Every month there is one designated day as the Full Moon Party on the island of Koh Phangan. It has been a tradition for a long time and now has become very popular with the foreigners. So I decided to take part in this unique experience during the end of July.
The island of Koh Phangan is off the southern coast of Thailand. To get there, I took an overnight bus to a pier near Surat Thani and then transferred to a boat. I arrived there on the July 25th, to catch all the pre-parties before the big day on the 28th.
During the day, people generally relax on the beach or sleep. The more adventurous will rent a motorbike or WaveRunner. During the night, everything changes. People usually go to one of two places; Haad Rin Beach or the Coral Bungalow Pool Party. The pre-parties that take place last all night. The three nights I went out, I came home at 6AM, 7AM, and 8AM. When I started to see the light of day, it was time to head home. I went to one pool party, but always ended up on the beach by the end of the night. They played various types of music and had fire theatrics.
The majority of people who came to the island were British, Dutch, and Australian, but you could meet people from anywhere.
During the Full Moon Party, it rained most of the night. Although wet, people continued to dance with no care. Thousands of people were crowded on the beach and the energy was amazing.
For visitors, be weary, because there is a number of drugs on the island. The police have been bribed by the store owners so there is a number of ’safe shops’ to do your poison. I don't recommend it and make sure no one drops anything in your bucket drink.
This was of course the least cultural experience because of the touristy nature, but I was able to meet tons of nice people and learn the secrets of the island. Koh Phangan is somewhat unique in nature, which is why it draws such big crowds. I highly recommend it, if you want to let loose for a couple of days and are sick of temples and shrines.
7 Days left :(
Chris
No comments:
Post a Comment