Not been to Koh Phang-nan, but to its smaller neighbour Koh Tao which had good beaches and excellent snorkelling, Transfer was by speedboat via Koh Phang-nan,which is OK on a calm sea but when it gets rough it can get quite hairy, especially as sometimes they overload the boats.

Just mulling around a few ideas for next summer's holiday, Ko Phangan looks lovely and I like the look of Tong Nai Pan bay, just wondered if anyone has been there , and what did they think? thanks shirley.

Bagaddict was there- maybe he'll see this post.
Meantime he did say this

Fiona thanks, still not sure if I will go ,but I think Ko Phangan would be great and still undeveloped compared to Samui, definitely think I will give the full moon party a miss though!!

well- if he felt ancient at 29 I'm def giving it a miss- but may do a day trip

i was there a few years ago in Jan time - it is totally and utterly amazing - the beachs are just ace and not at all crowded and it was soooo cheap - we had the best ever bungalow on the beach - brand new with air com and cost £12 a night between the 3 of us. its so much better than Koh samui (although it is good there) its just loads less commercial and you feel you are seeing the real Thailand - if you wanted to go there from Samui its only half an hour or so on the boat and if i remember rightly it cost about £1 to cross - so you could go over for a day or a longer stay.

If we ever go back to Koh Phangan, it would be to Thong nai pan noi (or yai)..its the best beach for swimming amonst the ones that we visited and offered a welcome break from the "full power full moon" crowd of the hat rin area..more elder folks in these parts..only downside (or upside) for thong nai pan is its relative inaccessability by road to the other parts of the island because of the hilly terrain and bad road..you could do some decent trekking to the waterfalls around as well as boat trips to other beaches..

Bare in mind that round Had Rin (sp?) they also celebrate half moon, quarter moon, and no moon with almost as much relish as the full moon party! I went when I was 25 and felt old! But nothing a bucket (ice, mekong whiskey, and coke, a bucket, straws, and friends ) couldn't get you in the mood for!

Beautiful beaches, if you wish to pre-book, some newer, lusher resorts are springing up (Santhiya, Panviman) and i've even heard rumours of an airport being built Undoubtably, Ko Phangan is being targetted by top end hotels, and within 10 years it will be a mini Samui. Go while you still can, if you can put up with the grungy types, and 18 year olds discovering drink and drugs! I remember bottle beach being pretty spectacular.

thanks for the info , it is tong nai pan i really like the look of

Hi there I am toying with the idea of staying in Ko Phangan next summer , after a visit to Pnomh penh, I have stayed in Samui 4 times and I just feel it has become too commercialised, so I think Phangan may be a good option.

Just unsure where to stay , want to avoid Had Rin, like the look of salad beach and tong Nai Pan, but as we are in our 40's don't wish to feel too old!!
any ideas welcome , thanks , shirley.

Merged with existing topic.

luci

Ko Phangan is unspoilt and idyllic provided you avoid the moon party areas. I am 66 and have been 4 times. The ferry from Samui is OK not great when the weather is bad! I do have an ulterior motive for going in that my son lives there with his wife and daughters and has a restaurant in Hin Kong.
Give it a go I'm sure you won't be disappointed
Sara

sara
interesting to hear that. Please tell us more about your experience of the island

Hi, we have been to phangan and stayed at hat salat but it was 3 years ago. We enjoyed the layed back feel and lazing about which we needed at the time. The sea is very shallow there and you have to go a fair way out to be able to swim properly. The bungalows are basic, clean, and in a lovely spot right on the beach. There are several bars and restaraunts nearby but they seem to close at about 10 30 to 11 00 pm. There is however a hotel about 150 meters away that stays open later. We hired a motorcycle to get around but the roads are very bad in places so I wouldnt recomend it if you are not an experienced rider. Otherwise transport is mostly by private arrangement but is not expensive. If you decide to go and want to chill then I am sure you will enjoy it. Also have a go at night squid fishing which is fun. TM

I'm thinking of going to Ko Phangan sometime this yr but havnt decided when yet, weather wise when is the best time to go? Also i read somewhere that the boats over there are not good with a suitcase, i dont think i could manage w/out a case for 2 weeks - has anyone else been and know if this is true - I read that the piers are so narrow that your cases can fall in the sea quite easily - has put me off a bit lol!
How did anyone who has been get there? Again it seems really expensive to fly, but we're only going for 2 wks and dont really want to spend a lot of time travelling there from Bangkok that seems the cheaper alternative, does anyone know if ferries go from there? All quite confusing!!

this is the pier, or it was up till 3 years ago! Those who have been since then- is it the same? I don't think I would consider a fortnight there- what about combining it with Koh Samui?

I've been to Koh Pha Ngan twice, the first time one the ferry from Koh Samui, it was an easy journey just a bit uncomfortable. Stayed in Hat Rin and stayed over the Full Moon Party. People obviously have their own ideas about it, but it was interesting to be there and see it.

KPN is completely different to Koh Samui, you can't really compare them, Samui is far more commercial, has posh hotels, and "Ladys of the night" all over the place. KPN was much quieter even during the FMP.

The second time we travelled from the mainland to KPN directly on the car ferry. This was a lot more comfortable, but really slow. We stayed in Hat Rin again, but it was during the quiet period between FMPs and the difference was amazing. We had the beach to ourselves and the pick of the bungalows.

All in all its a beautiful island and well worth a look if you have the time.

Son of Homer - how much is the car ferry over to Koh Phangan? and can we just pitch up or should we book it in advance? We're going over to Koh Phangan for the full moon party in May, but we're going to stay for a couple of days in Koh Samui before hand, any other advice appreciated as we've never been before, thanks

Hi Bunny230, we paid 350 bhat per person for the trip from surat thani airport on the mainland to KPN. This included the transfer from the airport to the pier (about 1.5 hours) and the ferry ride (3.5 hours). You dont need to book in advance, the tickets can be bought at the airport when you land. If you are planning an overland+ferry journey to KPN / Koh Samui via Surat Thani, the travel agent will sell you combined road and ferry tickets. This is the cheapest way to get to KPN but you will have to sacrifice one night out in Bangkok.
The cheapest air option is the way we did it..early morning flight by one two go airlines from Bangkok to Surat Thani (ridiculously cheap fare!) and then by ferry. Unfortunately one two go was involved in a major accident last year resulting in the loss of many lives and have taken a beating. I do not know their current schedule post the accident.
The most expensive option is to fly Bangkok Airways directly to Koh Samui..very comfortable and convienient and so, expensive! We did this on the way back to Bangkok from KPN.
Check this link out, its got all the info you need on getting there http://www.phangan.info/index.cfm?action=essentials.gettingthere
We visited KPN for the full moon party in june last year. We really enjoyed the day trip out to Ang Thong marine park..strongly reccommend. Cheers