Koh Phangan Island by Sarah Duffy
Koh Phangan, the small island Southeast of Thailand where all the magic happens.
It may be renowned for its monthly “Full Moon Party”, but there is so much more to this wonderful island and I can safely say from firsthand experience that it caters for everybody, and not just the party goers. It is a place you can go to unwind and feel a million miles away from everything.
We stayed in a beautiful isolated resort which was set along the coast of Tong Nai Pan Noi beach on the northeast coast of Koh Phangan. It is based in a little village made up of only a few local restaurants and bars. In this area of coast line, you’re also provided with much quieter white-sand beaches 
and not a hawker in site. The resort is a unique tropical haven with towering coconut trees and the beach at your doorstep. Every room category is provided with its own private plunge pool, so it made waking up a whole lot easier as you see it glistening from outside your window. It is also only a short 30 minute speedboat ride from nearby Koh Samui. If you wanted to go out to the main spots where everything is happening it would be a 30 minute bumpy but very scenic mountain drive, so a driver would be necessary. We did see the odd scooter making it into town, and it was a surprise we didn’t see them broken down halfway up the hill!
O
n one of our days here in Koh Phangan, we had a bike tour which led us through the Koh Phangan jungle also visiting the friendly village people working at the local Coconut Processing Plantation, then heading to a Buddhist Temple and Khao Ra Viewpoint, which is the highest mountain on Koh Phangan. We also visited a place called PAC Animal Care Centre, a local volunteer organization which cares for abandoned and injured animals. We then finished our tour by visiting the Thongsala Fresh Market where we tried out some of the local exotic fruits.
This tour was an incredible experience and certainly made our visit to the island much more memorable and enjoyable. Leaving this place was hard, but I can confidently say I will be back!
