15 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Visiting KOH PHANGAN, THAILAND (2024)
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful travelogue, the author shares essential tips for a memorable visit to Koh Phangan, Thailand. They highlight the importance of knowing the local transportation options, such as flying to Surathani and taking a ferry, and choosing the right beaches to avoid sand flies and box jellyfish. The author also emphasizes the need for proper visa arrangements, suggesting an e-Visa for longer stays. Engaging in local activities like Muay Thai and exploring the island's spiritual side through yoga and workshops is highly recommended. The narrative provides a balanced view of the island's beauty, from the stunning east coast to the lively west side, offering advice on where to stay for different experiences. The author also dispels misconceptions about traveling solo, noting the island's welcoming atmosphere for digital nomads and solo travelers, making it an ideal destination for a mix of relaxation, adventure, and cultural immersion.
Takeaways
- 🚫 No airport in Koh Phangan: You must fly to the nearby island of Koh Samui or Surat Thani and then take a ferry.
- ⚓️ Ferry tip: Arriving to the main areas of Koh Phangan, take the ferry to Thong Sala instead of Haad Rin, unless attending a full moon party.
- ☔️ Weather warning: Avoid November and early December for heavy rain.
- 🐙 Jellyfish danger: Be cautious of box jellyfish on certain beaches, especially when swimming at night.
- 🇹🇭 Visa advice: For stays over 30 days, consider an e-Visa for 60 days to avoid multiple immigration office visits.
- 🥋 Muay Thai opportunity: Easily join a class without prior experience and consider attending fight nights.
- 🌅 Sunset spots: Enjoy the beautiful sunsets in various locations around the island.
- 🛵 Scooter safety: Always wear a proper helmet with a good visor for safety and comfort.
- 🌴 East coast beauty: The east side of the island is considered the most beautiful and worth exploring.
- 🏖️ Beach selection: For a mix of good beaches, restaurants, and activities, consider staying between Haad Rin and Haad Salad.
- 🏞️ Hiking options: There are great hiking trails on the east side of the island, including from Chalum to Bottle Beach.
- 👥 Solo travel: Koh Phangan is a welcoming place for solo travelers and digital nomads, with many opportunities to meet people.
Q & A
What is the main airport for reaching Koh Phangan?
-The main airport for reaching Koh Phangan is Surat Thani (URT), which can be cheaper and more convenient than flying to the nearest island, Koh Samui (Koh Samui Airport), and then taking a ferry from there.
Why should you be cautious about visiting Koh Phangan in November and early December?
-You should avoid visiting Koh Phangan in November and early December due to the heavy rainfall during this period, which can significantly impact the weather and potentially ruin your trip.
What are sand flies and how can you avoid getting bitten by them on the beach?
-Sand flies are small insects that bite and can cause irritation. To avoid bites, move around on the beach instead of staying in one spot for too long, and use mosquito spray for additional protection.
What is the danger associated with box jellyfish on the beaches of Koh Phangan?
-Box jellyfish are a potentially deadly marine species that can cause severe harm if a person is stung. They are most active at night and can be difficult to see, so it's advised not to swim during these times to avoid the risk.
What is the recommended visa type for staying in Koh Phangan for two to three months?
-For stays of two to three months, it is better to obtain an e-Visa, which offers a 60-day stay, reducing the need for multiple visits to the immigration office.
Why is joining a Muay Thai class in Koh Phangan recommended for visitors?
-Joining a Muay Thai class is recommended as it is a cultural experience that is a must-do in Thailand. It is also a fun activity that can be easily joined without prior experience or the need for a partner.
What is the best area to stay in Koh Phangan for a more relaxed and local experience?
-Chaloklum, located in the Northwest of Koh Phangan, is recommended for a relaxed and local experience. It is close to Malibu Beach and Comae for morning walks and sunsets, respectively.
Why is it beneficial to stay closer to the west side or northwest of Koh Phangan?
-Staying on the west side or northwest of Koh Phangan allows you to be close to Malibu Beach, Comae for sunsets, and is more relaxed and local. It also provides easier access to restaurants and activities in the Satun area.
