Koh Phangan

Two islands in one

Almost everything written about Koh Phangan is about Haad Rin, the southern peninsula where the Full Moon Party happens. That is genuinely one corner of the island.

The rest — the north and west coasts especially — is hilly, green and quiet, built around yoga retreats, health-focused resorts and long empty stretches of sand. People come for a month and do very little on purpose.

Which one you get depends entirely on where you book. The two halves barely overlap.

The Full Moon Party, and what it means for your booking

The party runs on the night of the full moon (and the nights around it) on Haad Rin beach, and it draws tens of thousands of people to an island with limited beds and one small port.

The practical consequence: accommodation across the whole island sells out and prices spike for those dates, ferries fill, and even the quiet north gets busier. If you are not there for the party, check the lunar calendar before you pick your dates.

Where to stay

The island is small but the roads are steep and slow, so the choice matters more than the map suggests.

• Haad Rin — the party beach. Only if that is the point of the trip.
• Thong Nai Pan, in the north-east — two beautiful bays, reached by a mountain road. Quiet and worth the drive.
• Bottle Beach — reached only by boat. The most secluded of the well-known beaches.
• Sri Thanu and the west coast — the yoga and wellness end of the island, with sunset views over Koh Samui.
• Thongsala — the port town, practical for a short stay or a late arrival.

Getting there

There is no airport. You arrive by ferry: from Koh Samui it is around half an hour, and from Donsak pier on the mainland it is closer to two and a half hours. Ferries run several times a day from both.

The island's roads are hilly and often poor, and scooters are the standard way around — and the standard way visitors get hurt. Songthaews and taxis cover the main routes.