Ko Pha Ngan (or Koh Phangan,
Thai: à¡ÒоЧѹ) is an island
in the Gulf of Thailand
in South East
Thailand. It is famous for
its full moon party at Haad
Rin Beach and as a backpackers
destination. Ko Pha Ngan
has two sister islands:
the larger Ko Samui to the
south and the
smaller Ko Tao to the north.
• Area: about 168
square km
•
Estimated
perimeter: 50 km EST.
(10hrs average walking
time)
•
Province:
Surat Thani
•
From
mainland: about 55 km
•
From
Ko Samui: about 15 km
•
From
Ko Tao: about 35 km
•
Population:
11,846 (2004)
•
Main
town: Thong Sala
As a natural paradise island
in the Southern Gulf of
Thailand, Ko Pha Ngan serves
as the
perfect getaway retreat,
where one may go relaxing
on quiet deserted beaches,
snorkeling
and learning to dive at
the distinctive island of
Ko Ma, trekking in the footsteps
of Thai Royalty
at Than Sadet National Park
steeped in history and culture,
or seeking adventure in
the nearby
Ang Thong archipelago composed
of over 40 islands endowed
with pristine beaches, natural
caves and the tranquil Tha
Laem Nai. Ko Pha Ngan has
over 250 resorts to choose
from,
ranging from the budget
80 baht a night beach hut
without private toilet to
luxury air-conditioned accommodation
with private swimming pool.
It's
the simple beach life
which continues to attract
visitors each year along
with the island's
reputation for full moon
parties and a hedonistic
approach to life. The
backpackers, budget
tourists and aging hippies
are beginning to give
way to families and more
mainstream tourists
as all the beaches are
fully developed. The full
moon party consists of
tens of thousands in
high season - all on the
beach. Druggies everywhere
still flock to the world's
biggest beach
party every month. The
music from the multiple
sound systems is mostly
ear-splittingly
discordant Shakira, trance
and boy bands, and a predominantly
youthful crowd dance 'til
dawn
on party nights. Interestingly
most of the fights which
break out on the beach
are between Jewish
tourists, this is known
as a MelGibson and is
one of the main attractions.
This may not be to
everyone's taste, certainly,
but it's definitely a
unique cultural experience.
Other events such as
the Half Moon Party and
Black Moon Party also
attract large crowds.
Despite the special titles
the events on the beach
are identical every single
night. However, it is
still possible to visit
the
island and avoid the full
moon party altogether,
with dozens of quiet,
secluded resorts and
beach huts dotted all
over the island for a
variety of prices. Many
of the more costly resorts
offer such facilities
as daily yoga, yoga teachers'
training, meditation,
a variety of healing,
healthy & natural
therapies, spa massage
& pampering services
and herbal steam rooms.
Other
activities available on
the island include scuba
diving with a number of
companies
offering very reasonably
priced training courses
and excursions, snorkelling,
especially off the
Mae Haad sandbar in the
north west, wakeboarding,
archery, fishing, walks
in the national park
or simply relaxing in
the company of other farangs
or the friendly locals.
Koh Phangan is a very
special place, there are
few places in this world
where you can live out
your desert island dreams
of palm trees and white
sand beaches, and still
have a blinding night
out at a rocking party
every month. With the
global notoriety that
the Full Moon Party has
gained
as being one of the biggest
and best beach bashes
in the world, we get more
than our fair share
of hedonists gracing our
shores. Each year the
scene here grows with
the ever-increasing
number of party faithful
that return, bringing
their mates and spreading
the vibe.
Haad
Rin is home to the Full
Moon Party and also houses
about 3-5000 rather mad
people; it is
the island's nightlife
capital and has Koh Phangan's
biggest concentration
of beach clubs that
collectively put on the
ultimate travellers get
together. There are over
12 major sound systems
running the length of
Had Rin beach, catering
for 8,000 to 12,000 punters
in low season, 15,000
to
20,000 in high season
and up to 30,000 at New
Year. Within this transient
crowd of party animals
some highly talented DJ's
pass through, banging
out their wares to the
raging lunar explorers
that have landed on planet
party.
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