What is the significance of the east side of Koh Phangan in terms of natural beauty?
-The east side of Koh Phangan is considered the most beautiful part of the island, with stunning beaches and landscapes that are worth exploring.
What are some activities that can enhance one's experience in Koh Phangan?
-Activities such as yoga, attending spiritual workshops, participating in fire dance events, and exploring the island's hiking trails can significantly enhance one's experience in Koh Phangan.
Why is it recommended to have a proper helmet when riding a scooter in Koh Phangan?
-A proper helmet with a good visor is recommended for safety and comfort when riding a scooter in Koh Phangan, as it protects the rider from the elements and potential debris on the roads.
Outlines
🗺️ Travel Tips for Visiting Koh Phangan
The speaker shares essential tips for first-time visitors to Koh Phangan, Thailand. They discuss the lack of an airport on the island and the cheaper alternative of flying to Surat Thani, then taking a ferry. They also highlight the importance of choosing the right ferry port for different destinations on the island. The speaker warns about the rainy season in November and December, the presence of sand flies on certain beaches, and the danger of box jellyfish. They also touch on the visa situation, recommending an e-Visa for longer stays, and the availability of Muay Thai classes and fight nights as key cultural experiences.
🧘♂️ Exploring the Spiritual Side of Koh Phangan
The speaker emphasizes the island's reputation for yoga and spirituality. They share their wish to have known about the variety of long-term residents and their knowledge of local activities. The speaker recommends engaging with the community to learn about unique experiences like fire dance events and workshops. They also discuss the importance of trying new activities outside one's comfort zone to fully immerse in the local culture. The speaker highlights the beauty of the east side of the island, unknown to them prior to their visit, and the various parties and events that occur around the island.
🏝️ Beaches, Hiking, and the Best Places to Stay
The speaker talks about their snorkeling experience and the conditions that affected visibility. They discuss the beauty of different beaches on the island, including Bottle Beach and Hat Yuan, and the various ways to access them, such as by boat or hiking. The speaker reveals their preference for the west or northwest side of the island for a more relaxed and local experience, with easy access to beaches and sunset spots. They also mention the central location of Thongsala for those who wish to be close to restaurants and activities, and the challenge of finding good accommodation in the most desirable areas.
💼 Solo Travel and Working in Koh Phangan
The speaker addresses the suitability of Koh Phangan for solo travelers and digital nomads. They share their initial hesitation about working alone in cafes but soon discovered the abundance of solo travelers and long-term residents. The speaker recommends places like Indigo and Daily Dei for work and socializing, noting the ease of meeting people even when traveling alone. They conclude by encouraging viewers to like and subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Kopang
💡Thailand
💡Muay Thai
💡Sand Flies
💡Box Jellyfish
💡Visa Situation
💡Yoga and Spirituality
💡Sona Intiva
💡Hiking
💡Accommodation
💡Solo Travel
Highlights
The speaker highly recommends visiting the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand and shares 15 important things they learned during their stay.
There's no airport in Koh Phangan; you need to fly to the neighboring island of Koh Samui or Surat Thani and take a ferry.
It's cheaper to fly to Surat Thani and take a ferry to Koh Phangan instead of flying to Koh Samui.
If visiting Koh Phangan, stay in Tong Sala for the main areas, and Haad Rin for the Full Moon Party.
Avoid visiting in November and early December due to heavy rain, which can ruin the trip experience.
Be cautious of sand flies on the beach, especially at Malibu Beach and Hing Kong Beach.
Moving while on the sand can prevent sand fly bites, and mosquito spray can be used for protection.
Box jellyfish can be found in some beaches in Koh Phangan and can be extremely dangerous if encountered.
Visa advice suggests getting an e-Visa for a longer stay to avoid multiple visits to the immigration office.
Muay Thai classes are easily accessible and a fun experience to try in Thailand.
Muay Thai fight nights are a popular event and a cool experience to join.
