Koh Phangan Paradise Island

                                                        Welcome to Koh Phangan, home of www.backpackersthailand.com

Koh Phangan is a beautiful tropical island paradise full of amazing sights, beautiful white sand beaches, tropical rainforest interior and warm tropical waters - a place deserving of its title as 'an island of outstanding natural beauty!' 

It is also home to the infamous Full Moon Party - the biggest beach party in the world bringing together revellers from every nation for one night each month to enjoy the fun together under a moon lit sky!

To see many pictures of the beaches, temples and activities on Koh Phangan then take a look at our Photo Gallery.  

About Koh Phangan: Koh Phangan is located in the South East of Thailand and is part of the Samui Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand - a group of over forty islands made over millions of years from granite and covered in tropical forest and coconut groves. Koh Phangan is 100kms from the mainland (Surat Thani) and 15Km from Koh Samui. Over 70% of the island is mountains and tropical forest and the low areas coconut forests and white sand beaches.

Koh Phangan's cultural tradition goes back over 600 years when the first monks settled on the island, building temples at sites that remain today. Whilst the stunning waterfalls and idyllic Than Sadet beach has brought numerous royal visitors, including the Great King Rama V who came over ten times, and the current King, Rama IX. Over 95% of the population are Buddhist with about 12,000 people currently resident here.

There is also a national park rainforest interior to the island with amazing waterfalls and tropical rainforest. Koh Phangan has many waterfalls to visit, such as Paradise Waterfall with nearby elephant treking and the beautiful Chinese Temple, Phaeng Waterfall located centrally in the protected rainforest with all its fauna & flora and the beautiful Thansadet waterfall with the idyllic beach cove of Than Sadet bay. The best time to visit the falls are just after the wet seasons of May/June & Nov/Dec, when water flows at it's best and the swim holes are full and flowing!

The safest and best way to see Koh Phangan is to book the Island Safari Tour.  This trip includes a full day over-land Jeep Safari tour taking in all the sights of Koh Phangan plus it also includes elephant treking and snokelling on our coral reef.

There is a varied amount of asian wildlife here, including Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Fish Eagles, Buzzards, Sunbirds, Butterflies, Geckos and there are even wild monkeys in the jungle! You may also get to see a giant monitor lizards in the jungle interior, at Leam Son freshwater lake or at Thong Nai Pan.

A large coral reef runs along the west coast of Koh Phangan and it has a number of great dive sites, many close the coast and therefore perfect for those who just want to best snorkeling on the island!

The reef is full of amazing marine life and up at the North tip of the island the best dive sites. You can scuba dive amongst colourful tropical fish and see many different varieties of soft and hard corals - an amazing underwater world is out there waiting for you to explore!

If you want something less strenuous, then visit the herbal sauna at Wat Pho in Ban Kai, with its amazing lemon grass and herbal remedies! (please give small donation to the temple!) or if you just want to chill out, then head to one of Koh Pha-Ngan's great beaches and find a hammock to relax in under a shady tree!

And when you are finished with all the adventures of Koh Phangan during the daytime, then there's the varied nightlife to keep you active! Watch the beautiful sunsets with a cocktail in a chilled out bar, eat fresh seafood in one of the many fantastic resturants, dance the night away in one of the many bars or simply sit on the beach and watch a free fire show!

If you want to party, then there are many different ones to enjoy each month, including the Black Moon party, the Half Moon Party & of course the infamous Full Moon Party at Haad Rin beach with up to 20,000 people partying all night long at the biggest beach party in the world!

Koh Phangan is famous throughout the world for the Full Moon Party, but please don't come here just to party, get out there and travel across the island and enjoy the many beaches, mountain treks, waterfalls, massage & spas, on this island of outstanding natural beauty!

Beaches: Koh Phangan is an island circumnavigated by beautiful white sandy beaches.  They surround the periphery of the island and the most popular ones are listed here. Seasons change on Koh Phangan and you should take note of this as the west coast beaches have high tides from September to March but virtually no water for swimming the remainder of the season and people can therefore be disappointed if they have pre-booked resorts not knowing this. 

