Ko Pha Ngan: an island of parties and women without bras

Ko Pha Ngan is famous primarily for its parties and relaxed atmosphere. Well, perhaps, another feature of it is the desire of girls to wear T-shirts without a bra underneath – it’s almost like a dress code here. It’s not that almost everyone is almost naked – no, the majority, after all, are dressed in the usual way for Thailand. But the proportion of those who want to wear a little less clothing is quite noticeable.

Ko Pha Ngan hosts many parties on a regular basis. The most popular, of course, is the Full Moon Party – a disco on the seashore until the morning. Also held on a monthly basis are Halfmoon Festival, Black Moon Party, Waterfall Party and others. There are discos on the beaches, which take place every week on a certain day (and then an after party for the whole day).

In certain places in Ko Pha Ngan, people who look like hippies gather and play drums or do yoga. Yoga is quite popular on this island.

There are more than 30 beaches on Ko Pha Ngan! Not many islands can boast such numbers. Moreover, some beaches are not easy to get to – so if you like mountain hiking, then there is plenty of space for you to explore.

Not all beaches are suitable for swimming for one reason or another, but they are all beautiful in their own way. There are plenty of very picturesque beaches with white sand and turquoise water – great places for beautiful photos that look like postcards.

If you are a swimmer, then there are wonderful beaches for you too.

I am especially fascinated here by the combination of snow-white sand, turquoise water and mountains – you don’t see this often in another places.

In general, Ko Pha Ngan is a place with its own indescribable vibe.

2. How to get to Ko Pha Ngan

You can only get to Ko Pha Ngan by water. From the mainland, you can sail to Ko Pha Ngan from the provinces of Surat Thani and Chumphon. Also, ships from Ko Samui and Ko Tao operate to Ko Pha Ngan.

All details of routes from various places, as well as details about the piers, are described in the article “How to get to Ko Phangan”.

3. Map of Ko Pha Ngan tourist spots. Top attractions in Ko Pha Ngan

I've photographed some maps from the boat taxi stands for you. I also collected interesting places on an interactive map. Let's start with the maps from the stands.

This map shows paved roads in yellow – some of them are in the mountains. The light gray color shows roads without paved surfaces – they can be traveled on foot or in off-road vehicles since these roads go through the mountains. Viewpoints and waterfalls can be seen on this map. As for the allocation of 5 zones, this is quite arbitrary. On the same map, the inhabited part of the island is very clearly visible by the accumulation of various shops – this is where the plain is where most people live. The rest of the island is predominantly mountainous. And even though there are paved roads, driving with a strong slope is not suitable for everyone. Near the north and west sides of the island you can see taxi boat routes. This is the most convenient way to get to the beaches in this part of the island.

This map shows the names of the beaches and the taxi boat route. Mountains are marked in dark green.

And another map of the boat taxi – the plains are marked in dark green. The lighter the green, the higher the mountains.

And another map with the names of the beaches. The peculiarity of this map is that it has the names of the districts.

Finally, an interactive map that collects all the objects mentioned in the article, they are marked with different colors and icons, and are also placed on separate layers so that you can easily find, for example, all the beaches, all the viewpoints, all the waterfalls, all the parties, and so on further.

4. Ko Pha Ngan districts

The name of the beach is often used to explain the destination. District names are not used often, but you might find it useful. In addition, I will use district names to characterize certain areas of the island. A map with the names of the districts is given just above.

The island has the following areas:

Baan Haad Rin is the southernmost part of the island. This is where the Full Moon Party takes place. There is a good road leading here, but it is partly mountainous (the road has slopes and sharp turns, some hotels are located on hills). There is Haad Rin Pier (Haad Rin Queen Ferry) where boats from Ko Samui arrive. There is a good beach here, suitable for both relaxing and swimming.
Baan Khai and Baan Tai are located next to Baan Haad Rin. There are also many parties held here. There are beaches here, but they are not suitable for swimming. In the Baan Tai area there is Ban Tai Pier where boats arrive from Ko Samui.
Baan Thong Sala is the main pier area (Thongsala Pier). Here is the highest density of people and various shops. We can say that this is the civilizational center of the island. This is the easiest place to find a motorbike rental shop or ATM. The beaches here are not suitable for swimming.
Baan Nai Wok and Baan Nai Suan – located next to Baan Thong Sala. There are a lot of people here, but few good beaches.
Baan Wok Tum – there are many yoga lovers here. The beaches are so-so.
Baan Srithanu – this is where the mountains begin. There are good beaches.
Baan Wang Ta Kien is the northwestern part of the island. In my opinion, this is where the best beaches are located and are easy to get to.
Baan Chaloklum – northern part of the island, quite mountainous, has good beaches and viewpoints
Baan Thong Nai Pan is the northeastern part of the island. Mountainous, there are good beaches. You can get here by following a route through the mountains, or by taxi boat.
Baan Thong Nang is the central and eastern part of the island, the most mountainous. There are waterfalls and viewpoints here.

