This island in the Gulf of Thailand is unique. There are several routes how you can get there, but none of them directly by plane as it has no airport. The most simple way is taking a flight to Koh Samui and then take a boat.

Famous for it’s full moon parties for decades now at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan has much more to give.

All around the island there are wonderful beaches and bays of unbelievable beauty! From mostly kind of easy beach bungalows you can also find there already high class resorts, but they are small and located seperatly. You can go there to spend an absolutely quite time as well as party at Haad Rin Beach, they do something special each night. If you are not a totally party animal, don’t go there at full moon, a 20.000 people invasion is happening then.

Outtake

After spending some time in Bangkok I finally reached for Koh Phangan. As knowing already that Bangkok will be quite robbing some sleep I first went to a real quite place which is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. A river there runs into the see, already the Thai King (R.I.P.) visited that place several times cause of it’s beauty. Varans of about 2,5 meters swim in the river and you can feed them there.

That place has 3 restaurants at the beach and 2 on the hill. All perfect with an unbelievable view, especially those on the hillside. I had the best food in my life! Electricity shuts down by midnight. After several nights it was time for some action again. There is a boat cruising around the island each day so I hopped on in the morning reaching Haad Rin by noon.

That place is famous for backpackers around the globe. The beach and the sea is super beautiful and you find there everything you need in an alternative way of life. The day I arrived (it was not my first time) there was a fire show party. During daytime you have the beach bars and shops, from sunset they turn the beach into an amazing freestyle party zone, almost every night with a different topic to party.

One thing you will hear and see there sooner or later are the „Fucking Buckets“! From sunset on, there are built up tables on the beach offering buckets with a bottle of liquor and two cans of non alcoholic drinks, ice cubes and straws. Take the bucket with the local made SangSom in it (also the cheapest one) and you will have one hell of a night.

One advice, dont’t take anything with you but a bit of cash that night. I used to go out there with several people I learned to know. One could not find our hostel situated 100 meters away. I arrived there with just one flip flop and without shirt. Other ones without cams, mobiles, credit cards…and that was the ones directly surrounding me. So all can happen that night drinking some „Fucking Buckets“!

The rest is history!

Pictures of that trip find in the SUNDANCER – Freedom video on youtube just below