If you are not in the prime of youth and not a party person, then visiting Phangan during the 'off-period' might be a very different experience. The island has emerged as a place for healing, yoga, and co-working. Phangan has distinct hippie vibes, very different from the other islands. At most places, the island is covered in tropical jungle, and you frequently come across millipedes, snails and frogs (also snakes sometimes). I came across a snail bigger than my fist. Koh Phangan gets exceptionally busy during the full moon and the half moon party days, which also drives prices up. Even though the party is held on Haad Rin beach, it could get difficult to find a hotel even close to Haad Yao, at the diametrically opposite end of the island.
Travelling to Phangan from Samui costs about 350THB, and 600THB from Koh Tao. The latter is definitely expensive but Lomprayah runs the only service on this route as of now, and they are making hay while the sun shines. Phangan has an exceptionally poor service from the pier to the hotel, relying solely on open taxis that charge about 100-200 THB per person for a fairly short distance. The fares are open to negotiation but you will have the weaker hand because of lack of options. I found Mr Yu (0656463364) to be among the more reasonable ones.
To commute within the island, a scooter is the best choice, although with caveats. One, scooter scams are common so it is advisable to take a video of the scooter before you rent it out. The charges for scratches and damages can be exorbitant, running into thousands of bahts. Two, Phangan is a hilly island, so driving here can be tough. Some of the gradients are more than 45 degrees, needing exceptional control and expertise. Rentals are around 200THB for a 125cc scooter. Despite the steep slopes, 125cc should suffice for two reasonably heavy people. While Phangan was extremely hot and humid during the day, it was very chilly in the night due to the dense vegetation, so I recommend carrying a jacket while travelling on a scooter.
Among the beaches, I visited Haad Yao, Haad Salad and the Secret Beach. The latter is relatively tiny and unremarkable, although preferable if one wishes to spend some solitary time. Between Haad Yao and Haad Salad, it is difficult to decide. Yao is the more commercial one and livelier, albeit marked with too many resorts that somehow spoil the landscape. From whatever I heard, Haad Rin is popular only during full moon parties - a tourist told me that 'Haad Rin is dead'. Perhaps because tourism has just started to pick up and the parties too are yet to reach their former glory.
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| Secret Beach |
The town part of Phangan is in Thong Sala, where the pier is. This area of Phangan is completely avoidable. Most of the eateries closed down at 9pm, and even the ones that are open late offer mediocre food. There are plenty of these near the slumber party hostel. The only one that stands out is Outlaw, although it has a very meat-heavy menu, especially steaks. The Phantip food market and the food court are uninviting, perhaps catering to low-budget travellers. However, I would recommend the roadside fruit vendors, where you can get dragon fruits, mamelos and coconuts for a reasonable price. I personally liked Tee's juice shop, which is near the Haad Chao Phao beach area. The ginger turmeric shot and the star shake were particularly good, although the mango based drinks seemed equally popular. I found the Thai mango not as tasty as its Indian counterpart, but you can give it a try in the salad bowl.
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| Tee's Juice Shop |
There are plenty of cheap places to stay in Phangan, although the area near Haad Yao seemed to be dominated by resorts. I liked my hotel, the Sunset Hill Resort, because of the views it offered from the hilltop. The manager, Elaine, was also extremely helpful. The best part of the hotel was the Infinity pool that offers great vistas of the green blue seas. In case you visit it just for the restaurant, you can surely try the green curry. Overall, for the stay the hotel is a bit expensive and you might prefer other options in case the stay is Phangan is for more than three days. A lot of the hotels are literally next to mangroves, so do carry an insect repellant.
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| My hotel's restaurant |
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| View from my hotel |
Between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, I found the former to be better. You will find most people on the internet saying that it is a tough choice, but for me, Tao is an easy win. It is more beautiful, more lively, a better night life, and has far better eating places. Its not that I am writing off Phangan. I would definitely prefer it if I wanted some time out with myself, just relaxing and reading, or striking conversations with fellow travellers. The island offers enough for physical and mental detoxification.
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