The change made moving from the Western side of Koh Phangan to the South into Had Rin proved to be perfect! Having updated my facebook status and pictures and blog several times, I was left with a feeling of "okay, what do I do now?". I had relaxed, I had unwound and had enjoyed! Had Rin provided the madness that I needed! I was able to connect with many more backpackers here and hung out on the beach where the party was going on every night! Even in preparation for the big Full Moon Party, which happens on the night of the full moon every month (there are also half-moon parties, etc!) the party seemed to be raging on every night! With tons of places selling buckets of red bull, juice/soft drinks and alcohol combinations for a reasonable price, it seemed quite impractical that the people would be found doing anything BUT "having a good time". Well for the night of the actual full moon, there was a discrepancy due to some errors on the internet, confusion about the leap year and the original date falling on the Day of the Buddha. Even when the festivities are not occurring, you can still certainly party like a rock star in Had Rin Nok (Sunset Beach), though I recommend you stay closer to Had Rin Nai (Sunset Beach) if sleeping is one of your priorities..
While most went to Ko Tao to relax from Koh Phangan, I figured I would go to Koh Phi Phi, although I was warned that this place too was a party. When I arrived with nowhere to stay, I found an expensive (but cheap for this island!) accommodation and would later have TONS of trouble sleeping. Along with the music, drunken people and doors opening and closing, I heard my French neighbor stumble back into his room (mind you the walls are paperthin) uttering, "This is my room" ...and I will leave the rest to your imagination... I moved into a different spot the next day and it proved to be super clean and quiet, away from the music, which was great! I relaxed a bit that day and got ready for my tour of "The Beach" the next day. This was great because I met a super fun group of people, and had a blast snorkeling and kayaking with our English-speaking guide! We saw some brightly colored and exotic-looking fish in the "oh-so-clear" waters which gleamed of their turquoise color from afar! Apparently it is SUPER expensive to buy bird's nest...a delicacy in Thailand! We were taken to many spots, including the secluded (now you dare not use that term as it is QUITE the opposite) beach made so famous by the movie, "the beach". We enjoyed some delicious food and watched the sunset on the ocean before hitting the beach later for the party!
After having spent way too much money on the island (although much of it went to some of the most delicious and enormous pizza slices I have found Thailand to offer) I was glad to be off of the islands and back to Bangkok! BEWARE, Thailand is becoming INCREASINGLY more EXPENSIVE and will CONTINUE DOING SO! The SOUTHERN ISLANDS, KOH PHI PHI leading the list, are SUPER expensive (at least for Thailand!) so be ready to extend your daily budget and maybe even double or triple it down here! I will be here another few days to gain my groundings before heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a total culture shock on March 20th!
While most went to Ko Tao to relax from Koh Phangan, I figured I would go to Koh Phi Phi, although I was warned that this place too was a party. When I arrived with nowhere to stay, I found an expensive (but cheap for this island!) accommodation and would later have TONS of trouble sleeping. Along with the music, drunken people and doors opening and closing, I heard my French neighbor stumble back into his room (mind you the walls are paperthin) uttering, "This is my room" ...and I will leave the rest to your imagination... I moved into a different spot the next day and it proved to be super clean and quiet, away from the music, which was great! I relaxed a bit that day and got ready for my tour of "The Beach" the next day. This was great because I met a super fun group of people, and had a blast snorkeling and kayaking with our English-speaking guide! We saw some brightly colored and exotic-looking fish in the "oh-so-clear" waters which gleamed of their turquoise color from afar! Apparently it is SUPER expensive to buy bird's nest...a delicacy in Thailand! We were taken to many spots, including the secluded (now you dare not use that term as it is QUITE the opposite) beach made so famous by the movie, "the beach". We enjoyed some delicious food and watched the sunset on the ocean before hitting the beach later for the party!
After having spent way too much money on the island (although much of it went to some of the most delicious and enormous pizza slices I have found Thailand to offer) I was glad to be off of the islands and back to Bangkok! BEWARE, Thailand is becoming INCREASINGLY more EXPENSIVE and will CONTINUE DOING SO! The SOUTHERN ISLANDS, KOH PHI PHI leading the list, are SUPER expensive (at least for Thailand!) so be ready to extend your daily budget and maybe even double or triple it down here! I will be here another few days to gain my groundings before heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a total culture shock on March 20th!
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