Koh Phangan 2017 (part I)

28th June - 3rd July

This blog entry is best viewed on a wide monitor.

As-salamu'alaikum.

The first time I've heard of Koh Phangan was back in 2005. I met a couple of backpackers, an Irish & an American during a trip to Perhentian Kecil island. They had met in Koh Phangan and ended up travelling together to Perhentian Kecil. They shared their stories of Koh Phangan and recommended the island to me. Ever since then the thought of going to Koh Phangan had been lingering in the back of my mind, but I just couldn't find the right opportunity to go there. Alhamdulillah, 12 years later I finally set foot on Koh Phangan.

Not to be confused with Phang Nga in the Andaman coast, Koh Phangan is relatively unknown to Malaysians. If you ask most Malaysians about islands/beaches in Thailand they would surely answer Krabi, Phuket and the surrounding archipelago as these are the top island destinations for Malaysians to visit in Thailand.

So, where exactly is Koh Phangan? On the southwest of Thailand in the Andaman sea is where you would find the famous Koh Lipe, Phuket and Krabi. Koh Phangan on the other hand is part of the Chumphon archipelago located in the Gulf of Thailand on the southeastern part of Thailand. Other islands in the Chumphon archipelago neighbouring Koh Phangan are Koh Samui to the south and Koh Tao to the north. One of the reason that Malaysians are not that familiar with Koh Phangan would probably be because there is no direct flight to the island unlike Krabi and Phuket. So how do you get to Koh Phangan?

Haad Son, Koh Phangan

Travelling to Koh Phangan.

There are 2 ways for those travelling from Malaysia (KLIA) to Koh Phangan:-

1) Taking a direct flight from KLIA to Koh Samui which is a neighbouring island. There is no direct flight to Koh Samui via AirAsia but you can book a direct flight with Malaysia Airlines or Bangkok Airways. The downside is the flight ticket could cost up to 4-5 times the cost of AirAsia's flight to Surat Thani airport which is the nearest airport to Koh Phangan via AirAsia. And usually when one flies to Koh Samui, that means the preferred destination is Koh Samui instead of Koh Phangan.

But if you decide to go to Koh Phangan via Koh Samui, then you can take a ferry or high speed catamaran to Koh Phangan from several piers that are available in Koh Samui: Maenam pier, Bangrak pier, Lipa Noi pier and Nathon pier. The closest pier to Koh Samui airport is Bangrak pier and Maenam pier. It could take from 25 minutes to one hour to get to Koh Phangan from Koh Samui depending on which pier you're departing from and the type of boat you're taking. A high speed catamaran will reach Koh Phangan within 25 minutes from Koh Samui while a slow ferry could take from 45 minutes to an hour's journey.

The pros: you save a lot of time with the short travelling time.

The cons: very expensive flight ticket unless you have a lot money to spend.

2) Taking a direct flight from KLIA2 to Surat Thani airport via AirAsia. For those on a tight budget like us then AirAsia is the best option for you. From Surat Thani airport you'll have to take an island transfer which consists of:

1) Bus/van transfer from Surat Thani airport to Donsak pier.

2) Boat transfer from Donsak pier to Thong Sala pier in Koh Phangan.

The pros: cheap flight ticket from KLIA2 and cheap island transfer fees.

The cons: lengthy travelling and waiting time from the airport-pier-island.

Well, the cons? It depends. If you're the type that does not mind lengthy travelling time, then it could be quite an adventure for you. But if you're not that type, then the travelling and waiting time can be taxing physically & mentally.

Songserm transfer service counter inside Surat Thani airport.

The combined cost for the island transfer (one-way) from the airport-pier-island will cost you a minimum 500 baht or around RM62 which is quite cheap if you take into consideration the length of the journey. For those wanting to get a faster island transfer there is Lomprayah high speed catamaran service but you'd have to pay 700-800 baht or around RM87-RM100 for a one-way journey to Koh Phangan. There are several companies offering the island transfer service inside the airport, so you don't have to worry about not getting a transport to Koh Phangan from the airport. Since there are lots of these island transfer services available at the airport it is not necessary to book online in-advance.

