Ko Pha Ngan (Thailand) > Reviews > For those who party and for those who don't

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Fab beaches, deserted resorts, full on parties and cheap everything
Disadvantages:	Mosquitoes, funny belly and wasted time travelling

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

My roomate and I flew over to Thailand when we were living in Japan. A friend of ours recommended Ko Pha Ngan and I have to say we had the time of our lives.
We flew Thai Air over to Thailand and the service and the flight in general was excellent. We stayed the night in a youth hostel in Bangkok (to be avoided at all cost no matter how cheap the prices) and flew down to Ko Samui the next day. The flight was around 100 dollars each way but was so much shorter than going by bus which would have cut into our two week holiday too much.
The airport at Ko Samui has a wooden sign saying 'airport' and serves bananas instead of drinks, but it just adds to the spirit of 'getting away from it all'.
From the airport we went over to the other side of the island and stayed the night ready for our boat trip over to the island the following morning. You will find your way easily as everyone seems to know when the boats leave and where you need to stay to be close to the port for the morning.
The boat ride itself was kind of cool, a whole bunch of foreigners packed in together but chilling out on deck taking it easy.
When you arrive at the other end you will find a whole load of accomodation cars waiting for you. Few bookings are necessary, you just choose where to go and get on their car.
We chose a place called Star Huts which was the best move we ever made. The accomodation is basic, fans and running water in some huts, but is dirt cheap and fantastic. Breakfast is anything from fried bananas to museli and you pay your tab at the end of the day/week.
It was perfect for my roommate and me as I like to chill and she likes to party. On the night of the full moon party a boat took her over to the other side of the island where she partied all night and came back next morning. It suited us fine as we had time and space to relax in the middle as the full moon party can get pretty packed.
Be nice to the Thai people, they're sweet and get offended by things like topless bathing on the smaller resorts. They are wonderfully hospitable and decent people and will really try and help you.
I'm just waiting until my daughter is old enough and then I will show my husband and her this wonderful magic island with something for everyone.