The island of Koh Phangan is situated off the South East Coast of Thailand in the Gulf. It is only a small island measuring about 18km by 10 km at its longest and widest points and is perhaps best known for it’s monthly Full Moon parties which attract tens of thousands of young travellers from round the world.ย
The full moon party however, is NOT all Koh Phangan has to offer and those who come only for the party and fail to see or experience the rest of the island are missing out big time.ย
In this article we will talk about some of our favourite things to do on what is probably our favourite island in the world.ย
One of the great things about Koh Phangan is that despite it being relatively undeveloped and not too busy (apart from during full moon), there is still quite a wide variety of things to do here.ย
Tons of natural beauty, loads of good bars and restaurants, beaches, fitness, spiritual stuff and sports and of course parties. So what do we recommend doing first?
The Best Activities In Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan has a wide range of watersports, scuba diving and other activities
Being surrounded by a nice warm ocean, Koh Phangan is the perfect place to indulge in some water sports. Whether you prefer high adrenaline action or slower paced relaxation you can probably do it in Koh Phangan (if the season is right).ย
For adrenaline junkies, try a dose of wakeboarding with Wake Up Wake Boarding or learn to Kite Surf with Breeze Surf Club. Both extremely fun and highly addictive sports, don’t forget to check the conditions cos you need good wind for kiting and flat water for wakeboarding.
Still want speed but don’t have the time to take lessons? Then take a jet ski or a jet surf board (yes you heard correctly) for a rip? You can even e-foil here… (look it up, it’s pretty cool)
For a slightly slower ride, try stand up paddle boarding or kayaking (we rent them at the beach bar) which is easy to get and especially peaceful at sunset when the water is flat.ย ย
If you prefer to be under the water try snorkelling at Koh Ma orย Koh Raham or even scuba diving at Sail Rock with Haad Yao Divers.
Koh Phangan is surrounded by natural beauty, explore some of it on a hike
If you like walking or hiking in beautiful (but hot) places, then you’re in luck. Koh Phangan has more hiking trails then you can shake a stick at.ย
From waterfall hikes to mountain trails, jungle treks to viewpoint climbs.
Some of the most popular nature hikes in Koh Phangan are:
ย Koh Ra (Islands highest point), Than Sadet, Paradise and Paeng waterfalls, Haad Kohm to Bottle Beach trail and Bottle Beach Viewpoint.ย
If you want to avoid the heat it’s best to go early, and it’s definitely best not to go too late just in case you get lost and it gets dark. That actually happened to a pal of ours and the jungle is way less fun at night.
Koh Phangan has many awesome view point bars to offer
View Point Bars – If you’re more the sitting still and enjoying the view type of person then some of Phangans viewpoint bars are not to be missed!ย
We are blessed to have a large selection of them all with different vibes and views.ย Some have swimming pools and fancy food, others are old school stoner places, others are more of a party vibe.
Some of the island best viewpoint bars are:
Secret Mountain: Pool and party vibe. Amsterdam Bar: Popular stoner bar with reggae vibe and pool. Blue Rama: More fancy, infinity pool, cocktails. 420 Bar: Stoner heaven, sweeping 360′ views. Top Rock Bar: Old school stoner bar with great sea/sunset view.ย
So there are a few to get you started. There are of course many more so if you have a favourite then let us know in the comments ๐
Andโฆ We are surrounded by amazing beaches
Yet another thing that Phangan is lucky to have an abundance of is beaches. So a good way to spend a day or ten is a beach day. Either pick one or hop from beach to beach. There are so many beautiful ones to see.ย
Check out this article for a more detailed write up on the beaches of Koh Phangan.
West coast beaches of Koh Phangan
On the west coast of the island you have Haad Chao Pao, Haad Kohm, Koh Ma, Haad Rin (not during full moon), Hin Kong and Malibu Beach (Chaloklam). Plus a few more that are all worth a visit and have amazing sunset views.
East coast beaches
On the other side you have better swimming beaches because there is no reef running down the east coast so the water gets deeper quicker. Some of our favourites over there are Than Sadet and the little secret beach next to it, Haad Yuan, Haad Thien, Thong Nai Pan and Bottle Beach (Haad Kuat).ย
So theres some beaches bitches.ย As I said, pick one or try and visit them all. You could easily spend months beach hopping as people used to do back in the day before the island even had roads.ย
Whatโs the best boat trip from Koh Phangan?
Taking a boat trip in Koh Phangan is a must do if conditions allow. In our humble opinion, the best all round boat trip you can do without hiring your own boat for the day is the Orion boat trip to An Thong Marine park. It’s a full day at sea and it’s better on calmer days, but as it’s a big boat it’s not too bad when it’s choppy either.ย
An Thong is a collection of small islands situated pretty much in the middle of Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and koh Samui. It’s untouched and absolutely stunning. It has beautiful beaches, viewpoints, coral, caves, and lagoons.
The itinerary includes a few snorkel stops, and lunch on the boat, a hike to the highest viewpoint and a climb up to see the emerald lagoon from above. Lots of photo opportunities and a really fun day out.
Let loose at some of Koh Phangans best parties
As I said earlier, Koh Phangan is soooo muchย more than just the big parties like full moon, half moon and jungle.In fact, we think that some of the smaller, less well known parties are way more fun.ย
Some of the venues worth checking out are: Hollystone or Eden for Saturday night, Samsara, Oxa Beach, Guys Bar, Sabai Bay and Lost Paradise. Of course there are many more but there are a few to get you started. You can also check out pages like Phanganist or Phangan events for info on events and parties happening on the island ๐
Looking for some more Spiritual Stuff on Koh Phangan?
Last but not least, why not find some zen at one of the islands many yoga schools or healing centres?ย
Wonderlands is a great place that has rooms, a pool, loads of meditation and yoga classes, a vegan buffet, an ice bath and sauna.ย
Orion is another cool yoga/healing place which also has an ice bath, a variety of breath work, yoga, meditation. classes as well as a beautiful view of the ocean.ย
OK that’s it. This blog is already longer than I thought it would be and I could go on but I won’t cos you have probably stopped reading already.ย
If by some miracle you are still reading and you found this useful then please share this blog and let us know your thoughts below.
Thanks and we hope you have the best time in Koh Phangan ๐ย
Team Tiki
If you want to find out more about our amenities and activities, check us out on social media or click here. If you want to check availability or book a room at our beach resort in Koh Phangan then click here.