I don’t know how widely the names of these districts are used, but I have also seen the use of the following administrative units:

Moo 1 (Thongsala Pier area)
Moo 2 (small area surrounded by mountains in the Ban Tai Pier area)
Moo 4 (perhaps the most populated part of the island, extends northeast of Moo 2)
Moo 6 (the southernmost part of the island, here is Haad Rin beach and the Full Moon Party, a very small area)
Moo 7 (northern part of the island, Chaloklum Beach area, normal roads end here)

The main road of the island runs along the western coast – less mountainous and, accordingly, more populated. Several roads go into the mountainous part of the island, but they have very steep slopes and lead to hard-to-reach parts of the island.

By the way, not the entire island is accessible by car – some places can only be reached on foot (often a very difficult route). And some places on the island are easier to get to by water than anything else.

I didn’t see any public transport on Ko Pha Ngan.

There are motorbike rental shops on the island.

5. Beaches of Ko Samui

5.1 Haad Rin

Haad Rin is, so to speak, the main beach of the island. This is where the famous Full Moon Party takes place.

Perhaps one of the best or the best beach for swimming. You can swim without fear of stepping on a hedgehog and the depth is normal, not knee-deep. The water is clean even with waves.

The sand is fine and white.

Another plus: you can watch the sunrise on the beach.

There don’t seem to be any separate sun loungers to rent. There are ottomans and chairs at the cafe. There are a huge number of them.

After parties, there may be trash on the beach, but it is promptly removed.

On the day of the Full Moon Party (as well as the next few days) there are quite a lot of people here.

In the morning at high tide, the beach becomes narrower, but still wide enough to sunbathe on the sand. In the evening at low tide the beach becomes much wider, but the sea is still deep enough to swim comfortably.

5.2 Rin Nai Beach

Nice beach, lots of trees for shade.

The path here is not very obvious – the roads either pass through the private territory of the hotels, or you need to go around the paths.

There is a bridge along the rock – you can walk along it to the lighthouse.

The sand is white and fine. The sea is quite deep.

Towards evening the tide begins to ebb.

5.3 Baan Kai Beach

5.4 Haad Baan Tai beach

In general, this beach is more suitable for contemplation and relaxation on the seashore without going into the water.

5.5 Tong Sala Beach

This place looks quite nice, but there are a lot of sharp stones in the sea. The water is also not very clean.

5.6 Lonely Beach

Nudist beach. There are few people. The beach itself is small and the sea here is not suitable for swimming.

The beginning of the path to the beach is marked on the map with the point “Entrance to Lonely Beach”; from it there is a path down to the shore. You can also navigate by the parked bikes along the road.

There are many large boulders and oddly shaped trees.

5.7 Hin Kong Beach

The beach is not for swimming, but for walking and aesthetic pleasure.

A little further north there are good beaches.

5.8 Srithanu Beach

The beach is quiet, few people. The beach is located on the territory of inexpensive villas, but entry is free. It says that parking a bike costs 20 baht. There is a food bar on the beach. There are no sun loungers. There are trees if you don't really like the sun. The water is not too clear. There is no garbage. There are no waves.

Overall a nice little beach.

5.9 Zen Beach

Until now, this beach has a hippie atmosphere, with music, drums, etc. playing in the evenings.

The beach is suitable for relaxing, swimming and enjoying sunsets.

Parking is free and this beach has easy access.

5.10 Pirate Beach

Nice beach, quite quiet, but very shallow here. There are a lot of stones on the beach.

5.11 Haad Son

Rocky part of Secret Beach.

5.12 Secret Beach

The beach is small and, depending on the season, can be secluded or quite crowded.

