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Ko Phangan is one of my favorite places in the world. It's primarily known as a party island because of the infamous Full Moon Party, but the island offers so much more than that. Many of the world-class beaches are still very laid-back with only a couple of basic bungalow resorts, the island's rugged, verdant interior offers some great waterfalls, most roads on the island are unpaved and even those that are paved are often spectacular with incredibly steep gradients. In short, Ko Phangan is the perfect place for party-goers as well as for those who are just looking for a relaxed time on a beautiful beach.
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| Favourite spots: |
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Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi : IMHO the most beautiful beach on the island!!! When i first visited a couple of years ago, it was still pretty much off-the-beaten track, this has changed and now there's even a bit of nightlife here, but Nai Pan is still a very laid-back place and hasn't lost its magic. The only problem might be that once you have been to Nai Pan you'll be spoilt for the rest of your life. Paradise!!!! Bottle Beach : This is another gorgeous beach in the island's beautiful North-East. It's no longer an insider tip, but just like Nai Pan, still a beautiful place to chill out and do nothing. This beach was once declared 'one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world' by a popular travel magazine.
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| What's really great: |
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Waterfalls For those who (just like me) prefer a swim in a cool freshwater pool, there are a couple of nice waterfalls on the island. Check out the Phaeng Falls and the Sadet Falls. They're of course at their best during and shortly after the rainy season
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| Accommodations: |
Star Hut
Star Hut has a couple of basic bungalows on the island's most beautiful beach : Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi.
It's not cheap, but for the right to stay in paradise, it should be alright to pay a little more than usual.
Bungalows with shared bath cost 200 Baht, with attached bathroom 300 Baht.
The Thai food in the restaurant is surprisingly good and authentic (try Som Tam!)
Directly on the beach!
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| Nightlife: |
For wild, uninhibited nightlife there's only one place to go on the island : Hat Rin!!!
The famous Full Moon Party is a huge dance event on the beach, which shouldn't be missed if you have the chance, but even on other nights, there's always something going on. The atmosphere on the beach is great, you sit on bamboo mats, listen to music (it's not only techno) and drink a couple of 'Buckets of Joy'.
Even though Hat Rin is not a 'prole-free' zone, the crowd is pretty mixed.
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Warning:
If you consider yourself sophisticated you need to have the ability to switch off your brain while you're in Hat Rin, otherwise you won't be able to enjoy yourself.
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Published on Thursday January 29th, 2004
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6 votes