There are also individual operators that might approach you and offer their island transfer service. From my own experience, they are quite trustworthy and reliable when it comes to delivering their services. You can always try to bargain with these individual operators to get a cheaper price for the island transfer if you're going in a larger group. With these individual operators, they are likely to use a van/minibus instead of a bus. For the faint hearts, the van might not be for you. Trust me. The van drivers are known for their 'fast and furious' driving.

At Donsak pier

The distance from Surat Thani airport to Donsak pier is approximately 95 kilometres and the bus/van journey will take roughly 2 hours time depending on the traffic. The van that we rode only took 1 hour 35 minutes. So you can imagine how fast the driver was going. From Donsak pier, the boat journey will take just over two hours time to get to Thong Sala pier in Koh Phangan. A Lomprayah high speed catamaran will get you to the island faster for one and a half hour's journey.

Alternatively if you do not want much hassle for the transport arrangements, AirAsia do offer flight tickets & island transfer (Destination: Phangan Thong Sala pier) and everything will be arranged from KLIA2 airport to Thong Sala pier in Phangan island (see photo below). But this would cost you more compared to buying the island transfer tickets separately, since you can still negotiate cheaper fees with the operators. If you book the flight & island transfer ticket with AirAsia, once you have arrived in Surat Thani airport just go to the AirAsia island transfer counter located near the airport's entrance and show them the details of your ticket and they will direct you where to go.

There is an option in AirAsia flight destination booking page where you can select either Phangan or Samui.

AirAsia island transfer counter in Surat Thani airport.

Our journey from home to the beach resort in Koh Phangan took us almost 13 hours. We left home at 7:45AM (Malaysian time) and arrived at our chalet in Koh Phangan at 8:25PM (Malaysian time).

This is the breakdown of our travelling itinerary:

7:45AM - 8:00AM Home -> Skybus terminal One Utama

Duration: 5 minutes taxi journey (plus 10 minutes waiting time)

8:00AM - 9:00AM Skybus terminal -> KLIA2

Duration: 1 hour bus journey

9:00AM - 1:35PM KLIA2 -> Surat Thani airport

Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes aeroplane journey (plus 3 hours check-in, waiting and boarding time)

1:35PM - 4:05PM Surat Thani airport -> Donsak pier

Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes van journey (plus 55 minutes exiting and waiting time)

4:05PM - 7:50PM Donsak pier -> Thong Sala pier

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes ferry journey (plus 1 hour 30 minutes waiting and boarding time)

7:50PM - 8:25PM Thong Sala pier -> Haad Salad

Duration: 25 minutes songthaew journey (plus 10 minutes exiting time)

Seating area inside the boat (Songserm ferry)

Heading towards Phangan after dropping off some passengers in Samui.

The Island of Pha Ngan.

If you google Koh Phangan, you would most probably find that the island is famous for its full moon party which is held every middle of the month. That is one of the reasons why Phangan is mostly frequented by European and American (north & south) travellers. But if you're the peace-seeking type traveller, don't let that deter you. The full moon party is held in Haad Rin, located at the southern part of Koh Phangan. Other parts of the island are rather calm and not affected by the partying lifestyle. Koh Phangan is a big island that has more to offer its visitors than just the full moon party.

One of the many laid-back & idyllic beach in Phangan. A serene place to unwind from everyday problems. Haad Salad is one gorgeous beach.

Blessed with crystal clear waters and soft sandy shores, the many beaches in Phangan are perfect for those seeking to relax and enjoy quality time at the beach. Majority of the beaches in Phangan are accessible by tar/concrete roads and in certain remote areas; dirt roads. So the best way to get around the island and go from beach to beach is with a scooter or a car. A car rental will cost around 2000 Baht or RM248 per day (24 hours), while a scooter will cost you 250 Baht or RM31 per day. Since renting a car is quite expensive in Phangan, most visitors would opt for a scooter.