It is unlikely that you will be able to swim here; the beach is more suitable for relaxing on the shore or in a bar.

5.13 Haad Yao

Very beautiful beach! I liked snorkeling among the corals right off the shore – be sure to take a mask!

It is very small. The beach has a long coastline and many people play sports in the morning. The boulders on the sides of the beach are like in the Seychelles, very beautiful.

There are many restaurants, hotels and villas here, so in the evenings it is a little noisy and crowded, but the beach is good nonetheless.

To get to this beach, take the fork where the “Entrance to Haad Yao” point is located.

Please note that on the eastern side of the island there is a beach that has the same name – Haad Yao. Therefore, if you negotiate with a taxi or taxi boat, then specify which beach you mean.

5.14 Salad Beach

A cozy small beach with a good entrance to the sea. White sand.

When the tide is low, it is inconvenient to swim.

At high tide the coastline becomes quite small.

I had a problem getting to this beach: the path to it goes through the private territory of the resorts, and it’s not easy to find a parking space in public places.

I marked the place “Paid parking” where there is a sign “parking for cars – 100 baht, for bikes – 20 baht”. Or park on the resort grounds if you can. Next you will need to go through the resort territory.

I marked another place as “Entrance”. There, the entrance to the beach is not blocked by resorts, and parking issues also seem simpler, since this is a less built-up area.

5.15 South (Nude Beach)

Another nudist beach. Apart from this fact, there is nothing particularly remarkable – there are a lot of small stones on the shore and in the water. There are dead corals in the water.

5.16 Mae Haad Beach

Perhaps the best beach on Ko Phangan. Beautiful sand, beautiful sea, beautiful views.

You can see for yourself in the photographs how beautiful it is here!

There are quite a few people, but the beach is quite large – some places are not very crowded even in high season.

The beach is very clean and well maintained.

The path to the beach passes through a very friendly resort (Wang Sai Resort). They foresaw that not only hotel guests would want to go to the beach:

Resort parking is allowed for everyone
All the way from the parking lot there are signs directing you to the beach.

I really liked this place. I also liked the restaurant on the beach – excellent drinks, delicious food for a reasonable price. And, of course, amazing views!

The parking area is marked on the map as “Parking and entrance to Mae Haad Beach” – from there follow the signs.

Mae Haad Beach can be approached not only through the resort, but also from the right end of the beach. There are bars here and there may also be a path to the beach.

5.17 Ko Ma Beach

Ko Ma Beach is the end of Mae Haad Beach. Here is the island of Ko Ma, which is reached by a sand spit – it is called Ko Ma Beach.

By the way, the spit that is connected to an island is correctly called “tombolo”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombolo

This photo shows Ko Ma Island from a slightly different angle.

5.18 Malibu Beach

Beautiful beach area. Its main feature is shaggy trees and other photogenic vegetation.

The sand is soft and light, but covered in twigs from trees, apparently no one cleans it. Sometimes the water is dirty (once when we arrived there was a bag floating around and other small garbage from people). There are no sun loungers. There are two volleyball nets. There is one cafe. Shower costs 20 baht. The toilet is an old 1 stall, flush with a ladle. The water is calm, almost without waves. When it’s sunny, the water is turquoise and clear. On the beach, a boat goes back and forth and chatters throughout the entire area for almost the whole day.

The place is just beautiful, despite the fact that there are a lot of people. And it’s quite small, suitable for children. The cafe is delicious, but a little expensive. The mountain view is amazing.

Since there is a lot of vegetation here, beware of ants and flies – it is better to use insect repellent spray.

In general, the beach is more suitable for very beautiful photographs or playing volleyball than for swimming.

5.19 Chaloklum Beach

Chaloklum Beach starts from Malibu Beach and extends to the pier. Near Malibu Beach this is a very pleasant place to relax and swim. Beautiful white sand beach… the sand is like powder, so fine and soft!

Crystal clear water, ideal for a pleasant swim and, as usual, it is warm. There are a lot of coconuts on the beach, so it's very nice to find some shade and protect your eyes from the hot sun.

At the end of the beach there are many small restaurants and cafes where you can eat well, relax and/or drink beer. But the width of the beach here decreases – it’s probably better not to swim near the pier.

5.20 Chalok Lam Beach

Chalok Lam Beach is a continuation of Chaloklum Beach, but on the other side of the pier.

