hey, anyone out there been to ko phangan, i hear some
good things about it and i also hear that it has been
spoiled with garbage and the works. i am going to be
in thailand for a week in oct. (enroute to kath) and i
want to head down and check it out. will i be pissed off
at what it has become or is it still worth checking out.
thanx......
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It's definitely not undeveloped, if you mean that. Lots of
bungalows and cheap accommodation and no shortage of places
to eat or convenience-store places. All farang-oriented.
It can still make for a pleasant stay and isn't as
developed as Samui or certainly Phuket, but isn't
untouched, either.
Krabi(southwest coast) should be in low season by now, which
means it should be emptying out of people. I highly
recommend railay beach-it is probably the most beautiful
place in thailand(in my opinion). You have to get there by
boat-no road access, so it is very quite and has limited, if
hardly any, nightlife. I guess it depends on what you're
looking for.
I agree with the above post.We spent 1 week on Railay in
Feb 99 and it was the best week in Thailand.It was packed
and prices were high (if you compared to prices quoted in
the LP,you have to double or triple those prices...but in
october it should be less.)
The place is really cool,no nightlife besides looking at
the sunset while playing cards and sipping a beer but that
was soooo relaxing!!
The beach is first-class the water clear and warm the food
was really good and if you like shrimps Railay is the place
to go.Main courses for 2 usd...Wish I was there...
Enjoy!
I'm not sure if the above people were at the same Railay
Beach I was (March 99). Yes, the scenery is beautiful, rock
climbing is a blast, and I had a great time there ... BUT
... the food isn't very good and significantly more
expensive then Ko Tao or Kho Phangan. The accommodations
are also a lot more crowded together, expensive, and
difficult to get into (many people were sleeping in tents).
The Bungalow Complexes are quite large therefore the
restaurants seat 50+ people and when I was there, YaYa's had
live bands, movies were playing at the rest of the places
and people were getting dressed up for dinner. For quiet,
nearby Nophara Tara is secluded and beautiful, great
beachcombing - but when the tide is low it's tough to swim.
(I really liked the last place on the beach - I forget the
name, but it's past the Nature Bungalows). Really mellow,
really no night life, excellent atmosphere if you just want
to hang out.
Kho Phangan has gotten a pretty bad rep, but I think you can
find whatever you're looking for there. Some spectacular
scenery, remote beaches, great hiking, SCAREY motor biking
and all the rest that you've probably already heard about. I
was surprised at how much I liked it there (The Santuary and
Haad Tien Beach are AWESOME!) and stayed longer than
expected. Plus, the price is right - cheap bungalows, right
on the beach!!
Two very different islands, I loved them both. Basically,
you can't go wrong.
Parts of Koh Phangan are pretty well trashed (especially in
and around Hadrin). But there are some really pretty
beaches on the North and east ends of the island.
If you're a decent motorcyclist, you can rent some small
bikes for not very much in Thongsala or Hadrin, and go
exploring. The island has several good waterfalls inland
(although in the summer they may be dry). Ask for
directions often (a little practice with Thai and a
phrasebook are really helpful) and beware occasional packs
of feral dogs.