Koh Pha Ngan

February 16, 2011 – February 19, 2011

Picking up where I left off, our journey from Koh Samui to Koh Pha Ngan was a bit of a rocky one. Of course there was the van from the airport to the pier, then the lengthy 2.5 hour wait for the boat to arrive, and who can forget the treacherous climb up the hills in the back of a pickup, strategically overstuffed with luggage and passengers. On the bright side, we had a room upgrade, a lovely corner suite with panoramic views of the sea and landscape below. After a meal at the lounge/restaurant that first evening, we were definitely ready to get some rest.

February 17 – Koh Pha Ngan

• Chu Chu, one of the smiley hotel staff, took us for a ride down the hill to a nearby scooter rental. Unfortunately, there weren’t many options left to be had, so we were stuck with one that had, well, a few issues — a faulty kickstand and the hiccups when starting. Regardless, we were set to get out and explore the island, even if our scooter was a little under the weather.
• The first stop was the Prestige, a small hotel about 15 minutes north of our place, to meet some old friends that had come in for a short vacation from Shanghai. We sipped on smoothies, our usual morning beverage of choice, and parted ways for the day.
• Let’s just say that riding on the back of a scooter, whizzing uphill (and down), on less than desirable terrain, is, well, terrifying. Thankfully I had a purple helmet to save my skull from the possibility of injury; though I never had to test its strength (phew!).
• We’d heard of this sandbar that connects an offshore island to the main shore and wanted to check it out. After 30 minutes of navigating uncharted roads, we found the location, only to be disappointed by a high tide. Instead, we went off in search of the Phaeng Waterfall, toward the center of Koh Pha Ngan. It was a nice little hike from where we parked the scooter, and the waterfall itself was gentle enough that you could climb up and stand beneath it. Michael had some fun for the both of us while I hung back a little and manned the camera.
• For some post-waterfall eats, we set our sights on Thongsala, the main port area where our boat came in from Koh Samui the night before, and found a small outdoor market. We got a few things to sample: spring roll – Light, crispy, savory goodness; chicken pad thai – Not the best we’d had, but tasty; guava smoothie – ’nuff said; coconut ice cream – Sooo delish! Creamy, smooth, refreshing ; strawberry jelly donut – Move over Dunkin… these babies are the good stuff
• Next stop, elephant trekking! While it wasn’t on my life’s to-do list, it was fun to be able to experience the feeling of being on such a large animal. We rode through the jungle while he, “Ellie” as I like to call him, ate some leaves from trees, stopped to smell things on the ground, etc., while we hung on to the tiny frame of our “seat” for dear life (I swear, there’s no way that thing was not secured properly). While it was a nice experience, it made me rethink my distaste for zoos here in the States. Seems like their living conditions aren’t so horrible after all… Sad, but not all animals are treated very well.
• We went back to Koh Ma (were the sandbar was supposed to be), and the tide had fallen to reveal the sandy path across the water. It was a beautiful time of day, where the sun was slowly creeping toward the horizon and the water felt great. We had a quick dip and searched for some fish with the goggles we purchased in Thongsala.
• Intending to make it back to our hotel to watch the sunset from our balcony, we got sidetracked, somehow missing the road and taking a 45 minute detour. We made it back, happy to have found our way, and readied ourselves for some dinner.
• La Dolce Vita was recommended to us for that night, as it was just a short ride away and was on Haad Chao Prad beach. The setting was quite lovely, with lots of little tables for two, twinkling candlelight, right on the beach. The food was good, but wished the portions were a little larger, especially after a long day of adventure. We ordered: cotoletta de milanese – pork cutlet with salad; bruschetta; spaghetti a la carbonara.  At 550 THB it was by far our most expensive meal yet. A small bonus was the firework show (a term I use loosely), shot off by a few people from the neighboring hotel.
• As was the way a few times before, we ended the evening by stopping at 7-11 for a few snacks before calling it a night.

