Koh Phangan : A Hidden Gem

This Week’s Guest Blogger

Caroline Kamin is a college student with a burning desire to travel the world experiencing life like others. She balances her studies with world travels producing content. You can find out more about her @_carolinedawn_ 

If you’ve been following my blog, you may already know I’m a real sucker for beautiful destinations: lots of nature, local community, good vibes and (a huge bonus) non touristy. I feel so blessed to be able to experience places like this and honestly, most of the time I think they find me because I have no idea how I find them.

First Impression of Koh Phangan

Let me start from the beginning when I first arrived on this stunning Thai Island. After 36 hours, 4 planes, 2 headaches, 1 boat ride -and somehow no lost luggage- I arrived at the little island of Koh Phangan in southern Thailand. I originally picked this location for the world famous Full Moon Party on the beach – Hand Rin. I hadn’t done a ton of research on this island but was hoping for the best. Little did I know how much this island would feel like home. From towering coconut mountains (an actual pile of coconuts as big as a mountain) to bustling local street markets, I fell IN LOVE.

I rented a scooter the first day because some of the best spots can be pretty far from each other. Having good transportation also gave me the chance to go for long scooter rides through the jungle -my absolute favorite – and laying on the best beaches all day doing absolutely nothing. Fun fact about me… I’m easily entertained and quite ecstatic to just ride a scooter around the island all day.

A Little Piece of Home

Koh Phangan was pretty easy to become familiar with. Beautiful white sand beaches with leaning palm trees scatter the edges (not every beach looks like this, but when you find the right spot – expect that). My first day, a friend showed me a beautiful beach called Malibu (ironic for a Californian girl) which became my everyday beachin’ spot. The picture shows just how happy I can be when placed on a beach.

The Jungles of Koh Phangan

The center of Koh Phangan is a vast jungle full of monkeys, cats and heartbreakingly, elephants (please don’t ride or engage with these elephants, they’re not treated well). If you go in the wet season (around May to October), you can hike to some wonderful waterfalls.

My trip coincided perfectly with the dry season (I don’t recommend if waterfalls are on your agenda). I didn’t mind though; I was pleasantly distracted by this islands beautiful beaches, captivating culture and ubiquitous SUN. (Pro tip -wear sunscreen 24/7, and yes, I mean even to sleep, okay maybe not to sleep, that’s excessive; but I did warn you).

Despite the dryness, the jungle was still very lush and green, and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive through it to the other side of the island with its stunning road of twists and turns that makes for a fun hour long journey with a jungle cafe pitstop for something cool and refreshing. (And sweet of course!).

Wandering Pantip night market

My next favorite past time was wandering Pantip night market. From fried bugs (of every shape, kind and size) to Durian (YUCK) to butter bread, this market had a perfect mix of food I was willing to eat and food I wasn’t, (No I did not eat any bugs…I prefer to stick to rice). I found a Pad Thai stand where I was able to watch a small Thai women make the food in her wok in front of me.

Speaking little Thai, I was able to stop her from adding eggs and meat (which shocked her every time….leading me to receive crazy eyes’). I also found a stall (not pictured) which served roasted veggies and steamed white rice. This combo was perfect for me: as a vegan, I often crave veggies when traveling because they can be difficult to find.

The Children of Koh Phangan

Adjacent to this irresistible market were some local houses. I would eat my meal watching sweet Thai children ride bikes, dance and play as children should, weaving in and out of the food stands. These little kids (pictured below) were taking baths in coolers and playing with water guns to cool down from the insane heat. The temps were in the high 90″s and felt even hotter near all the cooking food. I am easily entertained and smitten by children when traveling and these kids were by far the cutest children I had seen yet in Thailand.

My Full Moon Party Experience

Now for the real reason you’re reading this post and why I went to this island in the first place; the FULL MOON PARTY. In the days leading up to the full moon party I asked islanders about it. I inquired about what to expect, what to wear (yes, of course I asked that question..always have to be dressed appropriately for the occasion) and their experience with this party.

The Underrated Jungle Party

I quickly came to realize the love for this party was a little over exaggerated; the real love was for the party experience the night before called the JUNGLE PARTY. Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the full moon party, everything from partying on the beach until sunrise feeling nostalgic about life with alluring dance music in the background to people in crazy neon paint; but after attending both, I understand why people prefer the jungle party.

First off, how cool is that, a party in the middle of a jungle on an island?? Sign me up please! Second, not as many people know about this party so it’s much easier to walk around, dance, get drinks and talk to people. Taking a walk around the party there is everything from fire performers to costume dancer to crazy visual lights. Did I mention the DJ booth is inside of a glowing lions head? How cool! (annoyed with myself for not capturing a photo)

The full moon party on the other hand is a bit too loud, very crowded, and if you turn your back for one second, you’ll lose whomever you’re with and probably not find them again. This being said, however, the experience is captivating, and much like the Jungle Party.

I do want to make it clear that the full moon party was absolute amazing and I definitely recommend going. I just recommend going to both. It seemed all too soon before I had to say goodbye to this heartwarming island, however I knew it would not be goodbye forever, just “see you later”.

Little did I know how soon “See you later” would be as I returned a few weeks later…

Thank You, Koh Phangan.

Xo Caroline
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