Ko Pha-Ngan
Ko Pha Ngan is an island in southeast Thailand that’s renowned for its monthly Full Moon Party. We attended the Black Moon Party.
Impressions of Ko Pha-Ngan.
Arrival On The Island
My friend Jeff and I realised that spending 3 days in Ko Tao was more than enough. The island is small and you quickly explored everything you need to see. Toni, a good friend of mine, was spending his holiday on Ko Pha Ngan, a bigger island just next to Ko Tao. We decided to join him there and explore a new surrounding. We booked a cabin in the Milky Bay resort and took the ferry to the neighbouring island.
A beach in Ko Pha-Ngan.
Milkybay Resort in Ko Pha-Ngan.
Milkybay Resort bamboo trees.
Milky Bay Resort
Ko Pha-Ngan Milky Bay dining area.
In a hammock at Milky Bay Resort.
Reunion With A Friend
Hubi's reunion with a friend.
The next day Jeff and I rented a motorbike from the reception and we joined Toni on a ride around the island. I remember the feeling very well. I felt so free to be driven on a broad road among the palm tree forests on this beautiful island. It was amazing. That was one of my freest moments I will ever remember. We stopped at a bar in a small bay along the northern coast. We had some drinks and food, jumped into the water, observed fishes and enjoyed a giant swing.
After another motorbike tour through the island we arrived at the (…) where we swam and enjoyed our time on the beach with the beautiful (…) resort as a backdrop.
Hubi and Toni after dawn in Ko Pha-Ngan.
On a swing in Ko Pha-Ngan.
A fire artist at the Black Moon Party in Koh Pha Ngan.
A fire artist dropping his fire near me.
Black Moon Party
Ko Pha Ngan is famous for its Full Moon parties. Unfortunately, we arrived a few days too late for that. However, there was another party happening that day, the so called Black Moon party. To me all those parties are the same event anyway, they just get different names in different places. Jeff and I went to the party that night and met a couple that we got to know back in Ko Tao.
The concept of the event was psychedelic looks and electronic music. You can have your body painted in fluorescent colors to enhance the nightly experience. As the coloured tattoo were quite expensive, we decided to buy paint in a local store and paint our faces and arms ourselves. It was a fun night to remember. We danced, watched fire performances, took pictures, talked and laughed into the night.
A fire artist at the Black Moon Party in Koh Pha-Ngan.
The venue was outdoor on the beach under a colourful, fluorescent canopy. To get to the place we just needed to ride on our bike down the main road and then turn into a side road and around a few curves. It was very close to our Milky Bay resort, which was convenient as we needed to return by bike at some point and I don’t think any of us avoided alcohol that night. We enjoyed the experience and it will remain an amazing memory forever.
Fire skipping rope at the Black Moon Party.
An fire artist at the Black Moon Party.
Leaving the paradise
The next day we met up with Toni again and we went to a local, German restaurant to have some German dishes for dinner. Ko Pha Ngan will always be one of my favourite places to visit on this planet. I hope to return there one day when the times are better to attend the actual Full Moon party.
From Ko Pha Ngan we took a ferry back to the main land and from the docks a bus took us to the city of Surat Thani. It was the place where Jeff and I had to part our ways, him returning back to Bangkok and me proceeding further south to Kuala Lumpur. We would eventually meet up again in Bangkok one month later, but at that time we weren’t sure when we would join forces again. While Jeff continued to the airport I arrived in a small and unremarkable hotel in Surat Thani to wait for my plane to Kuala Lumpur next day.