The beach near the pier is rocky and the width of the sand line is small.

As you move away from the pier, the width of the beach increases. There are noticeably fewer people here compared to the crowded Malibu Beach, which is not so far from here – within line of sight.

5.21 Haad Khom Beach

Beautiful beach, you can swim during low tides, beautiful sea, clean beach, there is shade.

The beach is quite small, so it can be crowded at times.

Pure white sand and boulders. At 100 m there is a coral reef. There are several cafes/bars and bungalows on the beach.

In the morning and during the day it is an excellent beach, but in the afternoon the tide goes out, and the bottom is not very presentable.

5.22 Bottle Beach

So, we looked at the beaches on the south, west and north sides of Ko Phangan. All of these beaches are relatively easily accessible. Now we move on to the beaches on the eastern side of the island, which is more mountainous. Because of this, this part of the island is less inhabited and the beaches are difficult to access. Many of these beaches can be reached either by taxi boat or by walking through the mountains and forests.

In Thailand, it is not often possible to see a combination of beaches and mountains – on the eastern side of the island of Ko Phangan, almost all beaches boast such a unique combination: white sand, turquoise sea and mountains.

Bottle Beach is considered by many to be one of the best or even the best beaches on Ko Phangan. Due to its inaccessibility, I would not rank it first.

So, let's start by figuring out how to get to it. And you can get there in at least three ways:

By taxi boat. Depends on the place of departure, but you can estimate the cost to be 150-300 baht per person one way. From the nearest beach the journey will take about 15 minutes. This is a good option if you just want to relax on the beach.
Hiking along the mountain from Haad Khom Viewpoint. This is the cheapest option, and of the free options, it is also the simplest. Suitable for hiking lovers. But if on this day you just want to relax, then a three-hour journey along the mountain (there and back) is unlikely to allow you to call this day an easy one.
The journey by ATV / Quad. The algorithm of actions is as follows: you get to a certain place (marked on the map as “Bottle Beach Scooter Parking”); park your motorbike here and call the phone number indicated on the sign. An ATV / Quad will pick you up and take you to Bottle Beach. The cost of the trip is 100 baht per person. Seems like a good option (cheaper than taxi boat). But there is a catch: getting to the “Bottle Beach Scooter Parking” is not very easy – the path goes through the mountains, and in the last section the road is unpaved.
You can also offer a fourth option: get to the “Bottle Beach Scooter Parking” and from here walk to Bottle Beach. At first glance, this seems like an ideal option: a free way to get to Bottle Beach without having to go over the mountain, since there is a country road that can be used by off-road vehicles. But the problem is the same as for the third option: the roads through the mountains that lead to the Bottle Beach Scooter Parking scare me. This definitely won't be a relaxing trip.

So, the cheapest (free) and easiest is the following way to Bottle Beach:

1. Follow the cement road to Haad Khom Viewpoint (this is also the road to the MOON ROCK party site).

2. At the top of the steep hill the cement road will end. There you will see a parking lot and a sign for the national park. Here the path to Haad Khom Viewpoint begins. Stop and park here.

3. Continue straight ahead (not towards Haad Khom Viewpoint) and follow the gravel road downhill for about 80 meters (this is the direction towards MOON ROCK).

4. On the right side of the road, just before you go down the hill to MOON ROCK, you will see a SIGN on a tree – this is the beginning of the route.

The trailhead is marked on the map as “Headtrail for Bottle Beach”.

5. Walk straight along this path for about 200-300 meters. You will see a fork in the road here as there are two paths to Bottle Beach, one shorter up the hill and one longer (taking about twice as long) around the hill. You need to turn right – where the blue and yellow marks lead.

6. Just make sure you follow the blue and yellow markers on the rocks and trees to the end of the route. The trail is fairly easy to follow as long as you turn right and don't end up on the purple trail.

The first half of the path (about 1 km) goes uphill, the second half of the path (about 1.5 km) goes down the mountain. Moreover, the second half is not easier than the first, quite the contrary. Travel time when hiking at a fast pace is about 1.5 hours.

So, about the beach itself. The beach is remote, secluded and this is a plus for it. Few people, clean. Beautiful landscapes, pleasant sand, there is somewhere to hide from the sun.

It's great to snorkel (you need to swim to the rocks) – there are a lot of beautiful fish.