Beside beachside activities, a scooter ride through the village roads is a wonderful way to see the village area of Phangan. The inland rural areas are mostly untouched by touristic developments and is one of the best way to see every-day life of the local villagers. Food and groceries are cheaper in the rural villages compared to the beach area. There are several lookout points inland that you can go to by scooter.

We rented the scooter for a day. To explore most beaches and attractions in Phangan it would take at least 3 days of scooter ride.

Jungle trekking is another activity you can engage while in Phangan. There are several waterfalls that you can explore around Phangan's inland tropical jungles. Most waterfalls are located on the northeastern part of Phangan. Be sure to do a research before venturing into the jungle areas.

Sunset in Haad Salad, Koh Phangan.

The beautiful beaches that makes Phangan have its own story and charm. Just waiting to be explored by new faces. We didn't get the chance to explore most of the beaches as the island was way too big for us to cover each of them with such limited time. I'm not sure of the exact numbers but I know there are more than 20 beaches in Koh Phangan, some travel reviews even stated that there are around 30 beaches. We managed to visit some of the wonderful beaches on the north and west side of Phangan. Here are the highlights of our Phangan trip.

Salad Beach (Haad Salad).

No, Haad Salad has got nothing to do with any vegetables. In local dialect Haad Salad is translated as "pirate beach". Located in the northwest of the island, Haad Salad is a quiet beach with an abundance of accommodations ranging from budget bungalows to luxury resorts. The beach is suitable for families with young children. It is a 25-30 minutes drive from Thong Sala pier. We chose Haad Salad for our 5-night stay because of:

1) Kids-friendly environment

2) Beautiful & serene beach

3) Off-beach snorkeling site

4) Budget accommodations.

For the first three nights we stayed at Sea Salad Resort, a wooden design budget bungalows in a tropical garden setting. The resort is a 3 minutes walk from the beach. The next two nights we stayed at Salad Beach Resort. It's a 3 star beach resort with an outdoor swimming pool and a beachfront restaurant.

During low tide, the water nearest to the beach is quite shallow and not really suitable for a decent swim but is perfect for children to splash around and taking a dip. To get to the deeper water you'll have to walk about 70-80 metres from the beach at the centre of the bay. This is where the site for snorkeling is located and where it is deep enough for a swim. Some resorts in Haad Salad have swimming pools for those not fancying a swim in the ocean.

There are some new constructions on the beach during our stay which might be off-putting for some. But the beach itself is clean and well looked after. Haad Salad is not a big beach area. You could walk from one end to the other end in less than 10 minutes but you could pretty much find basic necessities & infrastructures needed by travellers available in the vicinity. There is a clinic, a tailor, plenty of eateries, convenience stores, ATM machines, crafts & souvenir shops, stand-alone petrol dispenser, taxi & boat services, car & scooter rentals.

Shopping area in Haad Salad, just behind Salad Beach Resort. There's the tailor shop and a souvenir shop next to it. There are quite a few ATM machines in this area.

Morning stroll around the shopping area before going to the beach.

In front of our wooden bungalow (Sea Salad resort). We stayed here for 3 nights.

Haad Salad's rustic charms. You can find a lot of these rustic shop huts on Salad beach and other beaches in Phangan.

My Way Restaurant in Haad Salad. Most of the beachside restaurants in Haad Salad have these rustic appearances.

View of north end of Haad Salad. Even during peak season the beach is not overcrowded. This place is perfect for a family vacation. The water is shallow even during high tide making it suitable for children to be in the water. But proper supervision of the children is still required at all times.

Thailand's famous long-tail boats in Haad Salad.

