Koh Phangan in 3 days

Far more than the Full Moon Party: jungle waterfalls, yoga bays and some of Thailand's best beaches. Best time to visit: December-March, July-August. Average daily budget: $30 to $70 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Haad Rin, The Full Moon Party beach: sunrise beach by day, fire shows and stages by night.

Morning: Ang Thong National Marine Park day trip. Kayaking and viewpoints across 42 jungle islands and a hidden emerald lagoon.

Afternoon: Explore Haad Rin, The Full Moon Party beach: sunrise beach by day, fire shows and stages by night.

Evening: Yoga class and sunset at Srithanu. Drop-in classes at world-famous schools, then sunset on Zen Beach.

Eat: Thong Sala night market: grilled seafood, pad thai and mango sticky rice

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Srithanu, The west-coast wellness village: yoga schools, vegan cafés and sunset beach.

Morning: Full Moon Party (if that's your scene). Ten to thirty thousand people on Haad Rin beach under the full moon.

Afternoon: Explore Srithanu, The west-coast wellness village: yoga schools, vegan cafés and sunset beach.

Evening: Bottle Beach by longtail boat. The island's most beautiful and hardest-to-reach bay.

Eat: Massaman curry and southern Thai dishes at fishing-village restaurants in Chaloklum

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Thong Sala, The main port town with the Saturday night market and ferry piers.

Morning: The hike to Khao Ra, the island's highest point, for a 360-degree canopy view.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Thong Sala, The main port town with the Saturday night market and ferry piers.

Evening: Phaeng Waterfall and the Domesila viewpoint trail in the island's interior.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Vegan and raw-food cafés of Srithanu, the island's wellness strip

Hidden gems

The hike to Khao Ra, the island's highest point, for a 360-degree canopy view.
Phaeng Waterfall and the Domesila viewpoint trail in the island's interior.
Sunday walking-street market in Thong Sala for local food without party prices.
Koh Ma sandbar: walk across the sea at low tide to a tiny island off Mae Haad.

Getting around

There's no airport: fly to Koh Samui and take the 30-minute ferry, or take a ferry from Surat Thani, Chumphon or Donsak on the mainland (often bundled with flight or train tickets to Bangkok). On the island, songthaew taxis run fixed routes and scooters are the standard rental, but the hills are steep and accident rates are high, so only ride if experienced and always with a helmet.

Safety

The island is generally safe, but scooter accidents are the number-one tourist injury: the roads are steep, sandy and busy. At Full Moon, watch drinks, keep valuables at your accommodation, wear shoes on the beach (broken glass) and arrange transport home in advance. Swim within your limits, and check for box jellyfish warnings in season (roughly July-October).

Koh Phangan in 5 days | Koh Phangan in 7 days | Full Koh Phangan guide