Ko Pha Ngan - Thong Nai Pan Yai

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After a scary walk with my heavy backpack along a wooden pier which soooo wouldn't pass any safety standards in the western world, we enjoyed a lovely 50 minute ferry ride to Hat Rin, Ko Pha Ngan.

This island is renowned for its full moon party and attracts thousands of party goers each month for its beachfront and jungle raves. We fancied something a bit more suitable for us old fogies and chose the laidback and more isolated beach of Thong Nai Pan Yai in the north east part of the island.

We hooked up with a kiwi couple (Gino and Emma who are stopping off in Thailand on their way to london for a working holiday) we had met at our previous resort and shared the cost of a taxi along the jungle track north. 45 minutes later, having survived a very bumpy and twisty dirt track, we arrived at our beach (with me feeling slightly sick).


We did our usual room hunting along the beach, this time with our new friends. We all decided on the Dreamland Resort (400 bht - wooden/brick bungalow). This beach was my best so far on our journey as the water was very calm and had a gradual slope - perfect for someone like me !

We settled into a lovely routine of early morning swims, late breakfasts (chicken pad thai and coconut shake for Chad), lazy afternoons reading in a hammock and energetic early evenings of frizbee, running (me) and bat and ball.

Socialising generally means an excuse for drinking more alcohol, yeyyy, and it was here that I tried my first infamous thai bucket consisting of thai rum, redbull and coke. Of course, I did my usual "crash and burn" :-)

On the way to the pier, we were put in the back of a Ute (feeling like Indiana Jones) taking the jungle route through the middle of the island and catching the ferry to Ko Tao.



We had a fantastic time in Thong Nai Pan Yai and it was hard to leave, but leave we must.

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