a longtail boat. You can arrange a boat trip from Chaloklum Pier (located here) where many boat drivers sit waiting. Prices will start at 150 baht per person per ride, but expect to pay a lot more if you’re looking for a private transfer.
After all that, is Bottle Beach worth the trip? YES absolutely! The beach is stunning and probably our favourite on the island. If you can, make sure you don’t miss out on a full day of relaxation here!
If you’re looking for a secluded stay on Bottle Beach, where it’s just you, the beach and the sound of the waves, then there are two options for you to choose from. Check out Smile Bungalow or Bottle Beach Bungalows both of which offer rooms with a beach front view and both have small restaurants / bars selling full meals, snacks, beer and soft drinks.
Thong Nai Pan Beach
Thong Nai Pan Beach was definitely the most resort-ty of the beaches we encountered on Koh Phangan. The beach is lined with two, very high-end hotels, the 5 star Anantara Resort and the 4 star Buri Rasa Village Phangan.
There’s a reason why the luxury hotels have set up shop here as Thong Nai Pan Beach was stunning! The sand on the beach was some of the whitest we have ever seen and the sea bright blue! If you were after a full day of relaxation and swimming, Thong Nai Pan would be a great shout. We just plonked our towel down on the beach, but we have heard that it is possible to rent a sunlounger from the Sand In My Shoes Beach Loft if you purchase something from their bar / restaurant.
Even on an overcast day Tong Nai Pan Beach is beautiful!
The small town surrounding Thong Nai Pan Beach was full of restaurants (including a lot of Italian eateries), a really cool reggae-style beach bar and a couple of cafes including the fantastic Brew Coffee (make sure to read our Koh Phangan where to eat guide).
There’s a carpark in the main street or if it’s quiet, you can park your scooter in the very fancy looking Buri Rasa Village Phangan car park.
Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach
The much larger sister beach to Thong Nai Pan beach, Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach certainly lives up to its name. Yai in Thai means large! Divided by a jungle outcrop jutting out of a headland into the Gulf of Thailand, Thong Nai Pan Yai is another beautiful beach full of golden sand, palm trees and warm turquoise sea. There are a couple of resorts that line the beach and a few bars / cafes to sit at, but if you’re backpacking we’d recommend heading up the beach, back towards Thong Nai Pan Beach to the abandoned resort where there’s plenty of places to sit under the shade.
The beach is also apparently home (marked on Google Maps as an attraction) to ‘Good Boi’ an adorable golden retriever. Unfortunately, he wasn’t out to play when we visited, but next time Good Boi, next time we’ll meet you!
If you’re heading to Thong Nai Pan Yai make sure you stock up on water and supplies from other 7-Eleven’s on the island. The water here was double the price!
We drove here on our scooters and parked next to the Bamboo Bungalow resort.
Explore the Namtok Than Sadet National Park
Located in the mountainous northeast, Namtok Than Sadet National Park is stunning, and in our opinion the drive to the park is worth doing alone, it’s an incredible road! As you leave the busy roads of the main town behind, you’ll find a quiet stretch of tarmac that curves and switch-backs its way up steep mountains and through dense jungle.
When you reach the roundabout, take the right hand fork. You’ll know you’re on the right road when you pass a small garden and monument dedicated to King Rama V on your right. The road to the Namtok Than Sadet National Park is free to drive along and all along the road (towards Haad Saet Beach) are a series of paths that lead down to jungle waterfalls.
The first stop in the park is at the ‘Blind Guy Food and Drink Shop’ (here). Just pull over and park in front of his shop. Behind his house and shop, a steep path leads down into the jungle. As you head further down into the valley, you’ll start to hear the water thundering down. At the bottom of the trail, a river cascades over huge rocks and boulders. You can clamber your way down over the rocks, or sit with your feet in the cool water. Before you leave, make sure you stock up on supplies from the lovely blind man. He sells soft drinks, snacks, beer, gasoline, coconuts and coconut oil and if you are lucky you may be treated to a song!
After you’ve finished here, hop back on your bike and head down the steep road, past the Dragon Soul Retreat Centre to park on the side of the road to climb down to Phu Sam Pan Waterfall (here). Again, to reach the falls below, it was another hot and sweaty, steep descent into the valley. At the bottom there was a lot more climbing and scrambling over large rocks to reach the water. The riverbed here is dotted with plenty of pools to swim in and plenty of rocks to lie out on in the sun.
