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BiloTrip day 7-10: Paradise island Koh Phangan

Hi guys! Sorry for a long gap between posts. After all I was on holidays & needed some relax :). But I’m back with another chapter of my Thailand trip. BiloTrip day 7-10: Paradise island Koh Phangan.

After few days in crazy Bangkok I moved to the quiet island in the middle of Gulf of Thailand. It took me 14 hours to get to Koh Phangan island from Bangkok (night bus & ferry – 1200 Baht). Check what this beautiful island has to offer. Pure paradise.

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Koh Phangan

Quiet & authentic Thailand island. A beautiful place on earth to experience real Thailand. Locals are friendly & there are more Thai families here than foreign tourists. The only noise is made by the loudest crickets I have ever heard! It’s a bit overwhelming. But who cares when the air is so fresh & did I mention the view? Just impeccable.

This beautiful paradise is also famous for the Full Moon Party. Crazy beach party under the shine of a full moon. Well I have to come again! As I was there right in between of those mad party nights – full of music, alcohol, drugs & half-naked people on the beach, ou yee :)

Full Moon Party

Huge event with 10,000-30,000 people at the party each month. The party begins at dusk, when the round yellow moon makes its appearance over the white sand beach. In twilight, small tables are lined up on the beach & thousands of lamps are lit… The party is around 17-21 of each month, this year. Who is coming with me for the next one to Koh Phangan? :p Check for Full Moon Party dates before you plan your trip to Thailand!

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Amaresa resort & sky bar

Heavens gardens – Amaresa resort & sky bar. Bungalow accommodation & restaurant with fantastic views (beach is 10min away). As I was travelling after the main season & after Full Moon Party, place was almost empty (1-3 April.2016). Great for relaxation & meditation, not for a single traveller (if you are sociable like me). Upon my arrival I was amazed by the stunning view & received free welcome refreshing drink – freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Yumm! I booked bungalow with a fan, the only one right on the edge of the cliff – with the best view! Uuuuuu! Couldn’t believe my eyes! Spent first few hours just lying there in my hammock – enjoying view, fresh air, beautiful colour of the ocean & blogging :) Well see it for yourself.

Wi-Fi speed allowed me to watch Netflix, on tablet in my room – which is great! A mobile Wi-Fi signal however, wasn’t that great so faraway from the main building…. but who cares about mobile in such a perfect place like that?

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Free toiletries & fresh flowers waiting for me on the bed (although towels were not so fresh). Have to say I’m very glad I didn’t took any toiletries – unnecessary baggage. Haven’t use my own towels yet either :) Looove hotels – no worries, no cooking, no cleaning, no washing :D Bad with a firm mattress promised a great sleep. Unfortunately I felt a bit uncomfortable during my first nigh alone. All those noises & animals just behind the thin wooden wall. Lizards & huge ants :) For the very first time of my trip I missed a man by my side. Strong & gentle man. Extended kind :)

Amaresa resort & sky bar is beautiful place. Highly recommend for couples – to enjoy peace & quiet. OR group of friends as every bungalow has, very convenient, own terrace & seating area underneath it. Why don’t we have those in Europe?

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Walking around

First day I went to the Leela Beach. Beautiful isolated area only 10min from my resort. No tourists & no huge hotels. Had my fave fresh coconut from the beach bar (Coconut Beach Resort & Spa Hotel – lovely resort), cost 60 Baht. Just for the record coconut next to the Grand Palace in Bangkok was about 40 Baht, I find that prices in Thailand don’t make any sense :D. Anyway I love fresh coconut’s water taste! It’s just the best refreshing drink in the hot sunny day!

The Koh Phangan island is not very populated, there is no public transport – apart from ferries :) so the best way to move around the island is by hiring a bike.

Lighthouse restaurant
Just a short walk from the Leela Beach I found this cute bar / restaurant. I set there for hours enjoying a super fast Wi-Fi, view on the ocean while booking my next hotel & posting to Instagram of course. Felt like at the family cottage! There was a big British family – children looked Asian but spoked with incredible British accent! Felt like London… Miss youuu my beloved city!