One of the beachside bungalows in Haad Salad, Asia Bungalows. Picturesque.

The garden and fountain outside our room in Salad Beach Resort. We stayed here for 2 nights.

[VIDEO] 360° round view of the fountain garden.

Calm sea during non-monsoon season.

Early morning beach time.

The weather was perfect when we were in Phangan. Dogs are easily found in Phangan but they usually keep to themselves, so you don't have to worry much about dog attack or anything like that.

Taking a dip. The water here is shallow and quite safe for kids.

Faree'ahs favourite activity on the beach.

Relaxing & strolling at the beach while catching the sunset is the highlight of the evening.

Eating In Haad Salad

There are nice selections of beachside restaurants in Haad Salad. You could also find eateries located some distance away from the beach. Most restaurants open from 8:00AM (Thailand time). Some resorts provide free buffet breakfast that comes with room booking. There is a significant Muslim population in Phangan but most eateries on the island are run by Non-Muslim. Since we were not sure that the meat served in most of the restaurants are Halal, our menu was limited to either seafood or vegetarian meals.

Taste-wise, the food quality in most eateries here are very good. So it doesn't matter which restaurants you go to, the food are excellent. If we have to choose our favourite restaurant in Haad Salad it would be Sea Salad Resort's restaurant. Besides the delicious food, we just love the cosy environment at the restaurant.

Restaurants in Haad Salad are usually closed by 10:00PM. What we really like about Haad Salad is that there are no nightlife and parties. The beach area is usually peaceful and quiet after the restaurants closed for the night.

Breakfast at Salad Beach Resort's restaurant. A perfect view to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Dinner by the sea at Haad Salad while catching the sunset.

Haad Salad provides a perfect setting for a stunning sunset.

Our usual all-seafood menu in Phangan. 1) Pad-Thai with Seafood 2) Fried rice with Seafood 3) Seafood Marinara pizza 4) White rice with Seafood Tomyum soup. No. 1 & 2 are from Sea Salad Resort restaurant. No. 3 & 4 are from Salad Beach Resort restaurant

Breakfast by the seaside. Majority of the guests in Haad Salad are families.

Snorkeling in Haad Salad.

Snorkeling excursion around the island is available in Haad Salad, but is very expensive in my opinion. A full day snorkeling trip by boat can cost up to 1000 Baht or RM124. The cheaper alternative for us is off-beach snorkeling. We brought or own snorkeling gears so we didn't have to spend money on renting the equipment. Before deciding on where to stay I've made an extensive research on the best off-beach snorkeling sites in Phangan.

Two of the most recommended beaches for snorkeling are Mae Haad and Haad Salad. Since Haad Salad has more options in regards to budget accommodations we felt it is the better option for us. We totally love Haad Salad.

The snorkeling spot in Haad Salad is a 70 metres walk from the beach. Once you reach the deep waters, you can find coral reefs across the bay. Scuba diving can also be done here. The walk (in the water) towards the snorkeling spot is not an easy feat because there are lots of dead corals along the way. Be extra cautious when walking in the sea as you can cut yourself stepping on the corals barefooted. So do wear slippers or any form of foot covering protection. It is also worth noting that when the tide is low, it is not recommended to snorkel in the coral reefs as you can easily hit the corals and cut yourself. Yes, I learned that the hard way.

Other sea activities in Haad Salad you might be interested in are fishing and squid jigging (candat sotong in Malay). You can charter a boat for a group tour and they will bring you to the fishing spots. Fishing trip can be arranged with most resorts in Haad Salad.

A day trip to Ang Thong national marine park can also be arranged from Haad Salad. It is one of the main attractions for travellers visiting the Chumphon archipelago. The day trip will cost a minimum of 2000 Baht - 2300 Baht or RM250 - RM285 per person plus other charges. Initially we wanted to go for the day-trip to Ang Thong national marine park but our tight budget doesn't allow us. Maybe next time, insha Allah.