Once you’ve finished at Phu Sam Pan, head down the road onto the last stop of the park, Pho Darng Waterfall (here). Just over the road from the carpark there is a small set of steps that lead down to the river below. Pho Darng was definitely the most waterfall-y ‘waterfall’ of the day. At the bottom of the steps a huge pool opened up in front of us. At the far end, a small stream of white water crashed down over gently sloped platforms of rock. It was beautiful!
All three waterfalls are free to enter, but in peak season you may need to register with the National Park Office at the top of Pho Darng Waterfall. Make sure you wear your swimwear, pack lots of water (it’s very hot and humid in the jungle) and douse yourself in lots of insect repellent. The mosquitoes in the park are super hungry! Also be careful on the rocks as they were very slippery! We wore our trainers and had no problem jumping and clambering up the rocks but it may have been a different story if we were wearing flip flops!
From the Namtok Than Sadet National Park you can continue down the road until you read the carpark and barriers for Haad Sadet Beach. To access the beach you’ll need to pay a 100 baht entry fee per person, plus an additional 20 baht to park your bike. As we didn’t fancy a swim (we had already enjoyed the cool waters of the waterfalls) we decided to save the pennies and headed to….
Take in the Epic Cliffside Views at the Hide On High Viewpoint and Cafe
Let’s be honest here, this incredible viewpoint is not easy to get to. The approach to the treehouse cliffside bar is up a dirt track that’s full of loose gravel and deep crevices. As soon as we saw the approach to the viewpoint we decided to park our bikes on the side of the road and walk there.
If you decide to park your bikes on the side of the road like we did, make sure you give enough space to let others pass. There were a lot of signs on the road suggesting there’s been problems with this in the past. The walk to the bar wasn't long (about 0.5 KM) and took us about 10 minutes. If you are really skilled on two wheels you could try accessing it via a scooter, but we’d only recommend you do this if you’re super confident. It was very sandy and very slippery even on foot!
As soon as you reach the bar don’t be put off by the many signs outside asking you to be polite, order drinks and generally don’t be one of those “arsehole travellers”! We found the guy who owned it to be super friendly and super welcoming and spent a good while chatting to him about where we had been and where we should go next. After we ordered our drinks, he brought out two, super comfy cushions and laid them out on the wooden decking outside.
The view is absolutely incredible! From up high in the trees, you get an amazing 180 degree panoramic view over thick, dark green jungle, the golden sands of Haad Sadet Beach and the jagged grey and turquoise of the coastline. It was amazing! The vibes were super chilled out, with laidback reggae tunes playing from inside the bar. The bar felt completely unchanged and was like we had stumbled upon something from the old-school backpacking era of the late 90s!
Hide on High serves everything from fresh coconut water to cocktails, smoothies to beer. The prices are a little higher than elsewhere on the island, but then you are drinking in a treehouse! Inside the bar there is a small counter selling handmaid jewellery and other trinkets.
To visit Hide on High you will need to buy a drink or pay an entrance fee of 100 baht which feels totally reasonable given the incredible view.
Climb the Vertigo-Inducing Phasawan Viewpoint (Bottle Beach Viewpoint)
The Phasawan Viewpoint is one of the most incredible and possibly most dangerous viewpoints we’ve climbed so far during our adventures. A huge curved spine of rock juts precariously out from the dense jungle below and overhangs, giving jaw-dropping and vertigo-inducing views over Bottle Beach and Phangan’s stunning coastline. It’s one of those viewpoints that if you’re brave (or stupid enough) to risk standing on the edge of the rock, you’re granted with a view that’s a ‘pinch yourself’ kind of moment. We are sometimes less than wise, the view was phenomenal!
To get to the viewpoint, there’s a short 20 minute walk through the jungle. It’s a very easy climb that’s well marked throughout. The path follows a gentle incline which clambers up over giant tree roots. At the very end of the walk, there’s a section where you’ll need to scramble up and over some giant boulders. When you reach the viewpoint itself, you’ll need to crawl through a small rock and will need to balance along a very small ledge. From there you’ll need to haul yourself up to the rockface. The views from the back of the rock are still great if you don’t feel like risking the cliffside. On top of the rock, it’s just you and a 360 degree sweeping view over Bottle Beach and the jungle below!