February 18 – Koh Pha Ngan

• We woke around 9, then went to the scooter place to return our rental. Having seen a few restaurants just South the day before, we went that direction in search of breakfast. We passed a few before we came to House, a small cafe that served breakfast and beverages. It was a cute, air conditioned little spot, and we were pleased to have a filling first meal: pineapple and mango smoothies; french toast drizzled with sweetened condensed milk (of course); pancake, which was sort of large and flat, served with banana and pineapple.
• We went down to the beach after our rather tasty breakfast and rented a kayak from a resort near La Dolce Vita. For only 200 THB we were set for 4 hours – a good deal!
  The sun was out, the water was blue, and we were feeling good. We paddled our way North, searching for snorkeling spots on the way to Haad Yao, but not much was to be seen other than some seaweed clumps and rocks.
• At Haad Yao, we pulled the kayak on shore and grabbed a few drinks from a convenience store, then went off in search of lunch. We settled on a beachside cafe, with our feet in the sand, ordering: hamburger and fries- a little sad looking, but pretty good; chicken with basil and rice – very tasty.
• Leisurely, we paddled back to return the kayak, taking several stops to dip our toes in the water and enjoy the fact that we were half way around the world.
  We spent some time at our hotel pool, making conversation with other guests from France and Great Britain, then returned to our room to clean up and watch the sunset with some ice cream.
• Before I could take a shower, the power on the entire island went out. Apparently, this is “island living” and can happen from time to time (knowing that, I was surprised the hotel did not have generators). 2 hours and a cold shower later, the power came on as our friends were meeting us to head out for dinner and a peek at the full moon party (Koh Pha Ngan’s claim to fame).
• We walked to dinner which wound up being a rather lengthy affair, then hailed a cab to take us to the Full Moon Party. The driver made a roundabout way of getting there, in search of more passengers no doubt. We wound up picking 2 Australian kids up (they couldn’t have been more than 18), and while it looked like they hadn’t stopped partying, they were raring to go.
• To sum up the party, lots of young people (our guess was primarily 18 – 23), lots of neon body paint, lots of “buckets” (drinks served in little beach buckets), and techno. So, it wasn’t our thing, but we had a pretty nice time wandering around and people watching. We stopped at a bar at the end of the beach, “The Rock”, for some drinks and to take in the scenery for a bit. Fire spinning/jump ropes, dancing crazies, and loud music filled the air from below.
• A few hours later, we were ready to get out of there. We grabbed a taxi back and made it to the hotel around 2am. We decided that we’re not really the Full Moon Party type, but appreciated having been there and seen the madness.

February 19 - Koh Pha Ngan to Bangkok

• Our first order of business was arranging our ferry/bus transfer to Bangkok. Unfortunately, the ferry and flight times didn’t align very well, so we accepted the fact that we were going to have to spend a little r&r time at the Koh Samui airport (which we happened to enjoy, actually… more on that later).
• We took a taxi to the ferry at 10:15 am, then had to wait for our ferry to come (late, again), though it was only a mere 30 minutes past the scheduled time. In the meantime, we sipped on some iced coffee and munched on sweet crackers. The ferry ride was followed by yet another nauseating bus/van experience, but it could have been worse.
• With 3 hours to spare before our flight, we had some time to kill. Several shops and eateries were stationed at the Koh Samui airport. We picked a cafe to sit at for a snack and email. After a yucky BLT, we went across the way to a pizzeria and shared a pizza.
• After we went through the gate, we found Bangkok Air passengers had their own refreshment station. Had we known what treats awaited us, we might have passed on one of both of our meals before. The waiting area at the airport is great. Not only is the gate open air with a nice breeze blowing through, but the seating is very comfortable and loungey. Michael passed out for a bit and I read some of my book.
• On the flight to Bangkok, we were given another in flight snack. I tell you, this Bangkok Air is definitely a great choice for budget on a short flight. While the flights themselves are not fantastic, there are great little perks for passengers.
• At BKK, our hotel had a driver come pick us up and we made our way to the Plai Garden Hotel, 15 minutes from the airport. Not the classiest digs, but it was only for one night, and they had a restaurant. We were not alone that night for dinner. Several of the hotel’s guests seemed to be doing what we were – just hanging out for the night – and grabbing a bite. We had some spring rolls, stir fry veggies and pad see ew. After a little Asian television, we called it a night.

So for those of you wondering if you should make the journey to Koh Pha Ngan, I have to say, this is not my top Thai destination. Krabi’s sights and activities far outweighed those of Koh Pha Ngan, at least for us. If your heart desires a party and some place to crash, maybe with a little beach time thrown in, then Koh Pha Ngan may be the spot for you. For those with a little more cash to spend, or who want the ultimate spa getaways, Koh Samui has something to offer. Travelers from around the world have gone to Koh Samui primarily to fork out some serious dough for fancy spa treatments, detox, and meditation. I can’t say we’ll be back, but we were happy to have experienced this fabled island for ourselves.