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Before I left Amaresa resort & sky bar, I asked a hotel cook to show me some of her favourite recipe! She agreed! Huge thanks for that! Check the Green Papaya Salad recipe made only for you guys. Raw, healthy & refreshing! Yumm!

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The travel guide says that travellers should take a week to truly enjoy & explore Koh Phangnan island, rent the bike or Jeep. Well if you have few months in Thailand then yes! Otherwise between full moon parties I would not spent so much time there! Although make sure you visit Koh Tao island, close by, for incredible snorkelling experience. I’m actually writing these lines while seating on the back of the truck, quite a ride since Koh Phangan is very hilly! But I made a deal with the driver for 200 Baht instead of 400! I’m sure it’s still a rip-off, but I’m so proud of my self :)

It’s nice to be left alone once in a while. But after 2 days of solitude, decided to move a bit central, to the ‘city’ – closer to the ferry port – as I will be moving to Krabi soon. It’s very small city full of markets & shops. No one is bothering you OR forcing you to buy souvenirs. No dragging to the restaurants. Feels just like holidays in the village :)

Hotels.com

I used a hotels.com app to book my next hotel. I compared prices on the app & directly in the hotel – they are almost the same. Their offer is simple – Collect 10 nights, get 1 free. I used a secret deals many times, was able to get a 5 stars hotel for a price of 2 stars :)

Phatchara Boutique hotel

To cool down after a few nights (32 degrees) in the bungalow with a fan, I needed a room with air-conditioning. I booked 2 night at the Phatchara Boutique hotel. Was quite surprised by the most expensive key deposit in Thailand – 1000 Baht! The hotel was very nice but half empty. Clean & good Wi-Fi. The rooms were a bit too dark, great for sleeping though :D

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Nice & quiet… until sunset. Realised that behind hotel walls was a huge market, & around 10pm it turned into a noisy fair. Two music stages with massive speakers. Basses were shaking my bed. :D Haven’t get much sleep with disco madness behind my walls :D. I was told its happens once a week, but seems like they like to party everyday :D The concerts lasted until 2am. Well locals certainly know how to enjoy themselves! :)

Weather & Food

There is no reason to separate these two in Thailand! Both are HOT & AMAZING! April is the hottest month so temperatures goes up to 40 degrees. Ocean is about 30, so not much of a refreshment here :) I was eating on street markets most of the time. Didn’t have any stomach problems. My trick is simple – alcohol, very strong one – a shot each morning & evening.

A local market offered so much food. Delicious fruit, noodles, sea food, pork, chicken & caterpillars. So tempting! I had shrimps & fried warms with soya sauce. Have to say warms were surprisingly tasty, something between bacon & very soft meat. Locals were friendly & even let me try it right there on the market. So don’t be a pussy – Try something exotic on your holidays!

Soho bar

While escaping noisy fair behind my hotel, I met a Russian guy, who was staying on Koh Phangan with his family during the winter in his home – Siberia. He showed me around the city on his bike. Best markets & a main street with bars & restaurants. Somehow I end-up in Soho bar (44/56 Moo1 Thong Sala, Koh Phangan, สุราษฎร์ธานี 84280, Thailand). Met few lovely English guys & had a great fun! Whiskey, beer & burger. Great place – Thanks guys for a great evening… & hangover :D

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Beautiful Koh Phangan is now implanted in my brain, as a synonym of The Paradise. Time to move to next place Krabi. What is waiting for me there? New experience, people, places…

BTW I’m taking all pictures with my Iphone – it’s just way too hot to carry around that huge camera :D Hope you forgive me for that. For more photos with descriptions, check my Instagram account.

Thank you very much (ขอขอบคุณ – K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ) for your time guys! Xxx I’m off to sorting the rest of my Thailand post & images.

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