Make sure you wear closed shoes as the rock is very slippery and if you were to fall off, there is literally nothing to save you. It can get very busy, so you may need to wait to get your photos, but it’s 100% worth it!
If you’re scared of heights, maybe give this viewpoint a miss. There are no barriers, no markings to say where to stand; it’s just one big massive rock hanging out from the side of the jungle!
Hike up the Haad Khom Viewpoint
This was a super easy hike, taking only 10 minutes to reach the peak. It’s an easy climb up a gentle hill, through the jungle and over tree roots. At the top of the hike, the trees start to part and you’ll be standing on top of a big flat rock with beautiful views out over Haad Khom Beach and Chaloklum Bay.
The viewpoint is well worth the quick hike, but just make sure you douse yourself in mosquito repellent as there were some especially peckish mozzies floating about.
To reach the trail, just park in the gravel car park on the side of the road. When we visited we were the only ones on the trail and had the whole car park and hike all to ourselves. This car park is also where we would recommend parking if you’re planning on hiking to Bottle Beach.
If you’re heading here, be warned that there is a super steep hill just before you reach the Boulder Kafe (read more about it here), so if you’re heading this way, make sure you’ve tested your bike brakes!
Take a Look at the ‘Big Tree’ or Yang Na Yai Tree
Yang Na Yai Tree or the ‘Big Tree’ is Koh Phangan’s largest tree and is aptly named given its size (again ‘Yai’ in Thai translates to big or large) and whoever named it was bang on the money - it’s humongous! We made a stop here after exploring the Namtok Than Sadet National Park and couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the tree. The trunk is massive and towers over you like a natural skyscraper. There is a small shrine at the base and a place to park your scooter. You won’t need long at the tree, but it’s worth a quick stop if you’re passing through. Plus the tree marks the beginning of our favourite road to ride on! The road leads to the Namtok Than Sadet National Park and the beaches of Thong Nai Pan and Thong Nai Pan Yai. Behind the ‘Big Tree’ the road curves steeply, climbing up into dense jungle. As you switch back your way further into the forest, breaks in the trees give incredible views out over the island. It’s an amazing road and was always very quiet when we travelled on it.
Shop for Local Delicacies at the Chaloklum Sunday Market
We were lucky enough and managed to visit Chaloklum’s very popular Sunday Walking Street Market twice!
Every Sunday evening from 4pm until late, the main street behind Chaloklum Beach is closed to traffic and stall holders set up selling everything from Thai street food favourites to arts and crafts. The Sunday Market is super popular with locals, expats and backpackers and was a lovely way to spend an evening. We absolutely loved the chilled out vibes, the live music and the fact that everyone sat along the pier eating their market meals!
We’ve been to many night markets in Thailand, and the Chaloklum Sunday Market is definitely one of our favourites! We cover everything we ate at the market in our ‘Koh Phangan Where to Eat’ guide which you can read here.
If you’re staying in the main town there is also a Saturday Walking Street Market (here) which opens from 5pm every Saturday evening. We didn’t make it to this market, but it’s definitely on the list for next time!
Other Things to Do
In this guide we’ve only touched upon only a small fraction on what there is to do on Koh Phangan. Here’s some other suggestions on how to fill your time. We did not do any of these activities, so cannot give any honest opinions, we can only suggest them to you as possible things to do. Let us know in the comments what we missed!
Visit more waterfalls
We only managed to explore the waterfalls in the Namtok Than Sadet National Park, but in the centre of the island (just north of the main town, close to the main road heading to Chaloklum) there are plenty of other waterfalls to visit including Khao Ra (here) and the waterfalls of Than Nam Rak (here).
To the north, close to Mae Haad Beach there’s the Wang Sai waterfall (here) and next to Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach you can find two more falls; the Than Prawet Waterfall (here) and Thong Nai Pan Waterfall (here). Next time we’re on the island, we would love to visit all of these.
Koh Phangan’s Than Sadet National Park is vast!
Go snorkelling or diving of Koh Phangan’s shores
Snorkelling tours leave Koh Phangan and head to the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park sitting to the east of the island. We absolutely adore snorkelling and really wanted to do it whilst we were on Koh Phangan, but unfortunately the weather just wasn’t playing ball. Next time though we will definitely book a trip! If you’d like to book a snorkelling tour in advance, why not check out this full day trip from Get Your Guide.
