If Ko Samui is the Costa del Sol, then Ko Pha Ngan is Ibiza or Aiya Napa. Albeit with a pretty chilled backpacker twist. The average age of visitors must be sub 24 and 99% must be hell-bent on making full use of the island's beach bars and clubs.
Yep, for those not in the know, KPN is home to the infamous Full Moon Parties, that take place every month, around the, er, Full Moon.
Preparation for 1 Full Moon Party:
Ingredients:
- One massive beach (Haad Rin's sunrise beach is preferred)
- 10000+ people - hedonists and party revellers are ideal
- Enough buckets of rediculously cheap cocktails to go around
- 8 big bars / clubs
- At least 8 different kinds of music
- A degree of lawlessness
- One big sense of hedonism.
Method:
1) Take Haad Rin's Sunrise beach.
2) Liberally sprinkle with the party revellers until there is very little room left to move
3) Position the bars along the shore of the beach, right next door to eachother and ensure ease of access to party revellers
4) Shake things up a notch by turning all the music up to full blast until all revellers are happy and smiling
5) Now Ply revellers with the buckets of cocktails. Sangsom whiskey should figure heavily in the cocktails, as the buckets will be affordable and pretty lethal when combined with red bull and coke.
6) Mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle in the hedonism
7) Finally blend it all together for at least 12 hours - at least until sunrise, or until all revellers have been sucked from the beach to their bungalows from whence they came.
Thats about the size of it. The FMP took place on the 4th march (if you cant remember what happened that day, Spurs beat West ham 4-3 having been 2 down at half time) and what a massive party. So so so many people, of all shapes and sizes, colours and creeds though mainly european i hasten to add.
We actually arrived there on the 28th feb as we'd heard that finding accommodation was easier said then done in the days up to the FMPs. Spent a good few nights consisitently going down to the beach, drinking, watching the amazing fire-dancing shows, dancing, meeting new people, usual sort of traveller things.
Days tended to start around 2-3pm whereby a few hours on the beach would be rounded off by another few hours in one of the many many bars, showing all sorts of films (anchorman, dodgeball, the island, the beach, old school, Blood Diamonds and Casino Royale - AT LAST I"VE SEEN IT!!!!!!!!!! bloody good too, I thought. Discuss.) and non stop episodes of friends, the simpsons and the phenomenally funny, Family Guy.
Regulars of my web-based-travel-dossier will understand when i liken this place to Vang Vieng, in laos, only alot lot bigger. EXTREMELY western friendly, loads of bars serving western fare. The streets are inhabited only by western customers.
In short, did I enjoy my time here? Yep. Kind Of. To be fair, 5 nights here was far too much for us oldies. But its an interssting place to come for a few days and get absolutely cained. I cant pretend I did anything remotely constructive and my ever-expanding distain for my immediate surroundings was probably self-inflicted. Again. I want to go travelling, see other cultures, but i also want to get wasted sometimes, with some cool people. I dont want to have to share said experience with 10000 other people looking to do the same. I want to have my cake and eat it.
This week has seen the re-ermegence of that sense of self-loathing (which last took hold in Nah Trang, Vietnam, around christmas), that only relentless, excessive drinking and staying out till the early hours, can bring. I'll probably deal with the hangover on another island - its the rock and roll option.
Its a party place, pure and simple. And thats what we did.
Oh and by the way, I got my haircut........
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