Koh Pha Ngan is one of the three main islands off the East coast of Southern Thailand. Though sad to leave our bikes so soon after buying them, we were excited about the freedom rucksacks offer. And if we missed multi-discipline activities, getting there felt like completing some sort of transport-themed triathlon:

(1) bus [short transition where Will gave some money to a random man under the promise of some accommodation on the island; when he had completely vanished after this, it dawned on us that this could well be a scam…]

(2) boat [short transition where we were greeted by a representative from the guesthouse – we high-fived: it was not a scam!]

(3) truck [with the sea-sand finish line in sight…and the guesthouse was real]

Although its reputation of being a party island serves true when the island was boasting of a ‘Half-Moon’ party (as well as a Black Moon party, a Waterfall party, etc.), there is a lot of other things to do too.

Over our 3 days on the island, we went sea kayaking around the coastline to the ‘secluded’ bays that luxury resorts offer to those who want to get away from it all.

We hired a motorbike and buzzed up the steep hills (we would never have been able to pedal push our luggage up these inclines!) and ticked off some top tourist sights.

And it’s a great place to meet your family. With my brother, Ed, we tried a bit of stand-up paddle boarding. With the sun blazing and a breeze to give the sea some soft waves, we were all doing really well…but only Ed could lose the blade of the paddle (only to find it again a few minutes later).

We had a white sandy beach for relaxing and a beautiful clear sea for snorkelling, plus a hammock to swing us into a happy existence (and dream of cycling). It wouldn’t be long before we were would be reunited to continue our touring south of Thailand to complete our visa run. Our days in Thailand were numbered!

Posted by Lindsay