In the South of the island the most popular beach is Haadrin Nok, also known as Sunrise Beach and it is the location of the Full Moon Party.  This beach is shaped in a crescent with high mountains surrounding it making it a very beautiful and popular location.  In the daytime you can simply chill out on the beach or go for a swim as tides are generally high in most seasons. However, beware of strong undercurrents (rip tides) in the monsoon season (November – Jan) as there have been drowings in the past.  In the evenings many bars play loud dance music until the early hours of the morning so beware if you are booking accommodation here! Haddrin Nai  also known as Sunset Beach is not as beautiful as it is simply a long stretch of sand with Haadrin pier and boats located at the southern end but it is much quieter with many resorts nearby however, you will have the bonus of seeing the sunset here!  Leela Beach in Haadrin is located around the headland from Haadrin Nai to the South and is a straight stretch of white sand with mountains behind.  It is very beautiful and quiet – perfect for relaxing and getting a suntan!  It is also the perfect place to watch the sunset.

The South West of the island has a very long stretch of beach of about 15Km broken up by small headlands and large rocks.  Baan Kai and Baan Tai beaches are located here with many resorts located on the beach.  Due to the seasonal changes some people may be disappointed with these beaches, as when the tides are low, the beaches can in places look untidy due to the seaweed, vegetation and debris being brought in with the tides.  Also when tides are low seaweed is visible near the reef located about 100metres from the beach. The reef along this part of the island is not really suitable for snorkelling as it is damaged and consists of mainly rocks.  Most resorts along this beach have swimming pools to overcome this! 

Located on West of the island are Aow Wok Tum and Aow Plai Laem.  These long white sandy beaches are broken up by a number of small coves and inlets and many have amazing rock formations where you can sit to watch the beautiful sunsets.  They are prone to seasonal change but retain their beauty thanks to the amazing surroundings. Other beaches on the West include Aow Hin Kong part of which is a mangrove and Aow Srithanu which has some bays around the headland. The water can be quite shallow here. 

In the North West part of the island Haad Yao (West) and Haad Salad are the most popular beaches.  Haad Yao is a sweeping long circular bay with lovely water for swimming.  It has a very chilled out vibe and is one of the most popular relaxed beaches on the island. Haad Salad is a smaller bay but very popular due to its beautiful hills and vegetation.  If you are looking for a good snorkel location then simply swim fifty meters out and there is an amazing untouched coral reef waiting to be explored! 

In the North of the island Koh Ma (Island) and Haad Mae Haad are very popular with scuba divers and snorkellers thanks to  the beautiful coral reef located offshore which you can walk to via the sand bank linking the Koh Phangan to Koh Ma (Island).  The beach at Haad Mae Haad  is basically minute pieces of broken coral but if you head around the headland to Aow Chaloklum Bay to the left side beaches you will find some idyllic stretches of white sand.  This area is also very popular for water sports including fishing trips and wakeboarding. Also in the North, one of the most famous beaches on Koh Phangan is Haad Khuat also known as Bottle Beach.  This beach has a long stretch of beautiful white sand and can really only be accessed by boat which is why the ‘hippies’ in days of old preferred to stay here away from the sight of ‘big brother’!  Today, it’s popular with travellers who want to chill out and relax in peace and quiet.  In high season (Jan – March/July – Aug) bungalows on Bottle Beach are often full therefore longtail boats will often take you around the headland to the North East of the island to stay on Thong Nai Pan Noi which also can really only be accessed by boat.  This white sandy beach is located in a lovely quiet bay with tall hills surrounding it and is great for swimming and watching the sunrise if you are awake and up early enough!  

The North East of Koh Phangan also has Thong Nai Pan Yai which is accessible by road taxi.  This is the most popular beach for families and children and has many high class resorts.  

On the East of the island, Haad Sadet is a hidden treasure!  It is accessible by road taxi and consists of a small bay with large hills and rock formations.  Electricity here is limited and only on at certain times of the day so expect some basic living! You can stay in a simple bungalow on the hillside overlooking the ocean! This beach is famous in Thai culture for its regular visits by the Kings of Thailand and nearby is Haad Sadet Waterfall and King Rama rock where the Kings have left their signatures carved in stone.  Be aware that your tranquillity will be invaded for an hour or so each day by the marauding backpackers on the boat trips around the island who visit around lunch time each day! 

