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Published: February 4th 2013
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The ferry arrived in Haad Rin, at the southern tip of Koh Phangan early in the afternoon and I checked into my pre-booked accommodation, the Family House, which was conveniently located next to the pier. I ended up sleeping most of the day as the journey, sunburn and mosquito bites took their toll. On venturing out in the evening, I immediately liked Haad Rin better than Chaweng. Even though the resort is set up entirely to cater for the needs of party-going travellers, it is more relaxed and free from McDonalds' and Starbucks'. I went for Mexican fajitas at a place on "Chicken Corner", where a number of food outlets are located. This got the attention of everyone in the restaurant as it was brought to me sizzling on a hot plate and on fire!
Haad Rin is on a peninsula and has west- and east-facing beaches within a short walk of each other (commonly referred to as "sunset" and "sunrise" beach). Family House is on the quieter sunset side, while the sunset side is the venue for the Full Moon Party, which would be happening during my stay. This was started by a group of travellers back in 1985
and has since grown into the biggest party in South East Asia, attracting around 30,000 people each full moon (hence the pre-booking of accommodation).
On my first full day on the island, I walked to the end of the peninsula and found a secluded beach with chalets and we decided to go on a scouting mission to sunrise beach, where the Full Moon Party would be happening in two days' time. The next day, I bumped into Craig, who works as a solicitor in Bristol but is originally from St Helens. We both remarked on how few northerners we had seen on our travels and made plans to go for a beer. I met up with him in the guesthouse bar, where he had got chatting to Joyce, who I only later found out was Dutch, as her English was perfect.
Craig had decided to spend the next day on Koh Tao to do some diving. In contrast, I had a lazy day, mostly reading David Mitchell's autobiography either in the guesthouse or on the beach, although I did manage a very pleasant sunset swim.
I'd heard the Full Moon Party carries on until after sunrise and
so when the day arrived, I decided to boost my energy levels by going for a morning run along sunset beach. However, when I got there, the beach had disappeared completely due to the full moon high tide, so I decided to swim instead. This was effective to the extent that it ruined my planned mid-afternoon nap. Craig returned from Koh Tao and we met Joyce at the guesthouse bar, who had brought two German friends, Christophe and Asja. We also joined up with a group of five Irish girls and one guy, and the body painting (customary for Full Moon Parties) commenced. This took some time and we didn't set off for sunrise beach until half past midnight.
The favoured alcohol consumption method in Haad Rin is via the bucket, which you fill with your drink of choice and take to any of the beach bars, which are basically outdoor clubs. The beach was heaving, much busier than the other night and I immediately lost Craig, Joyce and the Irish group. I stayed with Christophe and Asja for a while then decided to look for the others. I was on my own for a while but somehow managed
to find Craig and Joyce further up the beach. Trusting my navigation skills, I went back to find the Germans but ended up completely lost and on my own again, so I gave up and walked to the top end of the beach. It seemed like all the bars were playing music from a playlist of about 10 and I'd bet that at any given point during the night, Gangnam Style was playing somewhere.
I reached the south end of the beach again by around 5 am and was thinking of heading home when Joyce grabbed my shoulder. She was with the Irish girls but had lost Craig and they were about to head back. However, I noticed it was starting to get light, so I decided to stay longer. I stood on the shore for about an hour, taking a few photos, then Craig and Joyce suddenly reappeared together just before sunrise. I understand that sunrise is a regular occurrence, but the fact that I hadn't seen one for a while, combined with the influence of alcohol and the return of my friends, made it feel quite special.
I spent most of the day asleep but got
up in time to watch the mightly Leeds beat Tottenham Hotspur in the FA cup! On the following day, which was my last full day on Koh Phangan, Haad Rin had become very quiet as most of the partygoers, including Craig and Joyce, had moved on. I decided to get some exercise by climbing a hill to the north, where there was a good viewpoint over the peninsula. The next morning, I boarded the ferry back to Koh Samui before heading to the airport, as it was time to say goodbye to Thailand and hello to the second country of my trip: Malaysia.
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Kate Birch
non-member comment
Party animal!
Didn't know you were such a party animal Graeme but it looked like just the right spot. I think you got your monies' worth in Thailand. Looking forward to the next stage... Love Kate and Keithxx