If you would like to go diving, then there are a couple of dive schools on the island. Every day, on our way to Chaloklum Beach we would pass by the Chaloklum Diving School. For more information, check out their website here.
Take a yoga class
The whole island is dotted with plenty of yoga retreats and studios, with many offering single classes, weekly or monthly memberships. If you’re looking to get your flex on or in need of some serious centering, Koh Phangan has you covered.
Explore the island by quad bike
During our stay, one of our favourite things to do was to ride the jungle road between Namtok Than Sadet National Park and Thong Nai Pan Beach on our scooters. Most days we would encounter a stream of ATVs, twisting and turning along the road, before they suddenly disappeared off through a small gap in the dense jungle. There are plenty of companies who offer ATV tours but if you would like to book a trip in advance, why not check out this tour on Get Your Guide.
Take a cooking class
One of the best things to do on any trip to Thailand is to take a cooking class. We loved our cooking class in Chiang Mai (read all about here), it was fantastic! We only found out about Chilli Best Thai Cooking Class & Restaurant when we passed by on our last day on the island and were gutted we didn’t notice it before. To book a cooking class, click here.
Where To Eat And Drink On Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and street eats. Whatever you fancy, there’ll be somewhere on the island that you can eat at. We have written a full blog on where to eat and drink on the island, check it out below:
There’s also plenty of 7-Eleven’s dotted all over the island if you’re after a budget friendly ham and cheese toastie or iced americano!
Where To Stay?
Koh Phangan has accommodation to suit every style, budget and comfort level. From party hostels and jungle escapes, yoga retreats to budget guesthouses, 5-star luxury hotels to the quintessential Thai beach front bungalows, whatever you’re after, there’ll be a place for you to stay.
If you’re travelling to the island on or around New Years Eve, Songkran or the Full or Half Moon parties then make sure you book your accommodation well in advance. During this time, beds sell out extremely quickly and can be quite costly!
Our accommodation - Mythai Guesthouse
We can only recommend one place to stay as we only stayed in one guesthouse for the duration of our stay and that was the excellent Mythai Guesthouse in Chaloklum in the north of the island.
Set a short 15 minute walk from Chaloklum Beach and town, Mythai guesthouse was wonderful! Super spacious and comfy rooms, en-suite bathrooms, AC and even a semi-private table on the veranda. We liked it so much we actually ended up extending our stay here twice. Also it helps that it was above the excellent (as in it one of the highest rated burgers on the island) My Thai Burger restaurant!
To book your stay at Mythai Guesthouse, click here.
They also offer dorm rooms for those looking for a cheaper stay.
All other accommodation
Koh Phangan has plenty of accommodation to choose from. If you’re after the hostel, Full Moon party scene, then we’d recommend you seeking out a stay in the Haad Rin area of the island. If you’re after yoga classes, poke bowls and co-working spaces then check out accommodation to the south of the main town close to Haad Ban Tai Beach or to the north of town, following the coastline along from Hin Kong Beach to Zen Beach and onto Haad Yao Beach.
For those looking for laidback vibes, then definitely check out Chaloklum in the north. It was much quieter than the south of the island and the sunsets were phenomenal here! Also when we travelled it was by far the most budget friendly area of the island.
If you’re after a luxury escape in a high-end resort then head over to the Thong Nai Pan area of the island.
Wherever you want to stay, we’d recommend entering your holiday dates on our handy map below and seeing what is available across the island!
Getting Around The Island
Koh Phangan is a big island and to explore properly, you are going to need a set of wheels.
Motorbike and Scooter Hire
The easiest way to explore Koh Phangan is to rent a motorbike or scooter. The island is big, and it takes just over 35 minutes to travel from Haad Rin in the south all the way to Chaloklum Beach in the north by bike.
Motorbike and scooter rental can be found everywhere on the island, with many of the hostels, guesthouses and hotels having their own fleet of scooters to rent.
We were staying in the north of the island in Chaloklum and hired two scooters from here (no Google listing, but the rental place is just next door to Albert’s Macaron) for 220 baht per day per bike. This price seemed to be average across Phangan. If you’re wanting to rent a scooter straight from the ferry, then there are plenty of rental places, just opposite the pier. Just shop around to find what type of bike you want and check the reviews.