Don't have too high expectations – it's just another beach. In some periods (until they had time to remove the garbage after it was thrown ashore), it may not be very clean here. At low tide, the seabed looks like other beaches.

5.23 Thong Nai Pan Beach

Nice pleasant beach, but all the best places are occupied by sunbeds of hotels and resorts. Shady areas are also mainly on hotel grounds. To use their sun loungers, you need to be their customer.

If you like a beach holiday, then this area is a good option to stay. But apart from hotels and shops, there is nothing here. You will have to get to the main settlements of the island through the mountains.

If you just want to visit this beach, then park your motorcycle at a hotel and walk through its territory. Or you can get here by taxi boat.

5.24 Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach

A secluded place. Beautiful beach, entry into the water is smooth. There was depth in March. The landscapes are beautiful. In the evenings there are cafes with music.

5.25 Haad Sadet Beach

This beach is located within a national park, so to get here you will have to pay 100 baht per person. There are several other places to visit in this national park – all of which will be discussed below.

It is a beautiful place and easily accessible by motorbike as the roads are paved. Parking available. There are 2 beach restaurants/bars, bungalows and shaded areas where you can lay down a beach blanket. The water looks clean and it was comfortable to swim. We walked over a rickety bridge and an abandoned resort to the next beach, Haad Thong Reng.

The beach is located in the distance, there are few vacationers. The sand is coarser, the entry into the water is a little rough. The views are very beautiful: snow-white beach and mountains.

5.26 Haad Thong Reng

This beach is located next to Haad Sadet Beach. To get to it, you need to walk across a wooden bridge and past abandoned buildings.

There is also an abandoned resort on the beach itself.

This place would be very cozy if it weren't for the garbage. Since everything here is abandoned, no one cleans up the garbage.

Since this place is very secluded, some consider it a nudist beach.

5.27 Haad Nam Tok

This beach can only be reached by land on foot. There is no road on the last part of the path – you need to walk along the water. To go down you will need to use the rope fixed there.

This beach is more about adventure than a beach holiday.

5.28 Haad Yang

And another beach away from asphalt roads. The only way to get here is along paths through the mountains.

Since the beach is abandoned, no one cleans up the garbage thrown out of the sea here.

5.29 Haad Yao (East)

On the western side of the island there is a beach with the same name – Haad Yao. And this beach is on the east side.

Inaccessible beach (can be reached by taxi boat, long hike or take an excursion in an off-road vehicle).

They say that there is a bar and sometimes there are parties and even someone lives here. But at present the place looks just abandoned. Perhaps the bar opens for party times.

5.30 Haad Wai Nam

A beach with a restaurant where parties used to be held – whether there are parties now, I don’t know.

You can get here by boat from Haad Rin Beach for 300 baht. Or if you take a route through the mountains.

5.31 Tien Beach East

Tien Beach East has a hotel, bar and restaurant.

In the area of the hotel the beach is covered with coarse sand, in other places there are stones.

From here you can get to Haad Yuan Beach.

On foot from Haad Rin to Tien Beach East can be reached along a mountain route in about 1.5 hours.

5.32 Haad Yuan Beach

Haad Yuan Beach is located next to Tien Beach East.

Haad Yuan Beach can also be reached on foot from Haad Rin along the mountain route in about 1.5 hours.

There is a resort with bungalows, a bar and a restaurant.

5.33 Head khontee

Secluded beach. There are no bars or vendors here. Taxi boats may refuse to go to this beach due to rocks in the water.

Nobody cleans the beach, sometimes the sea carries out a lot of garbage. There is trash left by tourists. During the low season, there is no one here, except for the days when the Full Moon Party takes place. There are corals and some fish underwater near the shore. Not a bad place for snorkeling. Do not leave things unattended; there are monkeys near the beach who can steal them. Especially if there is something edible. Among them there are large aggressive males.

You can also get there along the path across the mountain from Haad Rin. But the path is almost invisible and it’s easy to lose your way. There are also mosquitoes along the road.

6. Ko Pha Ngan island Taxi boats

[THE REST IS BEING ADDED]

7. Ko Phangan viewpoints

8. Ko Phangan attractions

9. Ko Phangan waterfalls

10. Islands near Ko Phangan

11. Zoos on Ko Phangan

Conclusion