Monday, 16th of July, 2018 (2 days, 2 nights)

They are all islands in the Gulf of Thailand, but couldn’t be more different from one another. While Koh Samui is the busiest (and largest) of the three, Koh Pha-Ngan is somewhat more layed back. Koh Tao is not only the smallest of the three, it is also the sleepiest of the island group. As mentioned earlier, not much action can be expected before early noon, with people sleeping in and shops opening at random times during the day. The only folks up already in the earlier hours are the (skuba) divers, preparing for another day in the water. This is also the island’s main business – you can book a crash course and learn how to dive on your own in just a few days, with diving schools dotting the busy western shores of Koh Tao. All in walking distance from the main pier where catamarans drop off tourists in regular intervals.

Horizontal palm tree on Sairee Beach.

Strangely, I didn’t encounter many locals. Some may work in the bars and cafes, or rent you a room in one of the many rows of bungalows and resorts, but there does not seem to be a lot of “local life” taking place (anymore?). Not near Sairee Beach, anyways. It was much similar in the south. Chalok Baan Kao Bay had small shops and bars as well, plus some nice resorts and beaches. But as with Sairee Beach, foreigners were in the majority, sitting in beach restaurant, lounging on bean bags, or studying for diving certificates. There might not have been a lot of local settlement here to begin with, though. Small as the island is it might have been scarcely populated all along, with increasing tourism bringing over people from the mainland.

We quickly learned that Google Maps isn’t as reliable here as it was on the other two islands. We tried to get to Mango Bay in the North by motorbike, but were abruptly stopped at a dead end leading to a resort. A helpful employee of The Place was kind enough to point out that Mango Bay was best reached by taxiboat and only the Mango viewpoint could be reached by bike. Even that included some hiking, as he explained, and showed us many alternativ bays that were in fact reachable by motorbike. We took his advice, thanked him (he even let us keep a copy of a Koh Tao pocket guidebook) and we left in direction of the South.

Had it not been for that error in Google maps, though, we might not have discovered the Viewpoint Resort. Set on the tip of a small headland between Shark bay and Taa Toh beach, we  came across it’s inviting sun beds while looking for shells and small pieces of flotsam along the shores.

Putting up a shell token near Freedom Beach on Turtle Island!

As an outside guest you could use their infinity pool and sun beds for 250 Baht per person, but the nice woman managing the place suggested that she would give us access for free should we wish to eat lunch at their place as well. The weather was somewhat unstable that day, so we took her offer and spent the afternoon in the resort, baking in the sun and finishing novels.

Disturbing me while reading the last pages of my thriller = a capital offense!

This was in fact a wise decision – suddenly the sky went dark, with big storm clouds assembling rapidly above the sea. It’s fascinating to experience how suddenly the weather can change here during monsoon season. One moment you see a few puffy white clouds above, with the sun peeking through every once in a while. Then you dose off for a few minutes and the next moment you startle awake to a raging thunder storm. I deeply enjoy swimming in the safe waters of a pool during heavy rain, though, and was quite content with the sudden weather change.

Less than half an hour away from Koh Tao lies another beautiful place called Koh Nangyuan. This private island actually consists of three small rocky hills connected by a stretch of sand. You can either reach it directly by Catamaran from Koh Phangan or by long tail boat from Koh Tao. We choose the latter options since we preferred to leave our baggage in the bungalow. Not the wisest decision, because the sea got very rough that afternoon, and so the small taxiboats were not able to cross over anymore.

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Saturday, July 14th, 2017 (spent 2 days/nights)

Compared to Koh Samui, the island of Koh Phangan is a somewhat less busy place. That is if you visit in between fullmoon  or halfmoon parties. It is hard to believe that this serene island is buzzing with people seeking noisy nighttime thrills and boozy adventures at least twice a month, with waterfall and lighthouse parties in between. I was quite skeptical before coming here, expecting to find a place defined by noise, drunks, and drugs. Yet when we arrived, Koh Phangan was all quiet. The ferry from Koh Samui dropped us of at 8:30am, and as with many tropical places, where daytime is marked by scorching heat and life takes place during the nighttime hours, only a few people get out of bed before 10am. However, we did see a few groups of orange clothed monks walking the streets, the locals already expecting them with offerings of food on silver plates.

First thing, we rented a scooter at one of the many shops near the ferry pier, were quickly on our way in search of a place to stay.

The Haad Son Resort and adjecent Koh Raham Bar were ideally located in close vicinity to the popular Yao beach and Salad beach.

Lucky coincidence led us to check out the Haad Son resort, a hotel that from the outside seems quite unremarkable. The friendly manager was quick to show us the rooms he had available, and we didn’t hesitate to book a night in one of his clean air conditioned bungalows (we even extended for another night because the resort was so nice). The real surprise was the skillfully arranged bar/restaurant, that was set among tropical plants, palm trees, flotsam and other large pieces of driftwood. A platform made from polished concrete and natural stone led into the Golf of Thailand and wide hammocks functioned as boundary to the ocean.

We took a quick shower and were back on the road half an hour later, driving along the ocean road, past small houses, little shops and through long stretches of uninhabited land. In between you could often get a glimps at the sea and serene stretches of sand, oftentimes accessible only via private roads. This took me some time getting used to, because it always felt like trespassing when we entered a small street or mud path to get to the ocean. Soon I learned though that those roads led to small bars and cafes and that the best sea views were kept hidden behind jungle vegetation. The bar owners always seem torn whether to prefer seclusion (maintaining the secret jungle flair) or commerce (attracting customers to earn a few Baht).

The main road goes along the west coast of Koh Phangan, with the east strangely undeveloped. Some places you can only reach with a major detour first to the south and then up again to the north east. The beach of Haad Rin in the southern most part of the island was our next major stop, widely known for its infamous Fullmoon Parties. Interestingly, you wouldn’t pick this beach for the “ultimate” party destination when visiting on a regular day, with the bars almost empty.

It did get a little busy as some local fisherman roped in their nets which they had cast close to shore earlier that morning. But except for some small fish and a few crabs they didn’t catch much and the crowd quickly dispersed.

And so we spend our time basically hopping from one viewpoint cafe to the next, enjoying the water of the delicious young coconuts, or sipping a coffee, or savoring one of the many mouthwatering Thai dishes, all the while watching the sea and hearing the waves below.