We left Koh Tao and caught the afternoon ferry to our last destination in the gulf island region of Thailand – Koh Phangan.
Sadly my 3 night experience staying on the island was not so great, as I became very ill after leaving Koh Tao and spent the majority of my time here feeling mighty sorry for myself, tucked up in bed with a stomach bug (I’ll spare the gory details)
However, I will share with you all a few of the sights I did manage to see as I struggled out of bed, making the best of a very inconvenient situation. I guess sickness does come with travel territory and one should expect it from time to time, whilst being away for so long.
Our choice of accommodation for staying on the island was literally a backpackers paradise. The Shiralea resort was a steal for around £8-10 a night. Unluckily for me, I definitely found it challenging living in such basic conditions whilst feeling poorly and probably would of embraced the jungle living far more if I’d felt more myself.
The setting is pretty much what you’d expect from such a place. Situated in the midst of the wilderness, you can stay in a range of different bungalows – either opting for dorm living or having your own private bungalow, which we chose.
The room is simple, however, perfectly usable and we even had our own little hammock terrace area for chilling out on. Be prepared though… a fan room will not cool you down in these tropical jungle settings, so try to bag one of the few air conditioned rooms if you do visit.
The bar area was really cool and very hipster with hammocks and beds scattered around. The staff pretty much act like guests here and you can really sense the friendly vibe. The story behind the backpackers resort is also pretty interesting too…
To summarise…
A few friends who were travelling together years ago felt that the island was being taken up by big chain hotels and expensive restaurants, therefore, wanted to create an affordable paradise for backpackers and travellers alike – where everybody could feel at home. So they bought some land and built the place up from scratch. Pretty sweet idea to live a fun and carefree lifestyle with your close friends by your side.
We ended up eating breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout our entire stay here in the main bar, as it was so convienenet for the two of us (especially in my sorry state) You could swipe your guest card for anything that you wanted, then pay at checkout which saves having to handle money everytime. Although, I do bet many people get a nasty shock after a heavy night when they are handed the final bill – risky situation if you ask me.
For the money you pay as well to stay here, it’s a nice touch having a lovely pool to relax at during the day.
The next morning (after feeling somewhat human again) we decided to rent a bike just for the day and scoot around the whole of the island, checking out the beaches along the way. There isn’t heaps to do in Koh Phangan so having just the one day of exploring worked well for us in the end.
The Shiralea resort is situated right beside Haad Yao Beach, one of the better beaches in Koh Phangan although the sand is very hard here so be prepared for a sore back if you do not find a lounger. The sea is pleasant, however, seems far more suited to snorkel in than swim as the surface is very rocky.
The beach is particularly pleasant at night to watch the beautiful sunset and walk along the sand to one of the colourful beach bars. The atmosphere is nice here and the bay doesn’t feel as crowded.
They had a pretty awesome boat barbecue offering all kinds of meats cooked any way you liked, with a fun menu to choose from. I so wish I hadn’t of felt unwell as the food smelt so good!
The downside to this beach was the further you walked along, the stronger the stench of fish there was which was very unpleasant if you wanted to have a meal at one of the end restaurants. We decided to turn back and head home for the evening. Fish smells and feeling poorly do not mix well…
Besides, we were pretty happy chilling at our little beach house for the evening despite it feeling like a hundred degrees (at least one of us was pleased with themselves)
The next morning we headed out and drove to another beach, North-Eest of the island – Maehaad Bay. This area of the island is stunning and the drive up is remote and filled with breathtaking scenery. The North of the island is much quieter than the South, where all the full moon and major Thailand parties usually take place.
We had a great little breakfast on the beach here at a cafe called Wangsai, which also made the most incredible fruit smoothies i’ll add. The restaurant sat on a stream overlooking the water with a bridge leading onto the toasting hot sands.
Back on the road again, we scooted down to the south of the island. I must emphasise just how spectacular the roads in the North are. I actually felt we were driving through the set of Jurassic park, with lush green forests and haunting mountains surrounding us. It’s nice to see an island not too built up as well.
Koh Phangan also happens to have the hilliest and most twisted roads out of any of the island’s we’ve explored so far. Safe to say our bike struggled with the two of us on the more steep areas! A lot of fun though.
Haad Chalokolum bay, further West of the island was our next stop – a tiny little compact beach with only one small restaurant. Many of the bays in the island are predominantly used for fishing, making the sea’s not as pleasant to swim in. Although, you can take trips to the surrounding miniature islands with ease. With it being so quiet, we had the perfect opportunity to capture some great pictures and have a go on the giant swing of course!
Our final stop of the day was at South of the island to Haad Rin beach, well-known for hosting Thailand’s world famous full moon party. Although this beach may look pretty, we had a rather unpleasant experience here…
After wanting to cool off in what looked to be clear blue water, we walked further in to the sea, then suddenly, we were both bitten multiple times by some mysterious creature. We couldn’t see anything but the constant nipping at our skin got us out of that water fast. Not a nice experience whatsoever… I’m still scratching even now.
Overall, I’d say Koh Phangan is probably my least favourite of the three island’s visited – not to let my illness cloud my judgement, I just feel that the other islands have much more to offer. Like previously mentioned, the island just doesn’t have a whole lot here to see in terms of culture or historical sites. Koh Tao is probably the ultimate favourite surprisingly, as it was the smallest of the three… I would return there in a heartbeat.
So our time on the islands has sadly come to an end and we are now ready to fly back to mainland Thailand to explore what the North has in store for us.
Catch up with us on our next adventure in the mystical city of Chang Mai.
Thanks for reading.
Lots of love
Xx
