We took an early morning fast speed catamaran ride to Koh Phangan. The Lomprayah catamaran leaves from the pier on Mae Nam beach and after a hectic boarding we were on our way.
After good 20 minutes we reached the Thongsala Port on Koh Phangan, where our driver was already waiting for us. Finding a good beach on this idyllic island can be a bit tricky due to the tidal situation during summer months. Since we were there in July the west coast was sadly out of the question so our choice was North-east of the island where are not one but two gorgeous beaches at Thong Nai Pan – Thong Nai Pan Yai (big) and Thong Nai Pan Noi (little). Back in the day there were just a collection of small bamboo huts on the beach here but recently these have made way for the bigger, more lavish beach resorts. It remains a chilled out place however, especially at the southern end of the beach where many of the more classical, rustic Thai style accommodations keep the good old vibe going strong.
Our place Havana beach resort is located the begging of the Thong Nai Pan Yai. We had a bit smaller room but it was sufficient since the huge pool made up for it.
While kids can play on the beach or in the pool adults can grab an excellent and very cheap Thai massage next door at the beach. There is also a small 7/11 on the main road few min from the beach. You have quite a few resort restaurants to choose from at this beach. But if you like Indian food Havana is a place to be
5 min long tail boat will bring you to Pan Noi beach across the bay where two upscale resorts are situated. We went for a look a quick coffee there one day and it’s really a beautiful place there.
At the night you can watch the lanterns up in the air all over the island…so of course we had to try it too.
If you have enough of lounging around and doing nothing you can always take a boat trip around the island. It was a half a day trip with long boat (of course the roof it’s a must because of the little fellow) that we did not regret.
Beautiful coastal scenery, waterfall, hidden lagoons and of course top arguably the best beach on the island, called Bottle Beach.
The sand is powdery white and the water is a gorgeous aquamarine yet clear colored. Make no mistake, this bay is an absolute gem but if you’re coming to Koh Phangan especially for Bottle Beach make sure you don’t come at a time of year when it will be difficult to reach the bay. During the monsoon months it gets very windy and choppy around the headland that leads to Bottle Beach and as a result boats might not come here. If you want to be sure of being able to get here then come here between February and March when clear blue skies and calm blue seas is the order of the day at Bottle Beach.
Overall Koh Phangan has lots of stunning beaches and it’s less crowded and developed that neigbouring Koh Samui. Yes, Phangan-parties on the beach or jungle are the best in the world, but it’s just a small part of the island’s life and just one of many Koh Phangan’s faces. This days we can see more and more families with children here – because it’s hard to find place better for that type of holiday (except Haad Rin beach with nightly parties). Almost everywhere in Phangan you can find lots of small cafes and restaurants with Thai & International dishes. If you cooking by yourself, there is fresh fruits, veggies, and all other stuff on the markets “Tesco” and other smaller shops. 24 hours available “7/11” – 9 shops around the island.
As usual our vacation shifted into the second part and we still had one more Thai gem island to visit. So Koh Tao is next… We are wondering how it looks after 5 years when we were here.
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