On the South East of the island Haad Yao (East), Haad Thien (East) and Haad Yuan  are very popular with travellers looking for relaxation and meditation.  They are also popular with tour groups who visit each month.  These beaches consist of long stretches of sand located in beautiful bays but can only be accessed by boat. 

Whatever you are looking for with regard to beaches Koh Phangan has it all! Watersports, fun, parties, relaxation and meditation can all be catered for on our amazing 30Km long island paradise! 

To see pictures of many of the beaches listed take a look at our Photo Gallery.  

To view a map of the island and its beaches click here. 

Shopping: Thong Sala is the main town on the island with most boats arriving here.  It has a fantastic night time open air food market with many local dishes and BBQ’s being served.  There is also a day time open market providing fruit, vegetables and meat to the local community.  A walk through here may surprise you!  All goods can be purchased here.  There is also a Tesco Lotus Supermarket located in Thong Sala. Haadrin town, in the South of the island, provides commercial goods and is more recognised as a tourist trap with prices for goods often much higher than in Thong Sala.

Banks & ATM’s: There is an abundance of ATM’s throughout the island with the main conurbation of banks in Thong Sala and Haadrin.  There are also facilities for international money transfer via Western Union in both towns. 

Police, Post office & Medical Emergencies: The main Police Station is on the Government Office Road out of Thong Sala. (077 377 114 or Tourist Police 077 421 281).  All theft or damage reports must be made here. Haadrin has a small Police Station but nothing is processed here so always go to Thong Sala. The main Government hospital is about 2 Km North of Thong Sala. There are many private clinics and private hospitals on the island but be aware that many of the 'doctors' have limited knowledge and the costs are extremely high.  Even if you have insurance our advice is go to the main Government hospital outside Thong Sala or if it is something serious go to Koh Samui to one of the main hospitals.  There are also many Clinics and Pharmacies on the island but be aware that many of the 'nurses' running these have no medical experience and the charges can be high – always check the name on the internet what medications they give you! The main Post Office is in Thong Sala and there is a smaller one near the pier in Haadrin. 

Bars, Entertainment & Restaurants: There are too many to list here but click here to a few.  Also if you read the Beaches section then this will give you a good idea of what type of place you want to stay and subsequently the type of bars and entertainment in those locations. 

Taxi’s and Taxi Boats: There are three types of taxi’s on Koh Phangan – minibus taxi’s that you can book at Travel Agencies such as Backpackers Information Centre in Haadrin, Songthaw pickup truck taxi’s that you can stop on the street and little small electric taxi’s that are running around the towns picking up customers for resorts.  Please note, that fares should be fixed BUT if the taxi is not full they will charge you more!  If you are on your own expect to pay very high prices! 

Motorcycle, Jeep, ATV & Jet-ski hire: Our advice is do not rent any of these.  There is no insurance provided, our roads are extremely dangerous and if you damage anything the provider will have your passport and basically extract as much money as they can from you – you will be held to ransom!  We cannot emphasise this enough!  If you want to see the island either use taxi’s or book one of the island tours. 

Internet & Travel: Visit our office Backpackers Information Centre in Haadrin where we can provide all facilities such as high speed internet, international phone calls, fax facilities, travel and tours bookings and good honest advice about travelling Asia! 

Scuba Diving: Visit our Crystal Lotus PADI dive shop in Haadrin to book all diving for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.  We have some special deals including free ferry’s, free rooms plus a wealth of knowledge about the courses and dive sites in the Gulf so call in and have a chat about diving! 

Local Customs:

• Always take of your shoes before entering a building (look for signs on shops)
• Do not put your feet up on anything or point them at a Thai person
•  Do not touch any Thai person on their head
• If you bargain a price, ask for discount once only.  Do not try to get in a confrontation as you will lose more than your money!
•  Do not shout or swear and on no occasion get in a fight – you will lose!
•  Do not show affection openly – keep to the confines of your room!
•  Do NOT do any drugs of any kind – there is now a 2 month detention in prison on Koh Phangan for use of light drugs such as cannabis, plus a large fine and deportation.  There are new rules here, a new Police Chief and new Island Governor so you can no longer pay your way out !

And finally, if you only visit Haadrin, Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party, you may be leaving knowing that you really haven't seen our amazing Paradise Island of Koh Phangan!