It's beneficial to learn basic Muay Thai moves before joining a group class.
Driving a scooter in Koh Phangan is better with a proper helmet for safety and comfort.
Be careful on the roads due to sand, which can make them slippery.
Koh Phangan is known for yoga and spirituality, with many long-term residents offering valuable insights.
The east side of the island is considered the most beautiful and worth exploring.
Hard Yuan beach is incredibly beautiful and a must-visit, despite the cost of transportation.
Chaloklum in the Northwest is recommended for a longer stay, offering a balance of relaxation and access to amenities.
The west side or Northwest of the island is the best area to stay for a more immersive experience.
Haad Salad or Haad Yao are optimal areas to stay, being close to good beaches, restaurants, and the main town.
Solo travelers and digital nomads will find Koh Phangan a welcoming place with many opportunities to work and meet people.
Transcripts
here's 15 things I wish I knew before
visiting kopang and Thailand I really
love this island and I highly recommend
for you to come here also but these 15
things are very important I have learned
the last two months I stayed here to
make sure you have the best time here
and avoid some big
[Music]
mistakes I will also later go over some
important things to make sure you have
the best experience here like where to
stay and where to not stay and also some
unique things you definitely need to do
here to make the most out of your time
in this Paradise Island but let's start
with couple of quick tips I have learned
and one is when you are arriving here
there's basically no airport in kangan
so you need to fly to the next Island
kosamu but what I didn't know that you
can also fly to surani that is the main
airport in this area it can be way
cheaper to fly there and take fery from
there instead of from kamoi and talking
about the fairy make sure if you're
coming to the main areas to stay in
kangan take it to Tong Sala not to hard
Rin but yeah if you going to the full
moon party then take it to HR and if you
don't love rain don't come to November
and early December as I did the first
time because I thought as it's close to
the sunny season it would be already
quite good weather but it was so rainy
all the time so definitely kind of
ruined my trip here the first time and
one thing is sand flies on the beach I
never heard it before I came to kopang
and the first time I got so many bites
here in Malibu Beach and also in Hing
Kong Beach not all beaches have them so
much but a lot of them have here and
here are some tips with the Sandfly so
if you move when you're in the sand they
don't bite it's only when you stay a
long time in one spot they will find you
and bite you and also you can put some
mosquito spray if you're for example
watching sunset on the beach but yeah if
you get the bites you can also buy from
the pharmacy on the each cream I have it
really helps and the next thing is when
you swim on these amazing beaches
there's so many in kangan there's one
thing to be careful with is box
jellyfish I really had no idea of that
thing even exist before I came this year
and I got some comments and I did some
research and yeah there are some box
jellyfish in Thailand in kosamu and
kopang on in some beaches more than
others and it's it's really dangerous so
if you get sting by you are in big
trouble so it's definitely something to
be a little bit careful with it
shouldn't be too probable to happen but
it's good to know that for for example
during night you shouldn't really swim
because they're the most active during
that time and you also can't really see
them and the next thing is the Visa
situation what I thought is just 30 days
Vis an arrival and then extending in the
immigration office here in kangan and
that's what I did but for two months or
three months day it's actually better to
get an e Visa apparently there is an
option for 60 days e Visa if you stay
for example two months that's perfect or
even 3 months it's just one less visit
to the immigration office but now to
more posi POS and exciting topics but
before that please like the video if
you're liking it so far and subscribe to
the channel if you don't want to miss
the next videos and help your boy
[Music]
out the next thing is Muay Thai I wish I
knew how easy it is to join one of these
classes here in MAA in the beginning I
was a really shy because I never did a
Muay Tha class like this before so I
thought I need to find a friend to do it
with but then when I went with my friend
Justin finally I realized that actually
it's so e to just come here and join any
time and it's so much fun so I highly
recommend trying at least once or twice
while you're in Thailand it's kind of a
must do here and also there's sort of
Muay Thai events like fight nights they
advertise them all the time around so
yeah you should also Join one of those
it's really cool experience and yeah I
think MAA is the coolest place they have
here in kopa it's really so beautiful
they even have Sunset View it's just so
nice they have Cafe and everything here
