Tom’s Adventure Through Southeast Asia Part 11 — Full Moon Party at Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
The Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist events. Every full moon, tens of thousands of people in fluorescent clothing flood Haad Rin Beach for an all-night bender. Each bar along the strip blasts their own music, whether it’s deep house, trance, techno or reggae. Many backpackers on my travels told me that the Full Moon Party was overrated, but I knew I still had to experience it myself.
During the week of the full moon, most of the hostels near Haad Rin Beach require a minimum five-day booking. So I strategically booked my stay for three nights before the party and one night after so I could have a “recovery day.” The hostel I stayed at was called Dancing Elephant, it is quite famous and I recommend it for anyone going to the Full Moon Party. It even has its own street in front of the hostel with an outdoor bar and beer pong tournaments every night!
For my first full day on Ko Pha Ngan I went on a day tour which I booked through the hostel. The first stop was a hike to a waterfall where we could go for a swim. There was also a stream of water in the rocks where you could lie down and let it rush over you. Next was Mae Haad Beach, which had a really long sandbar leading to the tiny island Ko Ma. I also met the chillest beach doggo here.
After some time on the beach, we grabbed beers and dinner at Three Sixty Bar. It gets its name from its three-sixty degree panoramic view of the whole island. It was beautiful watching the sunset over Ko Ma, and someone was flying a drone which back in April 2017 was still a relatively new sight.
After we got back to the hostel I went down to Haad Rin Beach. Even though it wasn’t the Full Moon Party yet, I actually enjoyed partying on the beach more on the days leading up to it. On the full moon night it is so packed with people you can barely move, making it hard to hop from bar to bar.
The night before the full moon was the jungle party, which I actually enjoyed more than the Full Moon Party itself! Unlike the jungle party I went to in Vang Vieng, this one was actually in the jungle. It had an elaborate stage set-up with DJs playing house, techno and EDM all night. I think I left around five in the morning, when the sun was starting to rise.
We started the Full Moon Party night with some drinks at the hostel and then went to a huge bar on a rock cliff called Mellow Mountain. It’s a great spot to chill out and take in the view of the craziness going down on the beach.
After a while we went down to grab some Thai buckets (huge drinks served in sand buckets) and watch people do the fire jump ropes. Like in Laos, I watched from a distance as no amount of liquid courage could get me near a flaming rope doused in petrol.
Eventually the sun started to peak through the clouds, and by six-thirty the sun was fully up. It was surreal being on a crowded beach full of drunk people with music blaring at this time in the morning. Eventually I went back to the hostel to crash, but one of the guys I was partying with made the mistake of passing out on the beach and waking up super sunburnt. Wear sunscreen people!
I was only able to sleep for a few hours, and by one in the afternoon I was back out drinking buckets on the Dancing Elephant Street. This is definitely not good for you, but hey, when at the Full Moon Party…
For my last night on Ko Pha Ngan I went to a Reggae Bar with people from my hostel. It had what must be the coolest door I’ve ever seen.
While it would be logical to take a break from partying after experiencing one of the biggest beach parties in the world, I had intentionally planned my trip to end with the Full Moon Party as well as another celebration right after. This one takes place across all of Thailand and involves everyone shooting each other with water guns. So as my trip came to a close I headed back to the city where it all started, ready to cleanse myself for the Thai New Year.
Next: Songkran in Bangkok, Thailand
Last: Ko Samui, Thailand
