250 baht got me a taxi and boat ticket to Phangan and Hat Riin. This of course is the Home of the Full Moon Party. Since I was recovering from a Black Moon party I felt I would be safe!
The boat trip was depressing - no one under 16 seemed to be aboard! As I treckked (is this the correct backpacker term?) from the boat pier my impressions were confirmed. I was in a land populated by strapping boys carrying rugby balls and very pretty girls - the best speaking Hebrew. Hell, so what if I was "street furniture" again, I was here to explore and take pictures.
Hat (Haad) Rinn was completly unexpected. I had heard about the Full Moon parties and had understood that what made the venue unique was that one side faced the sunrise whilst the other faced sunset. And that is true. What they don't tell you is that there is a small hill and town separating the two. I had imagined a long sand-bar - what I found was a penninsula with a distinct hill at the end. Like Phi Phi, the town is bars, restaurants (showing movies) and Internet/travel agents.
Planning to be up with the sun, I was back in the hotel room before midnight - setting my alarm for 05.30. Still awake at 01.00, I abandoned my early start and cancelled the alarm. Luckily, and with great consideration, Anna called me at 05.00 to ask me what was today's date? So that was my night's sleep! Were the shots worth it? Well the rising sun was covered by clouds - but I'm sure there were one or two "keepers".
Then a hair rasing taxi ride to a dual bay up in the North East - Thong Yai Pan. The road was mainly a sandtrack - winding it's way through the mountains. Beautiful. Thankful that I hadn't opted to hire a bike.
The two bays are really beautiful - white sands, bungalow resorts (not sure about these - mine hasn't got a TV) and not an Estate Agent in sight. Bliss.
But ....... boring at night! I remember I went Koh Samet at this time last year with my son Sam. We were asleep by 10pm. Hat Rinn had quite a few people but here ....... Probably only 2-300 tourists spread between the two bays. The restaurants are lonely - they don't even show movies - how much does that cost for Christ's sake? These guys are living the dream - untill the money runs out.
And NO GIRLS! The thing about Pattaya, Patong and Bangkok is no matter how quiet things get - there are always GIRLS, and they always fancy you! Here there are so many Caucasian nubiles desperatly seeking their holiday bunk-up and (as Anna once said) giving it away free the Thai girls have given up. Never seen this before - even Phi Phi had girls hanging around. If anything, what I've seen is European girls with Thai guys. Wonder if their wives are as understanding as the Thai guys who live off their girlfriends?
Tomorrow I've a flight back to Bangkok at 8pm. So normal service will resume. Anna says we have been doing really well - so maybe I'll be travelling again soon!
Are these islands a substitute for Pattaya? Well, no.
Phangan is a beautiful island and far less developed that Koh Chang - I certainly plan to come back - but I spend about 48 weeks a year in Pattaya. You guys get the chance to get to Pattaya for 2-4 weeks. You would be disappointed if you used some of this in the islands.
A few pictures are in this gallery: http://www.annajet.co.uk/shoot%202/index.html?detectflash=false
1 comment:
Interesting set of reports Peter !
I know all too well what you mean with getting bored on a sandy island.
I visited Maldive Island for Scuba Diving in the years 1993 and 2003.
1993 was great ! But ten years later ( ...after I traveled around in India several times ), I got bored on a lonely island, because Scuba Diving was too expensive to do it every day...
Anyway, you can´t stay under water the whole day... and on the island was nothing else to do.
Well, one year later (2004) I traveled to Thailand for the first time in my life.
Forget Scuba Diving and lonely beaches !
Once again I´m looking forward my next trip to Pattaya...
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