For those wanting to ride pillion consider splashing the cash and getting a more powerful / newer bike. Koh Phangan is very mountainous and there are quite a few steep roads to contend with! We saw many couples come to a complete stop on some of the steeper hills as their bike couldn’t reach the top with both of them on board. We’re sure many couples have had a sweaty argument after one of them has had to hike up a steep hill whilst the other one swans up on a scooter!
Self-service petrol pumps can be found all over, and there are plenty of manned petrol stations so you shouldn’t ever need to worry about running out of gas!
If you’re planning to rent a bike, all the usual safety warnings apply. Koh Phangan is a very busy island with lots of traffic and very steep, curvy hills. Only rent a bike if you’re confident at riding and always, always wear a helmet!
Taxis and Songthaews
If you cannot ride a motorbike or scooter, there are plenty of taxis and songthaews to take you around the island. Just be aware that it will be a very expensive way to get around as taxi prices on Koh Phangan are fixed at 200 baht per person per ride. You will only be able to hail local taxis or songthaews to take you where you want to go as Grab and Bolt do not work on Koh Phangan.
For those planning to stay in the north of the island near Chaloklum, there is a taxi station just next door to the Lotus supermarket (located here) which runs songthaews to the south of the island every hour from 8AM until 8PM at night.
When we arrived on Koh Phangan we arranged, through our guesthouse My Thai Guesthouse, for a taxi to come and pick us up from the pier as soon as we docked. We paid 400 baht for this transfer. A little pricey, but necessary when you’re staying in the very north of the island! Next time as we know the roads and are a little bit more confident on scooters now, we will rent bikes from the pier and drive ourselves.
Some of the roads on Koh Phangan are very steep!
How To Get To Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is extremely well connected with ferries and speedboats to both the Thai mainland and to the neighbouring islands of Koh Tao and Koh Samui.
Whether you’re coming from Bangkok, Surat Thani, Koh Samui or Koh Tao you’ll arrive and depart Koh Phangan from the Thong Sala Pier (located here). The nearest airports to the island are Koh Samui and Surat Thani.
To book your tickets to the island in advance, we would recommend using 12Go below. You can choose to pick transfers straight from Bangkok, from Surat Thani or from either Koh Samui or Koh Tao.
We’ve written an in depth article about how to get to the island, which you can read below:
If you’re planning to travel to Koh Phangan during the Full Moon, New Years Eve or Songkran in April, make sure you book your transport to and from the island well in advance! The island swells with revellers during these times and you don’t want to get stuck or left behind.
When To Visit The Island - Wet And Dry Season
Obviously, the best time to visit the island is during the dry season which runs from December to March. During these months you should have hot sunny days, with very little rain. However, the dry season is the peak season for tourism on the island which means the island will be very busy and accommodation and transport may sell out!
The wettest time on the island is from September to November and is considered to be the low season for tourism. During these months accommodation will be a lot cheaper, but it may not be optimal weather for sunbathing! Also some of the bars and restaurants may be closed during this time.
We visited in May, during the shoulder months between the wet and dry season. During our stay we were treated to a huge mix of weather. Some days we had beautiful blue skies and no rain and on other days, we had torrential downpours. Although it was wet at times, the rain never lasted that long, and every day we managed to get to the beach for a swim or a walk.
Even with the rainy days, we were still lucky and saw some incredible sunsets!
Final Thoughts
Koh Phangan was one of the most unexpected highlights of all our travels and definitely exceeded both our expectations. We headed to the island with not knowing what to expect and had only planned to stay only a couple of nights, but after only an afternoon on the island we were already extending our stay. Koh Phangan has a reputation of being a party island, but there really is so much more to it than that.
The island can cater for those party goers out there, but if you’re into beautiful beaches, stunning jungles and laidback vibes, the island is for you too. The island has a bit of everything. From modern coffee shops to street food, night markets to high-end restaurants. Whatever you want to get out of the island, we’re sure that Koh Phangan could provide.
We absolutely adored Koh Phangan and are already planning a return! It’s an island we would love to set up a base on and spend some time exploring fully. It’s a big island that’s full of great things to see and do, and it really does deserve a lot of your time! Put any fears of parties, buckets and face paint aside, they all exist and we’re sure are great fun if you want to indulge, but there is so much more to this beautiful island!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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