Koh Phangan, Thailand
From Bali, I flew via Bangkok to Koh Samui in Thailand. The airport in Koh Samui is one of the cutest I’ve ever seen. It looks more like a resort than an actual airport. The buses driving you to the airport look like the cars at an amusement park. The gates are just rounded wooden buildings in a local style, and the food places are outside in the gras next to the runway. Equipped with swings and folding chairs to chill.
I spent three nights in Koh Samui working and waiting for a Swiss friend. After she arrived, we headed over to Koh Phangan, where we got a bungalow up in hill. It was a breathtaking view from there, but it was always an exhausting walk until we reached our accommodation. Daily workout routine.
Since my friend was on holiday, but I was not, we took advantage of the evenings and weekends to explore the island. We went to nice beaches, fire shows, lovely restaurants and bars near the beach. During the week, I worked from the apartment or a co-working space, and she went for yoga courses or parties.
When my friend’s holiday was over and had to leave the island, I stayed longer but changed places multiple times. First, I stayed in the South, close to a co-working space I discovered. There, I met some other nomads with whom I was exploring the following weekend. We, for example, went on a day trip to hike up to a viewpoint at a rock. From there, we had a spectacular view down to the beach and coast. Then, we walked through the jungle to the village by the beach. Quite slippery and sketchy sometimes, but we had great talks and in the end made it down. We got some food in the restaurant at the beach, where we also went for a dip in the sea.
After a week in the South, I moved up to the North. It’s a more hippy, quieter, and more beautiful area. I greatly enjoyed it there and extended my stay for a couple of weeks. I met some more digital nomads and also locals. Overall, I had a great work/life balance and was very satisfied. I love Thai food, so I was happy and always filled with great food.
Koh Phangan is famous for being a party island, which is 200% true. The most famous but probably the worst party on the island is the “Fullmoon Party.” It occurs every month during the full moon—what a surprise. Since it’s so famous, I had to go and make my own opinion. I’m not a party person, but I wanted to try it. The party area is at the beach. Many tents sell alcohol and different music from all angles. Obviously, there are fire shows and other activities to do. Many people also do paintings on the skin, which reflects the lights and gives everything an interesting vibe. Overall, I wasn’t too excited about it. I left the party area after maybe 2 hours. The entrance fee to the party was 5$. So it’s worth what you pay for it, but I would never make the way to Koh Phangan just for the party.
Koh Tao, Thailand
Koh Tao is not far from this island. It is famous for its diving. Many people go there to learn how to dive. It a good place to learn, especially cheap. My friends from Israel went there to do the courses. I also went over one weekend and explored the island a bit. It’s the smallest of the three islands. We went hiking and snorkelling and went for sunset drinks in the evening.
The island is beautiful, and we also had fantastic weather. I preferred to work from Koh Phangan because there’s better infrastructure and more food options, but Koh Tao was excellent for a weekend getaway.
Bangkok, Thailand
I spent an entire month in Koh Phangan, and it was time to move. Since the closest airport is in Koh Samui, I took the ferry to the next island to take a flight to Bangkok. I stayed in Bangkok for three weeks. I have to say I enjoyed my time there a lot. Bangkok is chaotic but modern at the same time. It has something I like.
The apartment I stayed in had a great facility. Serviced apartments with swimming pools and gyms are very common in Bangkok; mine even had a Japanese Onsen.
I was also fortunate to meet a local with whom I spend much time after work or on the weekend the next few weeks. We explored many night markets, bars and restaurants together. Bangkok is famous for rooftop bars, and the city has some great ones. I had a good routine. Going to a co-working every day and later out for food. Bangkok also has a big variety of international food. Cheap and tasty. One evening, I went to Chinatown with friends to wonder around and get dumplings.