but one thing I wish I also knew is that
when you come in here they don't really
in the group classes they don't teach
the K specific GS and everything so I
didn't really know any of those before
so it was a little bit awkward in the
beginning because they just told me to
do things when I'm on the pad and but I
I'm like what what is that I don't know
what that is so I would recommend
checking quickly on YouTube just like uh
what are the basic kicks and everything
not necessary but yeah would be helpful
look at this Sunset spot I found so
beautiful I'm all alone on top of this
rock it's so peaceful and so beautiful
sunset as almost always in kopong and I
just wanted to quickly mention also that
when you drive a scooter here is so much
better if you have proper helmet with
good visor you can always use because
the distance is a little bit longer here
the roads are almost always empty so it
just makes your life so much better if
you have uh visor or you and just drive
comfortably and not get everything into
your eyes and of course for safety also
it's good and talking about safety be
careful on the roads there's a lot of
sand on many of them so yeah don't drive
too fast it can be slippery next I will
talk about some things I wish the most
that I have known before I came here but
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[Music]
screen
I just did yoga here in Sati yoga it's a
really beautiful place and really good
yoga kangan is famous for yoga and
spirituality and I always knew that but
what I wish I knew before is that it's
not just about yoga basically one tip is
to go to the Sona intiva and talk to
people because there's a lot of people
who stay here long term and they know
about all these things and I heard about
so many things from those people for
example Fridays in Al there's this
really cool aesthetic dance with fire
and like it's really amazing experience
my first time doing aesthetic dance but
yeah it was just incredible experience
and I highly recommend trying it like
there's so many events and workshops and
all kind of things on this island is
really the most rewarding like
experience to experience on this island
to really immerse yourself into that
culture of spirituality and all these
things they do on this island because
for me I haven't really tried many of
these things just yoga before and it's
really like a really level up your
experience you can have here if you just
try a lot of those things that are a
little bit out of your comfort zone and
different and yeah it's very unique on
this island specifically here in Copan
it's just like uh you can't really
experience so many places doing so many
different things I haven't seen that
anywhere else that there's so much
offerings and so many things so yeah
it's really cool to take advantage of
that and also for example on the Zen
Beach they have every Friday for sunset
this kind of drum dance thing event lot
of people go there it's really cool
there's so many things you can do and
really get part of the community here
and I'm sure there's so many other
things I haven't tried because yeah
there's just so
[Music]
much today I came to explore this one
area in the northeast of the island and
I'm going to talk about a few things I
wish I knew before I came when it comes
to exploring around the island this view
is really
insane it's crazy definitely wor to
drive 30 minutes from Tong Sala to come
here next I will go to the bottle Beach
down there but yeah one thing I also
wish I knew is that the east side of the
island is actually the most beautiful
part of the island I had no idea I just
heard from from a few people and then I
went with my new friend Valentine to
check this one party in bamboo on this
beach that apparently it's really
beautiful beach and we drive to hrin and
I was surprised that actually even hrin
is very beautiful where the full moon
party is and uh yeah the boat Drive was
like 300 bus per way and it was very
beautiful also at the beach itself hard
yuan is incredibly beautiful it's
definitely the most beautiful beach in
kopanga I have seen is absolutely
beautiful the party itself wasn't really
R why but it's good to know that there's
actually so many crazy parties every
week around the island in all kind of
places and all kind of theme parties so
it's not only the full moon party if you
want to go to all kind of special
parties I'm finally at the beach after
hiking so long down because driving with
scooter wasn't possible and there's some
taxis they bring you down but there was
nothing available so I just walked uh
but yeah it feels extra good to swim
after the hike and next I will go
snorkling apparently it's a good place
to snorkel so we'll see yeah the
snorkling didn't really work the
visibility was like zero because it's
quite windy and wavy today so I came to
the other side of the beach that seems
more beautiful and better for swimming
it's really beautiful beach for sure but
what I would say is that because you can
also come here with a boat so that stay
eest way from Jello Clum where I stay
just taking a boat tuxi here here it's
