Koh Phangan
THE HISTORY…
Koh Phangan located in Suratthani Province is amongst the well-known group of the Samui Archipelago of Islands such as Koh Tao and Koh Samui itself.
Although Koh Phangan has only recently become one of the most popular Islands in SE Asia due to its famous Full Moon Parties, the history of the Island goes back some 2,000 years!!!
The Island has in fact been inhabited by sea gypsies from the Malaysian peninsular and latterly by Chinese merchants who carved out a living from fishing and harvesting the vast natural resources from the Island .
As merchants came and went, Koh Phangan again became uninhabited until it was rediscovered by a group of monks; who were so overawed by its tranquility and beauty that they built a temple (Wat Phu Khao Noi). There are currently 20 temples on Koh Phangan.
The significance of the Island is such that King Rama V had visited Koh Phangan more than 10 times during his lifetime. The king's love of the Island is very clear and he left his royal seal engraved on a rock at the Thaan Sadet Waterfall. Even today, Koh Phangan has real significance with the current Royal Thai family and in particular; King Bumivol who has made several visits to Koh Phangan. In fact, Koh Phangan continues to be of real significance to all Thais and they have gracefully allowed tourists over the last 20-years or so to enjoy this beautiful tropical Island .
TODAY…
Today's Koh Phangan whilst still a beautiful and tropical paradise Island is probably more renowned for the party scene and in particular the Full Moon Party that is pretty much a monthly occurrence. However, the parties do not stop at the Full Moon! There are half-moon and black-moon parties to keep the party scene moving and to keep Koh Phangan's reputation of a party paradise.
The Full Moon parties actually started by chance back in 1989 on Haad Rin beach when a local resident decided to throw a birthday party for an Australian friend of his. By chance, this birthday fell on a night of a Full Moon and was attended by about 50-people who spent the night dancing around beach camp fires and partying until the early hours of the morning. It was agreed that the Full Moon had somehow turned this party into much more than just another birthday party!
From then on, people began to meeting monthly at every Full Moon and throw huge parties which has now led to the world famous Full Moon party that is attended by anywhere between 10,000 to 30,000 people per month on the Haad Rin Beach.
The 2007 Full Moon Party dates are:
April 02
May 01
June 01 & 29
July 14
August 28
September 11
October 11
November 09
December 09
HOW TO GET THERE…
Koh Phangan Via Koh Samui
The quickest way to Koh Phangan is by way of Bangkok Airways who fly direct from Bangkok , Krabi, Phuket , Singapore , Kuala Lumpur and a number of other destinations.
Upon arrival at Koh Samui, one can arrange transfer to Koh Phangan through the airport information desk. Koh Phangan can only be reached by boat as there is no airport on the Island itself. We recommend the ? hour voyage by either the Lomprayah Catamaran or the Seatran Catamaran which leave twice daily for Koh Phangan. There are other options available via other boats and speedboats, but these are by far the fastest and best ways to reach the Island .
The last catamaran leaving Koh Phangan for Samui is at 4 pm daily, so any onward flight bookings/reservations should ideally be scheduled for after 6pm to allow for any unforeseen delays. Transfers from the piers to the airport are readily available for minimal sums and in some cases included in the catamaran pricelist. Whatever you prefer, you can book directly through the above links online or you can book all your transfers through Coral Grand Resort.
Koh Phangan Via Chumphon
Getting to Chumphon from Bangkok is very simple either by train or a comfortable VIP bus. Both options can easily be booked in Bangkok or online. Again Lomprayah Catamaran offers two trips to Chumphon daily and the price includes the catamaran transfer to Koh Phangan.
Koh Phangan Via Suratthani
Travellers from Phuket & Krabi typically pass through Suratthani, which is a long and at times uncomfortable journey in a minibus. There is the Raja Ferry that leaves Donsak in Suratthani 6-times daily arriving in Koh Phangan 2 ? hours later. The first ferry leaves Dongsak at 7am and the last leaves at 6pm, so there are plenty of opportunities on getting to Koh Phangan.
