Advertisement
Published: November 7th 2010
Edit Blog Post
Koh Pha-Ngan, home of the widely celebrated Full-Moon party, is very high up on the backpacker's list of "Fuck Yes" but personally, I don't think it lives up to its reputation.
Don't get me wrong, you've got to do it once... but be prepared for absolutely anything. The first time I went I stayed on the neighbouring island of Koh Samui. We boated over to Koh Pha-Ngan the night of the Full-Moon and planed to boat back early in the morning. What a mistake! Not only did we have to wait hours for a boat to return us to Samui, but they made us wade into the water to get on. This usually wouldn't be a problem but considering we'd spent the night drowning our liver, we totally forgot about our phones, cash and cameras that joined us in the water. Goodbye precious items, hello travel insurance!
On my second visit to the party paradise, we found the perfect place.
This time, I didn't even go for the Full-Moon party and I can't tell you how much better the whole experience was. I'm not saying to go in the off-season where you have just as much chance of encountering a Tsunami as a sexy Swedish tourist, but don't feel pressured to plan your whole trip around it. Throughout the month, they host a plethora of parties from full moon to black moon. Of course they are a little smaller in size, but they make up for it in atmosphere. Everyone there is looking for the same thing, a good time. Trust me, it isn't hard to find one.
The first night we arrived we stayed at a place on Haad Rin beach. Owned by a guy covered in tattoos it had the kind of welcoming feeling you might find in a public toilet. Too tired to continue, we succumbed to the crapiness of this hotel and partied through the night. The next morning saw us all ready for an immediate change. We decided to trek further away from the beach, up a windy dirt road, in search of nicer accommodation. Boy did we find it!
'The Lighthouse' is a hidden paradise. For those who plan to climb Mushroom Mountain each night, it is a fairly decent walk but I hear it's an enjoyable adventure. Cut into the side of the cliff, their small simplistic cottages look over the entirety of the main beach. The cool ocean breeze cuts through the humidity turning this "schoolies gone wrong" atmosphere into the ideal paradise. If that isn't enough, each cottage comes equipped with its very own hammock on the balcony. Yum.
For only a few dollars a day, I give The Lighthouse five stars... but I'm into that sort of thing! If you’re keen on this place, I'm afraid they have no contact. They don't have a website or telephone. They didn't even have a card to give me. That makes this hidden gem even more of a discovery!
Good luck trying to find it!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.066s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 10; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0449s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb