Thailand: Party time on Koh Phangan

The group of 17 Amerikan friends joined our Grateful Globetrotter team, each making their way from points in the US to Bangkok, Thailand. We were all in high spirits, though in various a state of exhaustion from the long and arduous flights.

Now a gang of 19 in total, most of us flew together from Bangkok to Koh Samui, then boarded a ferry boat to the destination of our week-long party on Koh Phangan – a lush, tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand.

 Once we reached Sandy Bay Resort on the beach of Haad Yao everyone was assigned a beach side bungalow and the fun began in earnest. Team “Thai Sierra” included Glenn, Donna, Noah, Susan, Greg, Jamie, Rod, Leslie, Dan, Sharon, Dan, Marcy, Steve, Lauri, Kathy, Bob and Karen.

Our large group of fun-lovers were primed and ready for the adventures ahead – all of which were pre-arranged and well-prepared by the team captain and chief of fun, Debbie the do-er!

Day 1 was a re-cooperative day of relaxation and adjustment to the humid and hot weather, and most of us simply hung out on the lovely beach just in front of our little huts in Sandy Bay – some floating on colorful blow-up rafts, others enjoying the reasonably price seaside massages, and all of us at some point sipping cocktails and beers, and generally recovering from the difficult journey from the “States.”

We stocked up on the party necessities and enjoyed a mellow afternoon of fun in the sun, getting to know one another better and reveling in the joys of amazing scenery and summer-like weather. Our happy hour gathering was a prelude to a tasty sunset dinner on the beach at the adjacent Eagle Bar and Restaurant, a 3-minute stroll up the soft sand from our “resort.” We feasted on spicy Thai food, had chatty conversations, and watched the night sky and twinkling fairy lights that adorned the many other beachside eateries which span the little crescent shaped cove.

Day 2 was our first of 3 group outings, and we got an early start. The itinerary called for an all-day boat and snorkeling trip to the nearby Ang Thong Marine Park, which is basically an area of small, limestone islands scattered in the sea, about 45 minutes from our home base on Phangan island. At around 8am we transported to the pier by minivan, then boarded a wooden ship called Orion and set-off into the green, blue sea.

The day was a grand success and included snorkeled with myriads of beautiful fish and corals in the 80 degree water, hikes to viewpoints and lakes, kayaking around the spectacular isles, and “chowing down” on delicious food specially prepared for our group.

We visited several different islands in the marine park, and were amazed by the sheer beauty of them all. Needless to say, a heaping-helping of happiness was had by all.

Day 3 was another group outing which included an all-day tour around Koh Phangan by minivan (2 were required to fit us all). Fortunately the vans also included two local men who drove us to the chosen points of interest. These included a stop at a beach near the tiny offshore island of Koh Ma, where we lounged and snorkeled in the early part of the sun-soaked day.

 From there we headed to yet another beach with super soft powdery white sand were we had a Thai-style lunch on shaded tables set in the aforementioned white sand.

After lunch some of us went for a swim and had a bit of Frisbee tossing before motoring further on to visit a lovely Chinese temple set in the hills above the coast. We explored the grounds, marveled at the religious deities and Buddhist sculptures, and gazed out and down at the coastline below.












The next and final stop of the day was in the small town of Thong Sala where we shopped for local gifts, checked out the fruit and fish markets, and generally strolled about around the hot streets, taking in the scenes, sights, and smells of this exotic land.

 We made it back to Sandy Bay resort in time for another happy hour gathering at sunset then proceeded to have a meal together at another nearby seaside establishment.

Grilled fresh fish, pad Thai, spicy noodles, soups, and icy cold Singha and Chang beers were consumed under the warm evening sky, while Chinese lanterns flew overhead, fire dancers entertained us on the beach, and safety meetings were held, to the delight of all.

Eventually, we had to have some lazy relaxation and 2 of the 3 final days were primarily just that.

Together our friends enjoyed more raft-floating, had massages, snorkeled, frisbee’d, enjoyed safety meetings and happy hours, shopped on the beach, drank and ate local delicacies, socialized, lit more Chinese lanterns, and sunned the days away.

We learned the Thai equivalents for cheers, which was “chock de ka,” which we said every chance we could!

 There was also an additional group outing which most of the team went on, another boat trip to the island of Koh Nangyuan, which is just offshore the island of Koh Tao.

We had 2 spectacular snorkel sessions in clear waters, seeing many colorful fish and coral and an abundance of clown fish and multi-colored anemones.

A large Thai-style lunch fed our group at this set of 3 small islands joined together by a thin sand spit.

By the end of this wonderful week together we were tightly knit and relaxed group, and we all walked away with new friends for life who shared this fabulous experience together.