Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui – mopeds, beaches, ping pong shows and full moon parties

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
6
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
5
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
9
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
8
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
8
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
8
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
77 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
71st/454
Top 20%
continent
Asia
country
Thailand
Length of time
3-4 days
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$180 ($300-$600 in 2018 prices)
Time of year visited
October
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Beaches Jungle Partying / Lash
All Tags
Adrenaline rush Boat trip Mopeds Sunrise
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐

Summary

God I’ve been to Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui for full moon parties and general partying a few times and to be honest its always been a bit of a blur!  So this is a very short entry!

 

My overriding memory though is that the whole experience, whilst getting now very commercialised, is great fun and, if you’re travelling through this part of the world, it is a must.  The islands are surrounded by beautiful beaches, food is great, you have endless variety of accommodation options and its is the easiest country to travel in in SE Asia.  Main tips:

 

#1 Full moon party and half moon parties – the famous Ko Pha Ngan full moon party obvious happens roughly every month, but you do also have the half moon party which can give you an option if your timings don’t work

#2 Ko Pha Ngan or Ko Samui – I’ve stayed on both Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui for the full moon parties.  Whilst Ko Pha Ngan is obviously more convenient, there are heaps of regular boats back to Ko Samui throughout the night and the morning.  They only take 30-40mins and leave from any of Bangrak Pier (Big Buddha Pier), Maenam Pier (Pralarn Pier), or Nathon Pier (main town port).

3. Mopeds / taxis – getting around both islands is very easy with the taxis and ubers available, but its also par for the course to drive around on one of the mopeds.  Its great fun, just be careful – many of us have the scars from falls from mopeds on these islands!

4. The bars and clubs on both islands have the full range from all-above-board to about as sleazy as it gets, so you’re kind of going to have to roll the dice to see what you get . . . and you can usually tell within he first 2 seconds of walking in.  The most famous on is Suzie Wong’s (there are now 3 of them right next to each other), which gets a bit of a bad reputation, but I’d say give it a go because, whilst it is a strip joint, you’ll find it quite a tame one and you’ll see many couples in there checking it out for pure curiosity (and staying for several drinks).  A good fun place and you can always leave if you don’t like it.

 

Koh Samui sunrise from villa, Thailand

How should Koh Samui and Koh Pang Yang fit into a Thailand trip

 

Thailand is probably the easiest country to travel in and a staple for people dipping their toes into a first time travel trip in a developed country.  I wouldn’t say it contains any mega wows – it is more just consistently enjoyable things to do.  There is a lot to see, so if pushed for time work I would prioritise this way:

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Full Moon Party on Koh Pang Yang.  It’s cheesy, its hedonistic, its super loose, but it’s a must-do for this party of the world and great fun.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Diving and island paradise in Koh Phi Phi.  Filming location for The Beach and one of the most beautiful idyllic-island settings in the world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Riding a moped along the Laos Thailand border. The Lonely Planet categorises the drive from Chiang Kong to Phayao as Thailand’s most stunning route, and I’d have to agree. Great fun on a moped. Mopeds along the Thai / Laos border near Chiang Rai.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ The upper end restaurants of Bangkok.  Bangkok at times can be buckle-your-seatbelts-up-for-carnage at the likes of Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and the Koh San Road.  But the other side of it is incredible with some of the best rooftop bars in Asia, best massages in the world and all at low(ish) prices.

 

 

⭐️⭐️ Koh Tao island exploring and scuba diving .  Koh Tao is a diving mecca for newbies, yet the island also offers a wonderful spot for jumping on a moped and exploring. Koh Tao Diving and Island Life.

⭐️⭐️ Trekking into the jungles and mountains by Chiang Rai.  Go that extra distance north, and you’ll be rewarded with incredible rural scenery and a feeling of being on adventure. Chiang Rai overnight trek into the nearby hills

⭐️⭐️ Phuket.  Incredible beaches and a range of accommodation for all levels.  Be sure to go on a boat trip to the nearby islands and check out the Sunday market in the Old Town, which is surprisingly good. Relaxing on the beaches of Phuket.

⭐️⭐️ Chiang Mai.  Great vibe town and entry point for various trekking adventures.

⭐️⭐️ Kayaking by Krabi.  Towering karst cliffs like something out of a movie.  Great for climbing and kayaking.

 

⭐️ Doing Bangkok badly.  Yes it can be fun to be let loose in Asia for the first time, but Bangkok can exhaust you.  Unless doing the high end, use it just as a base for the rest of the country.

⭐️ Trekking around Chiang Mai.  Its good, but Chiang Rai simply better.

 

 

GASH.  Udon Thani.  No need to go.

GASH. Surat Thani.  Purely an entry port to Koh Samui, Koh Pang Yang and Koh Tao.

GASH. Pattaya.  Great for brass, less for for the typical traveller.

 

 

 

EXTRA: Just outside of Thailand.  The real standouts are:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Angkor Wat (Cambodia). One of the most recognisable ancient sites in the world and the surrounding area is said to be the greatest concentration of architectural riches anywhere.  It really is wow and part of the typical routes that connect to Thailand.  Jump on a bike to make it mega wow. Cycling around Angkor Wat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tubing in Vang Vieng (Laos). Jumping into a rubber ring and drifting the 4km / 2.5 miles through lush jungle, emerald green paddy fields and looking up at the serene karst hills of the Mekong River is hard to beat. Mekong tubing in Vang Vieng.

 

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Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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