February 17, 2014
TRAVEL
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9
Spring break in Asia? Consider Thailand’s beaches
SPRING-BREAK DESTINATION. Thailand’s
beaches and islands are beautiful and relaxing, have a
vibrant party scene, and make an exotic alternative to
more traditional spring-break destinations for adven-
turous travellers. Pictured is Sunrise Beach, a cove on
Koh Phangan island in Thailand. (AP Photo/Mairead
Flynn)
By Mairead Flynn
The Associated Press
OH PHANGAN, Thailand — A
trip sampling the diversity of
Southeast Asian destinations can
take you from the sleek modernity of
Singapore to the ancient temples of
Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. And then there
are the beaches of Thailand: relaxing,
beautiful, and for the adventurous spring-
breaker, a lot more exotic than Miami.
Thai beaches offer gorgeous stretches of
sand, water sports, nearby outdoor
activities, and cheap food and drink.
Off the Andaman Sea are famed Phuket
and Koh Phi Phi, which rose to inter-
national prominence after being featured
in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach,
but the beaches along the Gulf of Thailand
have an equally renowned trio of Koh
Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. Each
of these has its own charms and
attractions, and regular boat service
makes it easy to travel among them. All
three have fantastic party scenes as well,
and while not traditional spring-break
destinations, American college kids would
certainly feel at home.
As for the recent political unrest in
Thailand, tourist numbers at the beaches
were down midwinter as some visitors
cancelled trips, but those who went ahead
found the islands as lovely and as much
fun as ever. And due to cancellations, some
hotels are even willing to negotiate room
rates.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the main transport center
for the islands, with a fancy airport — it
even includes its own Park Avenue with
designer shops — and built-up infrastruc-
ture. While the island boasts gorgeous
beaches all over its coasts, head to
Chaweng Beach for a proper spring-break
vibe. The beach is dotted with hotels for all
budgets, open-air massage parlors where
you can get an hour-long treatment for less
K
than $10, and vendors peddling every-
thing from corn on the cob and pineapple to
beachwear and decorative wooden keep-
sakes.
That’s by day. By night, the main drag, a
block away from the beach, buzzes with
thumping music and busy restaurants.
The laidback daytime schedule means the
venues don’t become crowded until about
10:00pm or 11:00pm; in the interim, for
penny-pinching students, head to Walking
Street for cheap pint bottles of Chang beer,
barbecued crocodile, or fruit shakes;
affordable swimwear and sarongs; and
people-watching. Places like Ark Bar on
the beach keep the party going until the
early hours with DJs and fire displays.
Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan island is home to the
legendary Full Moon Party, but locals have
realized the potential of such fiestas and
capitalize upon everything and anything
they can. Every few feet there is a sign
advertising a Black Moon Party, a Water-
fall Party, and countless others. A key
feature of these beach raves is that
participants adorn themselves with neon
body paint, then dance until they drop as
the gentle, cerulean waters lap the shore.
The Full Moon Party, especially, is
notorious for drugs, but you’ll see signs as
soon as you disembark at the ferry port
warning that marijuana and mushrooms
are illegal. Be aware that travellers have
ended up in Thai jails for violating drug
laws.
Sunrise Beach is the cove where the Full
Moon event takes place, but it is quiet and
stunning on any day you visit. There is a
rickety path of wooden slats to a viewpoint
restaurant, and the whole area, despite its
popularity and the touristy, neon Full
Moon Party tank tops for sale everywhere,
gives off a very end-of-the-world paradise
impression.
During the day, there are ecotours
available that include elephant trekking
(this is often only about 10 minutes atop an
elephant), waterfall hiking, and visits to
temples or scenic beaches such as Bottle
Beach and Koh Ma, a deserted island
connected to Koh Phangan by a sandbar
which can be crossed for some Robinson
Crusoe-style exploring. At night, however,
Sunrise Beach cannot be beat. You’ll end
up with a group of Israeli soldiers, guys
from County Cork in Ireland, or solo
travellers from London who are all trying
their hands at “fire limbo,” shimmying
underneath a rope set alight by local
workers.
Koh Tao
Koh Tao is the island more renowned for
its underwater charms than its beach
parties, though it has the latter sewn up as
well. Many resorts on Koh Tao are also
dive schools and offer lessons and dives as
part of their packages; aside from that,
snorkelling is legendary and excursions
can be booked easily. The beaches are
dotted with iconic wooden long-tail boats
and water taxis, which can be hired for
tours around the island’s different beaches
and coves. Renting motor bikes or scooters
on the island is slightly less fraught than
on the previous two, as it is quieter with
less traffic, and it’s a great way to explore
the tropical paradise overland.
At night, though, its beach culture is
also spring break-centric; many bars and
restaurants along the sand offer fire
shows, live music, and late DJs. The
tranquility makes it easy to wander safely
along the beach from one venue to another,
and when heading a few blocks inland to
much of the accommodation, you can grab
a banana and nutella pancake or another
tasty, cheap snack as another treat in
paradise.
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