The days are filled with laying on the beach, tanning, swimming in the warm ocean and playing beach games. And every night starting 3-4 days before the actual full moon itself, it begins. A little known secret about the Full Moon Party is that it's actually a 4 day festival and not just a one night party. Around 80% of the people show up on the full moon day itself and have a great time. However, to those in the know, they come 3-4 days before hand and stay for a day afterwards just to relax.
Full Moon Party Dates 2013
Thursday 25, April
Saturday 25, May
Sunday 23, June
Wednesday 24, July
Wednesday 21, August
Thursday 19, September
Saturday 19, October
Sunday 17, November
Tuesday 17, December
Wednesday 25, December
Tuesday 31, December
Here is a short 2 minute video I took of the Full Moon Party a few days ago: March 2013
How to get to the Full Moon Party:
The fastest, easiest way to get to the Full Moon Party is to fly to Koh Samui Airport (USM) then take a 20 minute speed boat from the Big Buddah Pier on Koh Samui to the Haad Rin Pier on Koh Phangan. It's also the most expensive way to get to the island.
Most people take a bus or train to Chumpon or Surat Thani then take a ferry to the island. I recommend going through Lomprayah for your bus and ferry needs as some of the other bus companies will go through your luggage and steal your valuables while they are in the storage compartment under the bus.
Where to stay, Full Moon Party Accommodations:
The best place to stay for the full moon party is on Haad Rin beach on Koh Phangan. This time around I stayed at Palita Lodge which was excellent and right on the beach where the main party is held. Next door is Sunrise Resort which I've stayed in the past and was just as good, although Palita was even more friendly and had a better restaurant. The best hostel I've stayed at is Dancing Elephant Hostel
All hotels and hostels near the party make you book for a minimum of 5 nights. Which gets expensive, but honestly, it's worth it. You want to be there for 5 nights anyways, a few before for the pre-parties which are in everyone's opinion better than the actual full moon night itself. And to stay one day afterwards just to relax and detox. A 20-25 minute walk away are the resorts on the west coast and you also have the Drop Inn Resort which is more spring break style.
A lot of people stay on Koh Samui and take a ferry in for the party, which you can do. They have ferries leaving every hour from 1am-7am to take you home. However, trust me when I say this, the night of the full moon itself is such madness and a lot of people are in bad moods, paranoid or have lost their friends, making it often not the best party. However, the nights leading up to it are really fun.
While planning your trip, remember that Koh Phangan and the Full Moon Party is on the East coast of Thailand, the opposite side from Phi Phi and Phuket. It's right next to Koh Samui and Koh Tao. So if you're planning on coming from Phuket, it'll be a 1 hour flight or a 10 hour overnight bus ride. Most people near Phuket do Koh Phi Phi, which has mini beach parties every night which is still very fun, but it's nothing compared to the full moon party.
Thanks to my friends Chris, Ben and Trent for coming out and meeting me up for the party. It was an excellent time. Now I'm back in Chiang Mai to relax and recover.
Warm Regards and hope to see everyone out here,
Johnny
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