like 300 bus also like I heard from my
friends they did a hike like all the way
back there they there's some way from
chalum area to hike here and apparently
it's really really beautiful everybody
say it's definitely like something to do
here I had no idea that you can hike in
cion and there's other ones also in the
east side of the island so yeah it's
good to know that if you like hiking you
can do really good hikes here also but
yeah I would say that it's really
beautiful beach but it's not like super
incredibly amazing like there's better
Beach I like some beaches just close
where I stay better than this and the
East Side the hot Yuan was definitely
more beautiful in my opinion so I don't
know if it's like you don't necessarily
need to come here but what I would say
that the Viewpoint with The Rock was
like that's a must is really incredible
to just hike a little bit there from the
road and also just driving around
through the jungle to get here to this
area of the island it's really beautiful
I came here to coma for sunset it's
really beautiful area for sunsets and
even during the day especially when the
tide is correct and it's really nice
with the sandbank and everything and I
stay quite close to here and yeah that's
the next topic what is the best area to
stay the most probable place is probably
hard dream because of the full moon par
there but if you don't want to go to
full moon party or generally if you want
to do anything else than just party you
shouldn't stay in hring the best area to
stay if you're staying for longer and if
you want to experience all the things
this amazing island has to offer is on
the west side of the island or in the
Northwest basically I'm living in
chaloklum and that's in the Northwest
and it's close here to coma and uh I
really love this area because I can go
to Malibu Beach which is my favorite
beach every morning for morning walk and
also it's close here to Coma which is
nice for sunsets and actually that's one
thing I wish I knew before it's really
nice to what sunset here in K is just
really beautiful and it's so close to
where I stay I always go further before
or on the hill it's not so nice there
but now I realized just recently that I
can actually just come here very easily
that's one thing I wish I knew because
in chaloklum the negative is even if
it's really amazing area and it's more
relaxing and chill and calm here also
and more local but it's a little bit
further away from all the restaurants
and gyms and activities that are more
generally in the S tanu area and uh yeah
that's good area to stay because then
you close all those things but there's
not so good beaches there like there's
Zen Beach that is apparently really good
for swimming also but it's also nude
beach during the day but my
recommendation would be to be somewhere
between zanu and Hing Kong and the north
side because then you close to all the
nice beaches you close to all the
restaurants and everything and kind of
like in middle of all that so I think
the optimal would be like H ya or H
salad area either of those Beach is are
really good good for swimming and it's
really nice area in general and there's
some restaurants already there and then
you still close to the north side and
you're close to Sano and still a little
bit closer to the main town tongala
where is for example really good food
market and some other cool stuff but it
can be hard to find good accommodation
with good price in those best areas at
least I didn't really find any but I
wish I knew how important it is to stay
closer to that area so I would have put
more effort to find something there and
even maybe less nice place there than
where I stay now would have been better
for longer term in the end I really
think kopanga has the most beautiful
sunset it has been pretty incredible
here the whole time I've been is so nice
almost every day the ocean is so calm
it's just so relaxing
[Music]
here I came here to Indo to get some M
and get some work done and the next
thing is that I wish I knew that there's
actually lot of people traveling solo
and even working here in kangan so it's
definitely not like I was a little bit
shy in the beginning to go alone to the
cafes and work but actually there's a
lot of people doing that in pretty much
all the places and especially here in
Indigo this good place to come to work I
learn it from one of you guys who told
me that I should come here and also
Daily Dei is a good place to work
there's a lot of people working in this
place is always and generally the vibe
is in that way that it's easy to meet
people even if you're alone because
there's lot of other people who are also
traveling alone or even staying here
long term alone especially in the SAA
and the paddle and there's so many
places where you can meet people very
easily and even in the cafes and in the
beaches and anywhere all in the events
also so yeah it's a good place to travel
alone I didn't know that before but
that's all I hope this video was helpful
like And subscribe and see you next week
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