KOH PHANGAN WEATHER…
The climate on Koh Phangan is generally pleasant all year around, with temperatures varying from around 25 to 34 degrees Celsius.
There are three seasons…
Warm season from February until May.
- Rainy season from the end of September until November.
- Cooler season from October until January.
From February until October, the temperature averages of 32 to 38 degrees, but from July until September, there can be some heavy showers, which for the most part seem to hit early morning or late afternoon.
The tropical climate is quite humid all year round, but fortunately Koh Tao, being a tropical paradise also gets a refreshing sea breeze every now and then stretching in from the Gulf of Thailand .
If you are planning a trip to Koh Tao soon and want to plan your diving and vacation a little better, you can check out the weather forecast for the next 10-days.
Awarded To
Coral Grand Divers
- koh Tao, 2006'.
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KOH TAO : THE TURTLE ISLAND
General
:
Koh Tao
is a small island covering 21 sq km., located 44 km. north of Koh
Pha-Ngan and 45 km Northeast of Samui. It is rumored that during the
40's it was used to hold political prisoners captive. Koh Tao's boom
started when it was discovered by the diving industry. It is a
paradise for both beginning and experienced divers, and also the
largest dive training center in Southeast Asia. Sea turtles are ever
present around the island's shores, and more turtles are expected to
thrive in the coming years. The "We love Koh Tao" foundation has
been turning their efforts toward bringing more turtles to the
island, and last year they released 300 baby turtles into the
beaches.
Spots of Interest:
Although the
island of Koh Tao is a beauty in itself, the most spectacular
scenery can be found in the underwater world. This is the primary
reason why the island has become a mecca for scuba divers across the
world. Coral reefs, deep off-shore pinnacles and rock formations can
be reached within ten minutes by boat. Here you can find rocks that
come alive through sponges, anemones, soft and hard corals. Lucky
divers and snorkelers can even spot the massive, harmless whale
sharks in season, or manta rays and turtles while swimming among
schools of exotic fish. To those unwilling to scuba dive but dying
to see the underwater world, snorkeling gear is available all over
the island. With a water temperature between 27 - 30 degrees Celsius
one easily falls in love with the sea.
As for those who
don't like water sports and only plan to stay for a day or so, the
Thai food on the island is amazing. Pizza or a tender steak with
good wine are some of the more popular dinner choices. The sunsets
of Koh Tao are known as some of the most spectacular to watch, and
places to relax and view them while having a " sundowner " are easy
to find.
BANKING/FOREIGN
EXCHANGE/ATMS :
Although Koh Tao is
remote to a point (90 minutes) from the mainland, there is an
abundance of ATM's on the Island located in Chalok Ban Khao, Sairee
Village and Maehaad town. All the ATMs accept international credit
card withdrawals and are rarely offline. There are also licensed
Foreign Exchange facilities throughout the Island as well as two
Siam City Bank exchange facilities again in Sairee village and
Maehaad town. Siam City Bank is the only banking facility on the
Island at this time. Credit cards, particularly Visa &
Mastercard, are widely accepted throughout the Island. Today's
Baht exchange rate is?
KOH TAO
CLIMATE:
The climate on Koh Tao is generally pleasant all
year around, with temperatures varying from around 25 to 34 degrees
Celsius.
There are three seasons…
" Warm season
from February until May.
" Rainy season from the end
of September until November.
" Cooler season from
October until January.
From February until October, the
temperature averages of 32 to 38 degrees, but from July until
September, there can be some heavy showers, which for the most [part
seem to hit early morning or late afternoon.
The tropical
climate is quite humid all year round, but fortunately Koh Tao,
being a tropical paradise also gets a refreshing sea breeze every
now and then stretching in from the Gulf of Thailand. If you are
planning a trip to Koh Tao soon and want to plan your diving and
vacation a little better, you can check out the weather
forecast for the next 10-days.
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